Josh Gordon - Pro Football Rumors

QB Rumors: Cook, Goff, Wentz, Manziel

April 11th, 2016 at 2:49pm CST by Luke Adams

After spending the last week “sniffing around on the situation,” Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com is more convinced than ever that Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook will come off the board earlier than expected in this year’s draft. While other quarterbacks, such as Jared Goff, Carson Wentz, and Paxton Lynch, are being discussed more frequently in media circles, La Canfora suspects that a few NFL teams are hoping Cook flies under the radar.

According to La Canfora, at least one club is considering moving up from the second round to late in the first round to take Cook, if he’s available, and several teams have him rated as the second-best quarterback on their boards.

“We like the kid a lot,” said an executive from one team that has Cook second on its draft board. “We don’t think there is a whole lot separating some of these quarterbacks and Cook is the most ready to play. Goff, look at his tape against Utah, it’s not pretty. And Wentz, there is a lot to like there, but he needs to go somewhere and sit for a year or two and develop.”

Cook will have a busy schedule this week, according to La Canfora, who writes that the QB is visiting the Cowboys, Dolphins, Broncos, and 49ers. Cook will also visit the Jets and Bears, and work out for the Rams. He has previously visited the Ravens and Bills, and met with the Browns.

Here are a few more updates on quarterbacks who are seeking NFL jobs:

Jared Goff and Carson Wentz will be in Santa Clara this week to meet with the 49ers, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. San Francisco holds the No. 7 overall pick and is believed to be in the market for a quarterback.
In addition to meeting with San Francisco, Goff will visit the Saints, Eagles, and Jets in the coming days, tweets Michael Silver of the NFL Network. Unless Goff slips a little in the draft, at least two of those clubs would likely have to trade up to have a chance to land the Cal QB, so the fact that he’s meeting with those teams is interesting.
Wentz and Paxton Lynch, like Goff, will be visiting the Eagles this week, says Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link).
Penn State signal-caller Christian Hackenberg is among the quarterbacks meeting with the Jets this week, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Although Johnny Manziel told TMZ over the weekend that he’s living with Von Miller in Los Angeles, sources tell ESPN that Manziel is actually living with Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon. While it’s entirely possible that Manziel and Gordon are helping one another to stay out of trouble and get back on the field, the arrangement may not look great to potential Manziel suitors, or – in Gordon’s case – to the league office. It probably also didn’t improve Manziel’s odds of landing a job that he told TMZ that he had been out in West Hollywood five or six nights in a row, adding that he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with “partying.”

Latest On Josh Gordon

April 9th, 2016 at 8:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Browns receiver Josh Gordon applied for reinstatement from his yearlong suspension on January 20, and though the NFL policy states that the league is to issue a decision within 60 days, no such announcement has been made. A source tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that “it’s status quo” when it comes to Gordon, and a league spokesman said there’s no update on Gordon’s status.

[RELATED: Browns release Donte Whitner]

The NFL’s substance abuse policy is a little vague on the 60-day parameter, leading a league spokesman to tell Cabot “there is no requirement that a reinstatement decision be made in 60 days. We endeavor to develop the necessary information to make a decision in that time frame, but the actual decisions are made when appropriate.”

For the record, Appendix B of the policy (available here) states “all individuals involved in the process will take steps to enable the Commissioner to render a decision within 60 days of the receipt of the application” — the language certainly doesn’t seem to require an ironclad deadline, but it’s clear that 60 days is the recommended guideline.

