When it comes to Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
And that’s exactly the way it should be everybody for involved.
Indeed, as the months – and now years – come and go, and Browns coaches, regimes and teammates come and go, Gordon remains a part of the team – sort of, kind of, anyway – and the club refuses to give up on him and his chances of playing for them someday.
That’s hardly a revelation or even news, really, other than for the fact Browns Executive Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown addressed the topic on Wednesday during the annual spring meeting of the NFL owners in Phoenix.
Sashi said the Browns are in no position to just cut ties with Gordon, adding that no team can afford to turn its back on that kind of talent. What kind of talent? The kind that led the NFL and set a franchise record with 1,646 yards receiving in 2013, when he caught 87 passes for nine touchdowns, one of which was a 95-yarder. He averaged a whopping 18 yards per reception.
Even in a day and age when liberalized passing rules have made statistics look like they’ve come from some kind of video game, those are still drop-your-jaw numbers.
Why would the Browns give up on a player who can do that, especially when they’re the ones who were smart enough to take him in the second round of the 2012 NFL Supplemental Draft? They’ve done all the heavy lifting. They’re the ones who are still waiting for him to get his life turned around so they can get more return on their investment. They’ve come this far, so why would they give up now? Why not ride out the storm and see where it takes them?
After all, although he’s still the property of the Browns, he’s not on the roster and doesn’t count against their salary cap because he’s been suspended by the league and thus is not being paid.
It’s a great investment for the Browns. If it pans out, then great. And if doesn’t, then it doesn’t and they simply move on which, based on Gordon’s inability thus far to shake his demons once and for all, they’re certainly prepared to do.
