Josh Gordon - Pro Football Rumors

La Canfora’s Latest: Texans, Browns, Harbaugh

December 28th, 2014 at 9:23am CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s check out the latest from CBS Sports scribe Jason La Canfora:

The Texans are expected to make a change at general manager during the offseason, with current GM Rick Smith shifting into a new role that doesn’t involve football operations. Head coach Bill O’Brien will have significant input on who is hired to fill the position, and sources tell La Canfora that the club already has several candidates in mind. Patriots executive Nick Caserio would likely be O’Brien’s top choice, as the two worked together in New England. Other external options include the Eagles’ Tom Gamble and the Pats’ Jon Robinson, while internal candidates could include scouting director Mike Maccagnan and director of pro personnel Brian Gaine. Texans vice chariman Cal McNair has denied La Canfora’s report, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
Meanwhile, changes could also be coming in Buffalo and Tennessee, writes La Canfora. Bills GM Doug Whaley doesn’t have a great relationship with head coach Doug Marrone, and given that the current Buffalo front office was responsible for the selection of E.J. Manuel, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the club completely overhaul its management team. Meanwhile, the Titans could opt to fire general manager Ruston Webster, and replace him with executive Lake Dawson.
The Browns are growing increasingly frustrated with both Josh Gordon and Johnny Manziel, sources tell La Canfora. Gordon, who was suspended for today’s game after missing a walkthrough on Saturday, will file a grievance against the team in order to maintain his free agent status after 2015. But Cleveland officials say Gordon “has to go,” although La Canfora says it’s unclear whether owner Jimmy Haslam is willing to trade the talented wideout. For his part, Manziel was also absent yesterday, and team security was forced to go to his house to retrieve him. The rookie quarterback reportedly threw a team party Friday night (which led to several Browns being late on Saturday), the latest questionable decision by a player who recently vowed to take the game more seriously.
Five clubs — the Raiders, Jets, 49ers, Falcons, and Bears — are expected to make coaching changes in the coming days. The Raiders still have their eye on Jim Harbaugh, but if he takes the Michigan job as expected, the club could bring in Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. And while the 49ers are expected to look at some of the younger offensive coaches during their search, the Jets, Falcons, and Bears are looking to hire an established head coach, per La Canfora. Rex Ryan is an option in Atlanta, though if the Falcons lose today and miss the playoffs, general manger Thomas Dimitroff could be axed there. In Chicago, the club could look to reunite Mike Shanahan with Jay Cutler.
The Raiders will indeed attempt to make their pitch to Harbaugh, and would even engage in trade talks with the 49ers if possible. La Canfora notes (via Twitter) that NFL executives won’t believe Harbaugh has a deal with Michigan until it’s officially signed.
Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is a name to watch regarding head-coaching vacancies. La Canfora says sources have compared Autin’s rise to that of Mike Tomlin, who went from an unknown position coach to leading the Steelers in rapid time. Austin is expected to garner several interviews, including one with the Falcons.

Browns Suspend Josh Gordon

December 27th, 2014 at 11:05pm CST by Rob DiRe

11:05pm: It’s still up in the air if Gordon will lose his accrued season for 2014, which would push his unrestricted free agency back a year, tweets Mark Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, adding that talks are ongoing between the two sides. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the team did suspend Gordon without pay, which would put his 2014 accrued season in jeopardy.

Still, as Florio points out, the language in the CBA doesn’t specify that time spent on a reserve/suspended list doesn’t count toward an accrued season. As such, Gordon could have two potential avenues to fight the delay of his free agency — he could appeal the suspension, and hope it’s overturned by an arbitrator. If that route is unsuccessful, there could be a legal battle over the interpretation of the CBA’s definition of an accrued season, which states that “a player shall receive one Accrued Season for each season during which he was on, or should have been on, full pay status for a total of six or more regular season games.”

Florio suggests that in Gordon’s case, the NFLPA could argue that the Browns wideout “should have been on” full pay status in Week 17, particularly since the reserve/suspended isn’t mentioned in the CBA’s list of examples for instances that don’t count toward an accrued season (which includes time spent on the commissioner’s exempt list, practice squad, or PUP list due to a non-football injury).

