3 teams who could now realistically trade for Melvin Gordon

1. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are in decent shape at running back, with Marlon Mack (nine rushing touchdowns last year) and Nyheim Hines (63 catches last year) filling their roles well and Jordan Wilkins in place as further depth. But Gordon is an obvious upgrade, and Indianapolis has the cap space this year and down the road to take on his salary for this year and give him the kind of contract he’s looking for.

If taking an opportunity to add talent around Andrew Luck would have been an easy move a month ago, as Gordon’s holdout just started, it’s a no-brainer for the Colts now with Jacoby Brissett stepping in under center. There’s also the  layer of getting an edge on the division rival Texans, who seem to have jumped the gun when they made their deal for Carlos Hyde when the report Gordon had permission to seek a trade surfaced quickly after, and the Colts have an even stronger case to consider a big move for Gordon.

Indianapolis have their first-round pick and two second-round picks in the 2020 draft. That first-round pick is not in line to be a premium pick, with the expectation they’ll still make the playoffs without Luck, so the idea of parting with it may not be a dead-end for general manager Chris Ballard. Maybe one of those second-round picks, or both, would get it done if the Chargers are willing to move off their rumored asking price.