Nov. 08--Information for this report was obtained from NFL scouts.
Melvin Gordon was drafted in the first round, 15th overall as a replacement for Ryan Mathews, who the team selected in Round 1 in 2010. He hasn't generated nearly the buzz Rams first-round pick Todd Gurley has, generating only 3.7 yards per carry with no touchdowns.
Sweeping injuries on the offensive line are a big part of Gordon's struggles and in some weeks he has been minimized in the game plan. He had a season-high 18 carries last week at Baltimore but had just 14 in the previous two games combined. Left tackle King Dunlap has missed three games and left guard Orlando Franklin has missed four and both are iffy for Monday night. Center Chris Watt has had groin and shoulder injuries and a concussion. Right guard D.J. Fluker missed one game and is playing through a sprained ankle. Still, Gordon has five carries of 20 or more yards and only five backs have more, so he has shown glimpses.
"He was the second-best back in the draft," one national scout said. "Smooth. He's a lot stronger than people give him credit for and he wasn't good at pass protection or catching the rock coming out but they didn't ask him to do a lot of that. Really good balance between the tackles and very patient as a runner. He has really good leg strength.
"This kid can break tackles and you're not going to bring him down with an arm tackle. He's a mid-4.5 guy as far as speed, not a burner but I really like him. That being said, they're not even trying to run the ball. They're not built for it right now with that offensive line. It would be hard for any back to find much success there until they get that line fixed or healthy, whatever.
