Shortly after the Browns announced their plan to release Josh Gordon yesterday evening, we heard that rival clubs were already calling Cleveland to inquire about trading for the troubled wideout before he hits the open market. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk lends further credence to those reports, writing that a few teams have indeed discussed a trade with the Browns.
It is not surprising that teams would be interested in the tremendously-talented Gordon from a pure football perspective, but it would be surprising if a club surrendered draft capital to acquire him if there were truth to the speculation that Gordon had suffered a relapse in his battle with substance abuse. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that the Browns’ decision to part ways with Gordon is not drug-related, though he did injure his hamstring during a team photo shoot. Given Gordon’s history, of course, it is fair to be skeptical of the circumstances surrounding his impending departure, and one league executive said, “if [the Browns] are letting him go, something is up” (Twitter link via ESPN’s Josina Anderson).
But assuming that Gordon has not run afoul of the league’s substance abuse policy, we could see the Browns strike a deal to send him elsewhere, though there are no concrete reports as to which teams have expressed interest. Florio speculates that the 49ers, Patriots, Seahawks, and Cowboys could be in the running, but Calvin Watkins of The Athletic tweets that he does not expect Dallas to make a play for Gordon.
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report, citing the 49ers’ previous interest in Gordon, says he would not be surprised if San Francisco were one of the clubs willing to trade for him, though he suggests that any trade would include only conditional compensation (Twitter link). Any team that does trade for him would take on the balance of Gordon’s $790K contract this year — a bargain if he can stay on the field — and would have the right to keep him under club control with a a restricted free agency tender in 2019.
Rapoport tweets that Gordon himself is most interested in the Cowboys and 49ers, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that the Browns intend to trade Gordon to an NFC club (Twitter link).
Cowboys go get him
Lol Gordon is about to be banned from the league
Lol. No he isn’t. No protocol was broken.
Second paragraph “However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that the Browns’ decision to part ways with Gordon is not drug-related, though he did injure his hamstring during a team photo shoot.” It’s almost like you didn’t read the article, why would he be banned if it isn’t drug related
Gordon is sadly, an absolute mess, and if the Browns have given up on him after giving him endless chances, you actually believe they’re gonna release him because of a “photo shoot injury”??
Per Mike Fisher, they aren’t interested
browns are just stupid…..I c y they have that name Brown….their destined to be crap
*they’re
The browns are stupid. Pot meet kettle.
What? Jerry Jones doesn’t want another reclamation project? I guess Steven really is in charge.
So the Browns suddenly decide to get rid of him. Yep, he can look just as good on someone else’s suspended list as he can on the Browns.
Think anyone will inquire about Zane Gonzalez?
He has to be facing a suspension. He was obviously under the influence of something today.