Patriots acquire Josh Gordon. With a serious need at wide receiver, New England sent a fifth-round to Cleveland in exchange for Gordon, who had finally worn out his welcome with Browns head coach Hue Jackson & Co. Initial reports indicated the Patriots would only receive a seventh-round pick in return if Gordon doesn’t spend 10 games on their roster, but that seventh-rounder is now part of the trade regardless, leading to speculation that New England pressured the Browns into sending more compensation their way. Gordon joins a Patriots receiving corps that includes Chris Hogan, Cordarrelle Patterson, Phillip Dorsett, and (starting in Week 5) Julian Edelman.
Jimmy G done for season? Details are sparse on the condition of 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo given that he was just injured this afternoon, but San Francisco fears that he suffered a torn ACL in Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs. Garoppolo attempted to stay in bounds on a sideline run, but his knee buckled just before he made contact with a Kansas City defender. The 49ers have already lost running back Jerick McKinnon to an ACL tear, and Garoppolo’s absence could sink any postseason hopes San Francisco may have had. 2017 third-round pick C.J. Beathard would take over as the 49ers’ starter if Garoppolo is out.
Lions almost had Gronk. Reports surfaced over the offseason suggesting Rob Gronkowski had been on the trade block in New England, but it wasn’t clear (until today) just how far along talks had progressed. The Lions nearly made a trade for Gronkowski earlier this year, but when the All-Pro got word of the potential deal, he did all he could to scuttle any agreement. Gronk refused to answer phone calls from Detroit, and indicated he’d rather retire than leave the Patriots and Tom Brady. New England ultimately canceled the trade, and reworked Gronkowski’s contract to include more incentives in 2018.
Steelers taking offers for Le’Veon Bell. Although they previously indicated they had no interest in dealing him, the Steelers are now listening to trade proposals for Bell, who has refused to show up this season due to his unhappiness with his franchise tag. It’s unclear if Pittsburgh is actively shopping Bell or simply taking calls, and it’s also unknown if any teams have reached out. Any club that acquires Bell would not be allowed to offer him a contract extension, and it would be responsible for any prorated portion of his franchise tender.
Baker time in Cleveland. The Baker Mayfield era has officially begun, as Hue Jackson will announce Monday that the No. 1 overall selection is now the Browns’ starting quarterback. Mayfield took over for an injured Tyrod Taylor on Thursday night and ultimately led the Browns to their first win since the 2016 season. With Mayfield’s promotion, three of five first-round rookie quarterbacks are now starters, with the Bills’ Josh Allen and the Jets’ Sam Darnold joining Mayfield as their respective teams’ top signal-callers.
Uh, you don’t suppose Patricia will be using this info to fire up the troops for tonight’s showdown with his old boss do you?