One league source speculated to Cabot that it’s possible that Gordon hasn’t done enough to prove his sobriety to the NFL — that, it seems, is just speculation, as there’s been no indication or report that Gordon has failed any further tests. Roger Goodell said last month that he expected to discuss Gordon’s case with his team in the near future, while Browns head coach Hue Jackson has maintained that there is a roster spot for Gordon in Cleveland.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Roger Goodell Talks Pats, Chiefs, China, Vegas

March 23rd, 2016 at 10:46am CST by Luke Adams

With the NFL’s owners meetings winding down in Boca Raton, Florida, commissioner Roger Goodell took to the podium this morning to announcing the rules changes approved by the league and to take questions from reporters. We won’t get into the rule changes here, but we’ll round up several of the more noteworthy comments Goodell made in response to those reporters’ inquiries. Let’s dive in…

Goodell confirmed that he received Robert Kraft‘s letter asking for the Patriots to get their draft picks back. However, after “considering his views,” Goodell has decided that New England’s Deflategate penalties won’t be altered, since the commissioner doesn’t feel as if new information has surfaced.
The NFL and NFL Players Association are not close – “by any stretch of the imagination” – to reaching an agreement on player discipline that would strip Goodell of some or all of his power and authority.
Goodell expects to serve as the arbitrator for the Chiefs‘ appeal of their tampering penalties, adding that he’ll make sure that appeal happened before the draft if the team pushes for that.
No discipline is expected for the Falcons and/or their coaches after secondary coach Marquand Manuel asked cornerback prospect Eli Apple at the combine if he liked men.
Although several reports have suggested that the Rams are expected to host the NFL’s 2018 regular-season game in China, Goodell said several teams are interested and no decisions have been made yet. However, he did confirm that the league will play a game in China in ’18.
Asked about the possibility of the Raiders moving to Las Vegas, Goodell didn’t close the door on the possibility of having an NFL franchise there, suggesting that the league’s 32 owners would have a decision to make if a formal proposal was put on the table. The city’s economic reliance on gambling, and the potential impact on the NFL, would certainly be a significant factor in that decision.
While no decisions have been made on Josh Gordon‘s potential reinstatement, Goodell expects his staff to update him on the Browns wide receiver’s case next week.

Browns Rumors: Gordon, Mack, Benjamin

February 25th, 2016 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

While new Browns head coach Hue Jackson took to the podium on Wednesday at the scouting combine in Indianapolis, it was new executive VP Sashi Brown who spoke to reporters on Thursday morning. Brown didn’t want to talk about quarterback Johnny Manziel, but he did address several other topics of interest. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights…

According to Brown, there’s a spot on the roster for Josh Gordon as long as he’s doing the right things. Brown doesn’t expect to have clarity on Gordon’s status before free agency begins on March 9th, but he thinks the signs are pointing to the wide receiver being reinstated from his suspension (Twitter links via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com and Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).
Center Alex Mack, who can opt out of his contract anytime before March 4th, came in last week to discuss a possible contract extension, according to Brown, who believes that if Mack is going to remain in Cleveland, the two sides will probably have to work something out before that opt-out deadline (Twitter links via Cabot).
Brown doesn’t expect the Browns to use the franchise or transition tag. If the team does use one or the other, safety Tashaun Gipson would be the top candidate, but Brown is hoping for a long-term deal with Gipson (Twitter link via Ulrich).
The Browns met with Travis Benjamin‘s agent at the combine last night, according to Brown, who says talks between the two sides haven’t broken down (Twitter links via Cabot and Ulrich). Agent Ron Butler said earlier this week that he expects his client will reach the open market.
Brown said today that the club apologized to pending free agents for taking a little extra time to open negotiations, since the organization spent the first part of the offseason wrapped up in a searches for coaches and front office additions (Twitter link via Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram).

Combine Updates: Browns, Buccaneers, Titans

February 24th, 2016 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

General managers and head coaches around the league are speaking to the media on Wednesday and Thursday at the scouting combine in Indianapolis, and while most of them will only generally address their pending free agents or other noteworthy contract situations, a handful have revealed some interesting tidbits.

