Some good words from Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown must have paid off, because Monday the NFL officially re-instated suspended Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, though they did tack on a four-game suspension.
Gordon been out of the NFL since December of 2014. He failed a drug test again in April 2015 and it cost him a full year suspension that could have been permanent if the NFL had made that call. Instead, the league will let Gordon resume his career, at least until the next time he huffs some paint or fires a whipped cream canister into his nose.
“I’m blessed and grateful to be granted this opportunity,” Gordon said in a statement. “I can’t wait to get back out there and play the game I love in front of the great fans of Cleveland. I want to thank the NFLPA, Commissioner Goodell, the Haslam family and the Browns organization, my agent Drew Rosenhaus, as well as my mentors for their continuous support along the way. I’ve heard many good things from my teammates about the positive direction the organization is heading and I want to do everything I can to be there to help further that process not only fro the team, but to better myself as well. Thank you.”
Josh Gordon will _________ in 2016. #FantasyFootball pic.twitter.com/DY22eNGz2J
— Zach Brunner (@FantasyFlurry) July 26, 2016
Goodell chimed in on the love train, releasing his own statement directed right to Gordon.
“…I want nothing more than to see you turn your circumstances around and succeed,” Goodell said in his letter. “Countless others including your agent, teammates and coaches, Mr. Haslam and the leadership of the organization, the Program professionals and Jim Brown also have pledged to provide you with every resource at their disposal. But as you acknowledged, ultimately, your future is your responsibility. I have every belief that you can make the right choices, but it will be up to you to do so.”
Gordon appeared in just five games in 2014 after his previous suspension, catching 24 passes for 303 yards and no touchdowns. In 2013, his second full season after being drafted in the second round of the 2012 supplemental draft, Gordon was one of the best wideouts in the league. He caught 87 passes for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns. His 95-yard touchdown catch was the longest of the season and his 117.6 yards-per-game average topped the NFL.
The four-game suspension may not be that big a deal for Gordon. He’s currently nursing a quadriceps injury he suffered in training and will begin Browns’ training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list. Gordon won’t be alone on that list. He’ll be joined by cornerback Joe Haden and tight end Seth DeValve.
RG III to Josh Gordon will be 😳😳😳
— Sal Gonzalez (@salgonzalezsd) July 26, 2016
For the Browns, getting Gordon back, even for 12 games, is an outrageous piece of good fortune. They don’t have a single wideout on the roster with any significant NFL experience and the best two outside of Gordon are both rookies, first round pick Corey Coleman from Baylor and fifth round pick Jordan Payton out of UCLA.
Gordon wasn’t really an impact player coming back from a suspension in 2014, so what can we expect from him this season? Probably not a lot at first as he acclimates back to the NFL game so anybody thinking about picking him up in their fantasy draft will need to wait until the final rounds to do it, if not skip him all together and add him as a waiver pick.
Le'Veon Bell, Tom Brady and Josh Gordon walk into a bar… to watch the first four weeks of the NFL season.
— Rebel Scum (@U_R3B3L_SCUM) July 26, 2016
Hue Jackson should be ecstatic to add Gordon back to the roster, especially if he can get any real preseason work in. Robert Griffin III, if he’s finally learned how to make pass reads, should benefit as well with a wide receiver like Gordon out on the field.
For Coleman, the arrival of Gordon could be a rookie year game-changer as he should very rarely, if ever see a double-team while Gordon is on the field. The three wideout pairing of Gordon, Coleman and Payton in the slot should make any defensive coordinator sweat as long as RG3 can get them the ball.
