5 teams who should pay Phillip Lindsay what he’s worth

3. Denver Broncos

Only one team, the Houston Texans, is currently set to pay more than one running back north of $3.5 million per year this year. Following the Bill O’Brien roster construction plan is not advised, but the Broncos still have over $21 million in cap space for this year. An extension for Lindsay wouldn’t really start, in terms of a significant raise or new money, until 2021 anyway.

General manager John Elway has put an extension for Lindsay even further off his radar by signing Gordon. Talk of formidable 1-2 backfield punch to support quarterback Drew Lock is nice, but the Broncos need to do a new deal with Lindsay or just move on. He’s either got a future in Denver, or he’s a tradeable asset at a potential peak in his value given the pittance in salary he’ll make this year.

Gordon has a lot to prove after an ill-advised holdout with the Chargers last year, and he’ll get a chance at redemption in Denver. But to completely dismiss Lindsay feels foolish. The Broncos don’t have to break the bank to keep Lindsay around and pay him what he’s worth. They can also get out of Gordon’s deal with very little pain one year in.