Here are a few updates from the sessions so far:

Cleveland Browns:

Browns head coach Hue Jackson, who said the team will take a hard-line stance when it comes to not tolerating off-field behavior like Johnny Manziel‘s, was also asked about players like Josh Gordon (suspended) and Armonty Bryant (arrested). Jackson said he has spoken to Bryant, and will meet with Gordon if and when he’s reinstated, stressing that he wants high-character players and will evaluate each situation on a case-by-case basis (Twitter links via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com and Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).
Jackson guaranteed that the Browns will come out of this year’s draft having picked a quarterback. However, he cautioned that the team might not use the No. 2 overall pick to select a signal-caller (Twitter link via Cabot).
Jackson conceded that if the fit is right, he would value potential free agents who had previous experience in his system (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich). Bengals wideouts Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu might fit that bill.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said today that the team doesn’t have any indication of whether veteran guard Logan Mankins is leaning toward retiring or playing in 2016. That decision won’t affect the Bucs either way though, according to Licht, who says the team expects to hear from Mankins within the next few weeks (Twitter links via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times).
Licht will meet with Doug Martin‘s agent this week, and said he’s optimistic about the possibility of working out a new deal for the running back (Twitter link via Stroud).
If the Bucs don’t re-sign Martin, they’ll be prepared to address the position either in free agency or the draft, says Licht (Twitter link via Stroud).
Licht expects to concentrate primarily on defensive players in the draft, but that won’t stop the Bucs from grabbing an offensive player if he’s the top player on their board (Twitter link via Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune).

Tennessee Titans:

Titans head coach Mike Mularkey views Brian Schwenke‘s injuries as a potential cause for concern, and said the team won’t rule out the pursuit of a veteran center (Twitter link via Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com).
Defensive tackle Al Woods is one of the Titans pending free agents that the team is talking to and wants to keep, according to Mularkey (Twitter link via McCormick).
Mularkey doesn’t believe the Titans’ moves in free agency will tip off what the team plans to do with the No. 1 pick in the draft, per Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. “I don’t know that it’s a telltale sign — if we do this, we won’t do that,” Mularkey said.
The Titans don’t currently plan on making any more roster cuts prior to the start of free agency, Mularkey said (Twitter link via McCormick).
If the Titans ultimately decide to trade the first overall pick in the draft, they’ll be looking for a “fair deal,” not necessarily one that lines up with the old draft-pick value chart, per GM Jon Robinson (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com).

AFC Notes: Browns, Jets, Jackson, Raiders

February 14th, 2016 at 8:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Let’s take a look at the latest from the AFC franchises on the first 2016 Sunday without football, beginning in Cleveland, where uncertainty exists throughout the receiving corps.

The Browns will go after one or both free agent Bengals wide receivers, Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. The former Hue Jackson charges are available at a need area for the Browns, who may lose Travis Benjamin and are uncertain of Josh Gordon‘s playing status. Cabot puts Gordon being back in Cleveland this fall at 50-50. Gordon has not been reinstated yet after applying on Jan. 20, per Pro Football Talk (on Twitter).
Conversely, Cabot expects Cleveland to cut Dwayne Bowe after the highly paid receiver struggled to get on the field in one of the most disappointing seasons for a wideout in recent memory. Due the team’s fourth-highest cap charge at $8MM in 2016, Bowe will cost the Browns $4.6MM in dead money if they release the declining 31-year-old target. The team will save $3.4MM by making this move, however.
Underachieving cornerback Justin Gilbert, however, may not be joining 2014 first-round disappointment Johnny Manziel among players departing the Browns, Cabot writes, with Ray Horton‘s secondary background potentially serving as a last hope of sorts for the top-10 pick. Gilbert would cost the Browns $7.58MM if cut.
Malik Jackson will command more money than Broncos end cohort Derek Wolfe, Troy Renck of the Denver Post writes. Wolfe signed a four-year, $36.7MM extension in January. Jackson, who’s had the more consistent career, will probably be an eight-figure AAV player if he signs with the Broncos or elsewhere after his success despite playing three different positions — defensive tackle, 4-3 defensive end and 3-4 end — the past three seasons.
Muhammad Wilkerson should expect to be franchise-tagged, Seth Walder of the New York Daily News writes. Despite Wilkerson expressing frustration last offseason about playing under his fifth-year option and the Jets employing Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams, Gang Green will look to keep Wilkerson on the tag, Walder writes. The Jets could still try to trade the sixth-year end after tagging him, Walder writes, and could plan on paying him (the tag was $14.8MM for ends last year) this season before letting him walk in 2017. They’d receive a compensatory draft choice once he signs elsewhere in that scenario.
Walder slots Ryan Fitzpatrick first and Damon Harrison third, respectively, among the Jets’ offseason priorities. He expects Fitzpatrick to receive a contract around the same parameters as the Rams’ Nick Foles accord that stands to pay him $13.8MM in guarantees on the two-year extension he signed. Walder anticipates Fitzpatrick requiring more guaranteed money to stay with the Jets but a two-year offer would be realistic.
Donald Penn will probably be back with the Raiders after the team explores the market, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap writes. The Raiders have a league-most $71.93MM worth of cap space, so they could easily afford to keep their left tackle of the past two seasons. Penn will be 33 in April, so it won’t take a long-term deal to keep him in Oakland. Former starters Rod Streater and Andre Holmes will be allowed to find other opportunities, Fitzgerald writes, while the team should discuss extensions for contract-year running backs Latavius Murray and Marcel Reece.

