Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3 Players to avoid in 2020 NFL free agency

2. Melvin Gordon, Running Back

When Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon held out to begin the 2019 season, speculation grew that he could be a trade target for the Buccaneers. Peyton Barber and Ronald Jones were largely ineffective in their roles and there was never clarity regarding who would perform well any given week. Gordon was suggested to be an immediate upgrade for Tampa Bay even though it would cost them a pretty penny to acquire his services.

Now, with Gordon headed toward free agency, the rumors have started up again. Yet, I believe it would be unwise for the Buccaneers to sign the former 1st round pick out of Wisconsin. Gordon may be touted as an elite running back, but he has only managed to eclipse four yards per carry once in his five-year career and has not rushed for 1,000 yards since 2017.

His availability is also a concern, as Gordon has only played one 16-game season in his career.  While he is certainly an upgrade over the Buccaneers’ current stable of running backs, he is not worth his $11.8 million per year salary projection.

Tampa Bay should look to either spend a mid-round draft pick on a running back or acquire a cheaper option like Jordan Howard or Matt Breida in free agency. Bringing in less expensive options would give Arians more flexibility at the position and allow the Buccaneers to spend their money on more premium positions, like quarterback and offensive line.

Gordon is a big name that would make headlines, but it would be irresponsible of Tampa Bay to spend that much money on an underachieving player.