1:25pm: The Browns have suspended star receiver Josh Gordon for their Week 17 matchup with the Ravens, reports Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 (via Twitter). Gordon was suspended for violation of team rules for reportedly missing a walkthrough practice on Friday, writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com (via Twitter). Grossi also writes that a late-night night club incident may have also been a contributing factor.

While Gordon has been placed on the reserved/suspended list, the team has signed receiver Phil Bates off the practice squad to fill his roster spot, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).

Gordon has gained a reputation for being late for meetings, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter). La Canfora writes that Gordon’s “maturity, decision-making, and associates remain a concern for the team.”

La Canfora also notes that the team had a trade in place to send the embattled wideout to the 49ers last offseason, but ownership refused to go through with the deal (via Twitter). He writes that the team will regret not making the trade when it was on the table. The Browns would not be able to get much for him now, but some pundits – such as such as Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (via Twitter) – would still be surprised to see Gordon return to the team in 2015.

Gordon will only have played five games in 2014 due to the suspension, after missing the first ten games due to a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). By only playing five games, Gordon will not get credit for an accrued season toward his free agency, reports Albert Breer of NFL.com (via Twitter). Gordon has played two NFL seasons, and would need four accrued seasons to become an unrestricted free agent. Missing this Sunday’s game will cost him credit for his third season, and could potentially make his 2016 free agency restricted, writes Breer (via Twitter).

The team will have to decided whether the punishment is a paid or unpaid suspension. If the suspension is paid, he will be credited for his sixth game and third season. If not, he will not accrue his third season toward free agency, reports Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter).

There is a belief that Browns’ management was motivated to push back Gordon’s free agency by a year, and that was a reason for the suspension, according to Wilson (via Twitter). The decision to suspend him and keep him at five games is considered a prudent business decision by the organization, in an attempt to delay his unrestricted free agency (via Twitter).

Gordon is expected to fight the suspension in order to regain his accrued year toward free agency, writes Cole (via Twitter).

Josh Gordon Avoids Suspension For DUI

November 23rd, 2014 at 9:35am CST by Rory Parks

Josh Gordon will return to the field today after serving a 10-game suspension for failing a league drug test, and he received another bit of good news this morning. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Gordon will face only a fine, and not a suspension, for his DUI conviction in September. As Florio notes, Gordon pleaded guilty to the DUI charge to “avoid the automatic two-game suspension contemplated by the revised substance-abuse policy.”

Of course, Gordon will be subject to a stiff suspension should he run afoul of that policy in the future, but he has avoided another ban for the time being and can now shift his focus to his team’s push for the AFC North crown.

North Notes: Blount, Gordon, Cobb

November 23rd, 2014 at 8:48am CST by Rory Parks

Although he acknowledges that there is no evidence to suggest that LeGarrette Blount wanted to get himself released from the Steelers when he left the field prior to Pittsburgh’s Monday night win over the Titans, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wonders if Blount “walk[ed] out on the Steelers so he could walk right back to the New England Patriots.” Bouchette notes that, with no ramifications whatsoever–although the Steelers certainly could have penalized him instead of essentially rewarding him for his behavior–Blount “went from a team fighting to make the playoffs to one among the favorites to win it all, one where he had success last season and was used more often than he was with the Steelers.” Even if it sounds a bit like a conspiracy theory, Bouchette believes it is fair to think that Blount knew exactly what he was doing and that everything played out according to plan for him and for New England.

Now for some more notes from the league’s north divisions:

The Browns expect star receiver Josh Gordon to be on the field for 20-30 snaps in his first game of the 2014 season this afternoon, according to ESPN.com staff.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that a ruling on Ray Rice‘s appeal hearing is expected by tomorrow. Even if the former Ravens running back is reinstated, of course, it will be difficult for him to find a job in the league this season.
Even though they have been publicly silent on the issue, ESPN’s Ed Werder tweets that Vikings ownership and management were pushing throughout the season to get Adrian Peterson back on the field. Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that Minnesota’s coaching staff would love to have Peterson back, and Werder adds in a full-length piece that head coach Mike Zimmer believes Peterson has not played his last game in a Vikings uniform.
Although he believes the Packers will work out an extension with Randall Cobb, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes that Cobb’s excellent 2014 season is driving up his price, possibly out of Green Bay’s budget. On the other hand, even though the Packers have a number of young wideouts on the roster, Demovsky notes that none of those players have proven they are capable of filling Cobb’s shoes.
Ben Volin of the Boston Globe describes how Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh has finally paired excellent play with clean play in his free agent season.