Extra Points: Gordon, Megatron, Ravens

February 6th, 2016 at 12:39pm CST by Ben Levine

During his Super Bowl press conference, Roger Goodell acknowledged that he had received Josh Gordon‘s application for reinstatement. The commissioner now has 60 days to determine whether the Browns wideout should be reinstated. Before he makes a decision, Goodell wants to see whether the embattled receiver has changed his ways.

“The process is we will go back and look at how he’s conducted himself over the last several months, what he’s done to make sure it’s consistent with the terms of his suspension, and at some stage we’ll have a report on that, and I will engage with our people to understand where he is, where he’s been, but most importantly, where he’s going,” Goodell said (via Tony Grossi ESPN.com).

“When these things happen, it’s about trying to avoid them in the future. Our No. 1 issue here is to prevent these things from happening.

“I’m hopeful that Josh understands that he’s going to have to conduct himself differently going forward to be a member of the NFL and to be representing the Cleveland Browns — or any team in the NFL. So, our job is to try to get people to understand that, try to make sure that they live by the policies that we have, and ensure that this is what all of us want and also what the fans want. Our fans want everybody playing by the same rules.”

The Browns wideout was suspended indefinitely last February, and the 24-year-old didn’t play a single game this past season.According to the report, Gordon’s party “is confident he has met terms of his indefinite suspension to merit reinstatement.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…

Jets wideout Brandon Marshall respects Calvin Johnson‘s decision to potentially walk away from the game. “Awesome. I think that he’s strong,” Marshall told Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post. “I think it takes a lot of strength and courage to walk away from the game. I think all of us face that time when we question ourselves or question our passion and love for the game, and if we want to move forward. I think most of us stick around a year or two or three too long.”
The Ravens have traditionally avoided big-name free agents, but ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley believes if the team were to spend this offseason, they’d pursue a wide receiver. According to the writer, potential options include DeSean Jackson, Vincent Jackson, Victor Cruz and Roddy White.
Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is the “overwhelming favorite” to receive the team’s franchise tag, writes Hensley.

Ravens Notes: Pitta, DeCosta, Mallett

January 23rd, 2016 at 10:53am CST by Ben Levine

Tight end Dennis Pitta missed the entire 2015 season as he recovered from a fractured and dislocated hip. While the 30-year-old had previously hinted at retirement, it appears that the veteran is still interested in returning next season.

