Punchy and Drunky

For goodness sake, don't do anything stupid while drunk. Like speeding 30 plus miles an hour over the speed limit. Call a cab or an Uber. The Denver Broncos don't have many options now at running back following Melvin Gordon's DUI charge. A few days ago, he was pulled over. Cops noticed the signs of intoxication. Tests were done. He'll be facing suspension for sure. Denver has to have a game plan on what could happen to him next in a month when his court appearance comes up. This is courtesy of local places in Colorado such as 9News.

New Orleans barely survived with an overtime win against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. They did this without their star receiver Michael Thomas. An altercation occurred between him and second year corner Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. Punches were thrown, Thomas was suspended. There is speculation on what might have happened. The thing is, Thomas has never had outside of some political tweets any sort of trouble. I can't think of any moment where he has made a nuisance of himself.

There might be a story on him having issues with the coaching staff. Possibly Sean Payton. Or that he wasn't suspended at all, but fined to set an example of what could happen next. Until things get calmer, the story probably won't be revealed until later on. We'll also have to see if Thomas starts having big issues similar to Antonio Brown. I think he's smarter than Brown and could handle stuff a lot better, but you never know. 

That's only scratching the surface in the South. Between the Atlanta Falcons and the coronavirus and Alabama's Nick Saban and their athletic director testing positive, football in October gets scarier and scarier.

A Back's Worth

That time of the year again. Players on the NFL asking for new contracts. For running backs, it's wanting deals that can net them a lot of pay. Their own teams either pull all the stops to keep them, or it could be something to where someone leaves.

An example of a holdout for this year is Melvin Gordon. He wants something that is on the level of a Le'Veon Bell or a Todd Gurley. The problem with Gordon is his health. He has missed games at points in all but one season of his four year career. That being said, the Chargers need him. They struggled in the years after Ladainian Tomlinson left. Who do you go to if Gordon doesn't show up? It's not like the Bell situation where a backup emerges quickly.

Then there is Ezekiel Elliott. He had a good bounce back year following a forgettable 2017 season that was mired in controversy and the question on whether he was putting effort in at times. While Dallas may want him back, he wants to get paid like a top back. Last time they had a back that put an effort, DeMarco Murray signed a big contract with Philadelphia. The issue with Elliott is the costs related to him, Dak Prescott, and Amari Cooper. Could it work? I think it could. I have a feeling he will have a deal done and he will stay in Dallas for a longer period of time.

Todd Gurley did a lot last year and the Rams did well with giving him an extension. With health being a factor for this 2019 season, the expectations of the contract could come back to bite him. And the Jets having Le'Veon Bell will be nice, but is he ready for a full season of hits following last year's season of him sitting out? And the question in a few years will be about Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey.

Even with the average career span of a back being the lowest, we have a big era of them dominating the gridiron coming.