NFL: Cleveland Browns Trade Josh Gordon to New England Patriots
The Cleveland Browns recently stated they were parting ways with wide receiver Josh Gordon. His problems off the field led to this decision, even though Gordon has proven he can have success on the field.
Now the wideout will be catching passes from Tom Brady. The Browns traded Josh Gordon to the New England Patriots for a 2019 5th round draft pick. The twist is the Pats will get a 7th round draft pick if Gordon is not active for 10 games. This move will help boost New England's WR depth. And even though this is a loss for the Browns, they still have receiver Jarvis Landry whom they got from the Dolphins.
Josh Gordon said he's excited to play for the Patriots and enjoyed his time in Cleveland. Gordon has been suspended for the majority of the past 4 seasons for drug-related issues. But when he's on the field, he can be a spectacular player. In Gordon's best season (2013), he had 87 catches 1,646 yds and 9 TDs.
The Patriots aren't having the best start to their season. They barely got by against the Houston Texans and lost by double digits to the Jaguars. So far the only real help Brady's getting from his receiving core is from the big tight end Rob Gronkowski. But when he has an off day, who will fill that void? Maybe this move to get Josh Gordon will help? This could be a boom (if he's on the field healthy) or bust (if he has other issues).
So in the end, both teams might just get what they want. Browns get rid of an off the field issue and put all their focus on getting better, and the Patriots take the risk to get a receiver that might just take them to the next level.
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