Browns To Activate Josh Gordon

November 22nd, 2014 at 1:55pm CST by Rob DiRe

Ten games into the NFL season, the Browns will finally get arguably their best player back, as the team has activated Josh Gordon in time for this weekend’s matchup against the Falcons, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN (via Twitter).

The team has waived linebacker Keith Pough in order to make room for Gordon.

The Browns may be getting their All-Pro wide receiver at the perfect time. The team jumped out to a 6-4 start in their first ten games, putting them a half game out of the lead in the AFC North, which has turned out to be one of the most competitive divisions in football. With the Bengals and Steelers at a virtual tie for the division lead at 6-3-1 and 7-4, the Browns are lurking close behind in a tie with the Ravens.

The Browns have two divisional games left, and will have an opportunity to position themselves well in terms of tiebreakers by winning both games. Aside from the AFC North games, they have a reasonably easy slate left, with the Falcons, Panthers, Bills, and Colts left on the schedule.

Gordon will certainly have a chance to make an impact the rest of the season. Last season, despite missing the first two games due to suspension, he was able to rack up a league leading 1,646 receiving yards. While it is difficult to predict that Gordon will return in midseason form right away, his presence on the field will only give Brian Hoyer more weaponry as the team makes their improbable run to the playoffs.

Returning Impact Players For Contenders

October 31st, 2014 at 10:21am CST by Luke Adams

The NFL’s second half is getting underway this week, and it’s not too early to point to specific games as crucial for playoff positioning, as teams jockey for divisions and Wild Card openings. Last night’s contest between the Saints and Panthers, for instance, could ultimately have a real impact on which team wins the NFC South.

As we near the home stretch of the 2014 season, several teams could get a boost from returning players who have been sidelined for most or all of the year. These players won’t necessarily swing playoff races, but their teams will certainly welcome them back with open arms as a way of fortifying rosters that may be plagued by various injuries and ailments.

Listed below are a handful of players worth keeping an eye on during the season’s second half. These players are on track to return from longer-term injuries or suspensions, and could have an impact down the stretch, perhaps helping to buoy their respective teams into postseason berths. While the returns of other players, like Cincinnati’s A.J. Green, will also obviously be massive for their respective teams, shorter-term absences like Green’s aren’t noted here.

Cincinnati Bengals: Tyler Eifert (TE)
Green’s return may have a more significant impact on the Bengals’ offense, but Eifert shouldn’t be overlooked. The young tight end was expected to take on a larger role this season, and had already caught three balls in the team’s Week 1 contest before he suffered a dislocated elbow. Since he received the designation to return when he was placed on IR, Eifert is eligible to practice now and is expected to be activated for the club’s Week 11 game against the Saints.

Cleveland Browns: Josh Gordon (WR)
The Browns currently sit in last place in the competitive AFC North, so it’s fair to question whether they’re a legit contender. Still, at 4-3, they’re right on the heels of the division-leading 4-2-1 Bengals, and with a soft schedule and the 2013’s leading receiver due back soon, there’s reason for optimism in Cleveland. Taking into account the Browns’ bye, Gordon’s 10-game ban means he’s eligible to return for Week 12, and it’ll be interesting to see what Brian Hoyer – or, perhaps, Johnny Manziel – can do during the season’s final six weeks with a weapon like Gordon at his disposal.

Dallas Cowboys: Demarcus Lawrence (DE/OLB)
We’ve yet to see what Lawrence is capable of at the NFL level, since the first half of his rookie season has been wiped out by a broken foot. But this is a player for whom the Cowboys traded up to No. 34 in May’s draft, and the team is looking forward to getting him back this weekend. Dallas’ defense has been surprisingly effective so far, but it certainly hasn’t been infallible, and a player like Lawrence will help fortify the team’s pass rush. It’s also worth monitoring defensive tackle Josh Brent, whose 10-game ban will soon expire — Brent may not see a ton of snaps right away, but the fact that the Cowboys have stuck with him indicates he remains very much in the team’s plans.

