Melvin Gordon knows he must improve

The San Diego Chargers traded up to select running back Melvin Gordon in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, hoping to find an additional weapon for quarterback Philip Rivers. Gordon rushed for over 2,000 yards last year for the University of Wisconsin, showcasing an elite blend of speed and agility.

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Yet, Gordon has struggled mightily in training camp. This was shown nationally last Thursday, when Gordon only rushed for 11 yards on six carries against the Dallas Cowboys in San Diego’s first preseason game. On Wednesday, Gordon talked about his problems and acknowledged that he needs to start correcting some of his mistakes, per the San Diego Union-Tribune.

"“It’s just being decisive with my runs,” Gordon said, via U-T San Diego. “Just being sharp and clean. … You’ve got to calm down and keep telling yourself, ‘It’ll come to you.’ I think that’s what a lot of players and probably a lot of rookies have to learn. You want to be great so fast. Sometimes, it just doesn’t happen that way. It’s a process. It can be tough, but that’s why you’ve got teammates and coaches that have seen it, that have been around it to help coach you through it.”"

Gordon has almost another full month to work on his game before facing the Detroit Lions in the regular-season opener on Sept. 13. Despite Ryan Mathews leaving this offseason for the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency, Gordon still has veteran help in the backfield with Danny Woodhead and Branden Oliver.

The revamped offensive line should also help, with Orlando Franklin coming over from the Denver Broncos to play left guard. The right side is still unsettled, although D.J. Fluker appears to be the front-runner at guard.