“I certainly have a desire to play and want to play and want to be a part of this team moving forward. But we’ll see how it plays out,” Pitta told Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun. “Like we talked about, it’s not entirely my decision. Certainly, I have a lot of weight in what my future holds, but it’s not totally in my hands. We’ll see. There’s no timeline as far as when a decision is going to be made. We’ll give it some time this offseason, and I’ll certainly do some thinking and testing my body and hip.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes out of Baltimore…

Ravens assistant general manager Eric DeCosta is once again in demand. Zrebiec writes that the 44-year-old was a top target for the Titans general manager job, although the long-time executive has continually declined interviews.
Quarterback Ryan Mallett was content with his performance down the stretch this season, but he understands he’ll be back on the bench with the return of Joe Flacco. “I don’t know what the future holds,” Mallett told Jon Meoli of The Baltimore Sun. “What I’m going to do is take this offseason to get into the best shape that I can, and become a better player any way I can.”
ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley doesn’t envision the Browns cutting bait with embattled wideout Josh Gordon. However, if the talented receiver were to be released, the writer is convinced that the Ravens would have interest.

Browns Notes: Front Office, Manziel, Gordon

January 21st, 2016 at 1:51pm CST by Luke Adams

New Browns front office duo Sashi Brown and Paul DePodesta spoke to reporters today at an afternoon press conference, and while the session wasn’t exactly filled with headline-worthy nuggets, Brown and DePodesta made a few comments worth passing along. Here’s a round-up:

The Browns are looking to fill a crucial spot in their front office, but that position won’t get a general manager title, according to Brown (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). The new addition to the front office will be the vice president of player personnel, and Cleveland intends to make a hire within about a week.
Brown is confident that the team can attract top candidates for that VP of player personnel role, even though Brown will retain final say over the 53-man roster. However, he acknowledges that teams are reluctant to let their top personnel guys go at this time of year, with the draft coming up (Twitter links via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com).
The Browns are in no hurry to make a decision on quarterback Johnny Manziel, but Brown says he’ll defer to Hue Jackson if the new head coach decides he doesn’t want Manziel (Twitter link via Jeff Schudel of The News-Herald).
As for Josh Gordon, the Browns also won’t rush into any decision on the suspended wide receiver. If Gordon is reinstated, the team will sit down with him and see how he’s doing, Brown said today (Twitter link via Ulrich).
Brown has met with left tackle Joe Thomas and indicated that he’ll “be a big piece of what we do moving forward” (Twitter link via Cabot). Thomas suggested at season’s end that he may ask to be traded if he wasn’t fond of the new head coaching hire and the franchise’s offseason direction.
DePodesta downplayed the idea that the Browns will be employing any sort of radical analytics, suggesting that his approach is more about a mindset than an algorithm, and the ultimate goal is to make the best possible decision (Twitter links via Ulrich).

North Notes: Allen, Gordon, Bears, Packers

January 20th, 2016 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked today during a press conference if he has confidence that cornerback Cortez Allen can be an impact player going forward, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin admitted that he’s not convinced of that, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). Since signing a four-year, $24.6MM extension about a year and a half ago, Allen has struggled significantly — he was benched in 2014 and missed nearly all of the 2015 season with a knee injury.

While it’s possible that Tomlin’s comment was a motivational tactic for Allen heading into 2016, it seems more likely that the club simply plans on moving on from the cornerback. Releasing him this winter would only save $1.7MM against the cap, but the club could increase those savings for 2016 to $4.4MM by designating Allen as a post-June 1 cut and pushing some of his dead money to 2017.

As we wait to see what the Steelers plan on doing with Allen, let’s check in on a few more items from out of the NFL’s North divisions….

Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, who has filed for reinstatement from his year-long suspension, believes he has a “good chance” of having that application approved, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). According to Cole, Gordon has been working out in California and keeping his distant from bad influences as he looks to return to the NFL for the 2016 season.
With Dowell Loggains ascending to the Bears‘ offensive coordinator job to replace Adam Gase, the club will need to name a new quarterbacks coach. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, wide receivers coach Mike Groh is an in-house candidate for that role. Biggs also identifies former Louisville quarterback Dave Ragone as a potential option for Loggains’ staff, though Ragone may still be under contract with Washington.
Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com has the details on which Packers players cashed in on per-game roster bonuses this season.
The Packers brought in wide receivers Kadron Boone and Jimmy Jean for workouts, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).