Detroit Lions: Kyle Van Noy (LB)
Like Lawrence, Van Noy is an early second-round pick who we’ve yet to see play in a regular season game. Of course, the Lions’ defense has been so effective that the team can afford to ease Van Noy in slowly if it so chooses, but this is a player who was initially penciled in as a three-down starter during the preseason. While he may not receive that kind of workload when he returns this weekend, I expect he’ll become a bigger part of Detroit’s D by December.

Philadelphia Eagles: Jason Kelce (C), Evan Mathis (G)
Eagles fans and LeSean McCoy‘s fantasy owners alike will welcome the return of this standout duo of interior offensive linemen. Kelce appears ready to return to action this weekend, while Mathis is expected to be activated for the following week, which is great news for an offensive line that has been shorthanded virtually all season. Assuming Kelce and Mathis are both healthy and remain as effective as ever, McCoy should start finding a few more holes and Nick Foles may be a little more comfortable in the pocket.

San Diego Chargers: Melvin Ingram (LB), Ryan Mathews (RB), Manti Te’o (LB)
Few – if any – teams have been hit harder this season by injuries than the Chargers, but reinforcements are on the way. In addition to players like Brandon Flowers and Jeremiah Attaochu being on the mend, the trio noted here is recovering well from longer-term injuries. Ingram, Mathews, and Te’o have each been sidelined since at least Week 3, but if all goes well, all three players could be back in action again following the club’s Week 10 bye.

San Francisco 49ers: NaVorro Bowman (LB), Aldon Smith (LB)
Heading into the season, many pundits viewed the Niners as a candidate to fall out of the postseason this year in large part due to the extended absences of Bowman and Smith. The team has hung in there so far though, and should finally be getting their standout linebackers back in November. Even if Smith’s nine-game ban isn’t reduced by a game or two, a rumor which appears increasingly unlikely, he’ll be eligible to return for the Niners’ Week 11 contest against the Giants, and I’d expect Bowman to be back a week or two after that. With December showdowns against the Seahawks, Chargers, and Cardinals on tap, San Francisco could be getting two of its best defenders back just in time to affect the playoff picture.

Extra Points: Goodell, Gordon, Streater, Bears

September 25th, 2014 at 9:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFLPA has the NFL in a vulnerable spot, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The union currently has no real power in personal conduct cases, but if Roger Goodell wants the NFLPA to work with him, he’ll have to give up some of that power. Right now, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith appears to be playing some chess with Goodell and Florio writes that if he wants a real victory, he shouldn’t bend at all given the position Goodell is in. Here’s more from around the NFL..

With one more strike under the new drug program, Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon faces banishment. Some may be worried that Gordon won’t stay on the straight and narrow upon his return, but receivers coach Mike McDaniel isn’t concerned, writes Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer. “Without a doubt (he understands it),” said McDaniel. “There’s no question in my mind. Now, do I think originally he understood the ramifications of his actions before he ever had a slip-up? Probably not, but it happens as it goes. That’s one thing I’ve really been taken aback by is how much responsibility he’s definitely taking and he needs to continue to take. But he’s definitely taking (it) on himself. It doesn’t sit well with him that he’s in this situation.”
Rod Streater‘s agent indicated that the wide receiver will be back in a matter of weeks, but Raiders coach Dennis Allen says it’s too early to know if he’ll be back this season, tweets Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Bears worked out five safeties when they brought in linebacker Darryl Sharpton yesterday, tweets Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune. Those safeties were former Viking Jamarca Sanford, Shamiel Gary, Kimario McFadden, Pierre Warren, and Anthony Walters, who was with the team last year.
The Panthers tried out former Browns running back/fullback Chris Ogbonnaya, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports (on Twitter). The Panthers’ backfield could use some reinforcements with Mike Tolbert on the IR-DTR and injuries to Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams.

AFC North Notes: Gordon, Richardson, Rice

September 20th, 2014 at 2:02pm CST by Rob DiRe

Josh Gordon recently had his season-long ban reduced to ten games, and both he and the team are grateful of the new ruling, writes Pat McManamon of ESPN.com.

Browns‘ general manager Ray Farmer released a statement:

“We are aware of the new NFL policy related to the reduction of Josh Gordon’s suspension to 10 games. We will continue to support and work with him under the NFL guidelines throughout this process. Our team’s focus right now remains on preparing for Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.”

