San Diego Chargers rookie running back Melvin Gordon was very disappointing in his first NFL season. Looking ahead at the upcoming offseason, Gordon must attack it hard in order to improve in the areas that he struggled.
Gordon ended his rookie season with 184 carries for 641 yards, but he didn't score a single touchdown. He was able to catch 33 passes for 192 yards as well, but once again didn't score a touchdown. The lack of scoring was a concern for the Chargers, but those issues can be cleaned up quickly with hard work.
Standing in at 6-foot-1 and weighing 215 pounds, Gordon should be a capable every down NFL back.
There is a lot of competition in San Diego in the backfield at the running back position. Danny Woodhead had a big season and the Chargers also saw Donald Brown and Branden Oliver take a few carries. Gordon was still the "starter" from a technical standpoint, but he knew that it was a bit of running back by a committee.
That being said, San Diego never found a consistent ground game and Philip Rivers really needs Gordon to step up during the 2016 NFL season.
Looking back on the 2015 season, there are a few things in particular that stick out that Gordon will need to work on. Nothing he does is terrible, but there are areas where he must improve consistency.
Finishing runs strong is one of the main areas that he showed some issues in. During his career in college with the Wisconsin Badgers, Gordon was able to break big plays all the time. That simply isn't going to be the case in the NFL and he will have to work harder to finish his runs and pick up the extra yardage that will be there for him to earn.
Another thing that could use some work is his field vision. There were times where he missed open holes in favor of trying to break runs for big plays and that simply can't happen. Seeing the openings is a must for Gordon at the NFL level.
Obviously there are other areas that he could focus on improving his game, but those are two of the main problems that he must attack this offseason.
All of that being said, Gordon definitely has the potential to become a future star in the NFL. Proving that he can make the necessary adjustments and put in the hard work this offseason will get him even closer to his career goals.
