Chargers Should Pursue Melvin Gordon Deal With Lions and Bills and Let Austin Ekeler Take Over

Has anybody else noticed how stagnant the Los Angeles Chargers offense has looked since tailback Melvin Gordon returned from his holdout in Week 5?

This is not to mention that Gordon himself is responsible for LA's loss to the Titans in Week 7 after he fumbled on the goal line in the waning moments of the fourth quarter with the Chargers trailing 23-20.

Well, reports have surfaced in recent days which indicate that the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills have inquired about acquiring the two-time Pro Bowler ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline. If general manager Tom Telesco has any sense, he should absolutely pursue a potential deal involving Gordon.

We would understand the Chargers reluctance to part ways with their former No.15 overall pick if they didn't have a competent replacement lined up, but Austin Ekeler has markedly outperformed Gordon in 2019, no matter which way you look at it.

Gordon has rushed for 114 yards on 42 carries in four games, good for an abysmal 2.5 yards per carry. He also found the end zone for the first time on Sunday against the Bears

Ekeler, on the other hand, is averaging 3.5 yards per tote on 72 carries, while establishing himself as an imperative component in the passing game. The 24-year-old has hauled in 51 receptions (on 56 targets) for 507 yards and five touchdowns.

The stubbornness of head coach Anthony Lynn to keep feeding Gordon despite his pedestrian production has been nothing short of infuriating, especially since it means that Ekeler is looking on from the sidelines.

The Chargers simply need to lower their reported heavy asking price and do whatever it takes to ship the Wisconsin product out of town in return for future draft picks or assets.

Enough is enough.