Gordon also released a statement through the NFLPA:

“I”m happy that the NFLPA and NFL worked hard to agree on a new Substances of Abuse policy. I”m very thankful to my union for fighting for a significant reduction in my suspension. I”m glad I can go to the facility during my suspension. I look forward to going to meetings, working out individually, and learning from my coaches and teammates. I can”t wait until game 11 to get back on the field!”

Here are some other notes from around the AFC North:

Yesterday, the Colts were lamenting the long term effects of the Trent Richardson trade. The Browns, on the other hand, are reaping the benefits, writes Tom Reed of Cleveland.com. Just one year later, the Browns, while not perfect, are progressing as an organization, highlighted by last week’s win over the Saints. The 0-2 Colts have a top heavy roster that seems to be crumbling around Andrew Luck, and while they ran the ball well against the Eagles last week, Richardson fumbled twice.
Ravens‘ linebacker Courtney Upshaw was fined $16,537 for a hit he put on Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger last Thursday, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Upshaw will appeal the fine.
The Ravens have already denied the accuracy of the report on how the team and the NFL handled the domestic violence case against Ray Rice, and ESPN did trip over itself in reporting incident. Bob Ley of Outside the Lines misreported that the team had actually received a copy of the tape, and then backtracked to say they had received an account of what transpired. This hurts the overall credibility of the report, writes David Zurawik of the Baltimore Sun.

Substance Abuse Policy Finalized, Gordon Ban Reduced To 10 Games

September 19th, 2014 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

After announcing changes to the league’s PED policy earlier this week, the NFL and NFLPA have issued a joint statement indicating the substance abuse policy has been updated as well. As part of the new policy, Josh Gordon and LaVon Brazill, who is currently playing for the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts, will have their suspensions reduced to 10 games, down from a full year.

Here are the other pertinent updates to the substance abuse policy, per the press release:

Two discipline stages will be added for marijuana positives, as follows: a first violation will result in referral to the substance abuse program, as is the case today. Subsequent violations will result in a two-game fine, a four-game fine, a four-game suspension, a 10-game suspension, and one-year banishment. The new stages are the two-game fine and the 10-game suspension. In addition, the threshold for a positive marijuana test will be raised from 15 ng/ml to 35 ng/ml, reflecting recent actions taken by other testing organizations.
Discipline for DUI and related offenses will be increased. A first DUI offense, absent aggravating circumstances, will result in a two-game suspension without pay. A second offense will result in a suspension of at least eight games without pay. In either case, a more lengthy suspension may be imposed if there are aggravating circumstances.
Appeals of positive tests in both the substance abuse and performance enhancing drug programs (including HGH) will be heard by third-party arbitrators jointly selected appointed and retained by the NFL and NFLPA. Appeals will be processed more expeditiously under uniform rules and procedures.

New Drug Policy Likely Completed

September 16th, 2014 at 9:07pm CST by Zachary Links

9:07pm: As of 9pm CT, the suspended players still have not been informed of their reinstatement, tweets Jay Glazer of FOX Sports. That could just be a formality, but that can’t be safely assumed given the number of false alarms we’ve had over the last couple of weeks.

7:39pm: The NFL has begun informing players they’ve satisfied terms of suspensions and are reinstated, which is an indication that the new drug policy is finally finished, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. The agreement on a new policy should mean an instant reinstatement for Wes Welker and Orlando Scandrick (link). Meanwhile, the new policy means that it’ll officially be a ten game suspension for Josh Gordon, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

While Gordon, Welker, and Scandrick were probably the three biggest names waiting on a new drug policy, there are others that could potentially be affected by a revamped policy. Ravens safety Will Hill, Patriots cornerback Brandon Browner, and Dion Jordan and Reshad Jones of the Dolphins are just some of the players that could also conceivably be back in action with a change to the policy. Others, like Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson, probably won’t be reinstated, however.

In the case of Gordon, the new policy is good news for both his immediate football future and long-term finances. If Gordon isn’t given an additional suspension for his DUI, he can hit the open market after the 2015 season by playing in the Browns’ final six games this season. If he were to be suspended for an additional two games for the DUI, he wouldn’t earn that accrued season, meaning the Browns would get an extra year of team control on him. Earlier today we learned that the DUI won’t result in an automatic two-game timeout, but the NFL could still slap him with a suspension for the DUI given his track record of substance problems.