Cleveland Cavaliers’ C Tyler Zeller out for first preseason game
October 7, 2013MLB News: Indians re-align three coaching positions
October 7, 2013It was reported a couple weeks ago that Josh Gordon was on the trade block and he still could be right now. He’s had some great games coming off of suspension, but what we don’t know is if that makes him more or less likely to be traded. According to Ian Rapoport, it would take a second rounder to get him out of Cleveland.
Browns aren't shopping their stars. But they have talked to teams about Josh Gordon, including #49ers. They'd like a 2nd rounder in return
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 7, 2013
As the Browns have been celebrated for the boldness of trading Trent Richardson for a first rounder, would they be celebrated for trading Josh Gordon? Obviously the answer depends on what they get back for the young, troubled wide receiver. It’s also hard to figure out what the news would do to the previous thoughts that have just barely been extinguished about the team “tanking” the 2013 season thanks to Gordon’s return from suspension and the emergence of Brian Hoyer.
Obviously we’ll have to see. It’s hard to compare the potential trade of Josh Gordon to the trade of Trent Richardson. There have been mostly questions about Trent Richardson’s on-field contributions. That’s not been the case with Gordon. Simultaneously, there haven’t been a lot of questions about Trent Richardson as a citizen and it’s undeniable that Josh Gordon has a history of making mistakes and is walking up to the plate with two strikes at all times.
In (most likely) unrelated news, the Browns did re-sign Josh Cooper to their practice squad today…
[Related: Why I donât like the Trent Richardson trade⊠yet]
91 Comments
So do I. If the Browns aren’t shopping anybody, but the 49ers have talked to them and they said they wanted a 2nd rounder, then here’s what happened: The T-Rich bombshell goes off and everybody assumes the Browns are blowing up the roster. Several teams, including SanFran, call to inquire as to who else might be available. Among the attractive players on the roster who might be exposed in a roster redux is Josh Gordon. The Browns say they’d like a 2nd round draft pick after WEEK TWO, because they aren’t giving him away for no reason even if he’s been suspended for the first two games. Then in the next three weeks Gordon plays like an all-pro. Either he’s off the market or the price has gone up.
Regardless, I am firmly against trading him. Sure he’s a risk, but so are draft picks, even on the first day. We’ve drafted sooooo many bad WR’s. (and how many did Detroit draft in the last decade before landing Megatron, for that matter?) It’s hardly a lock that they could replace Gordon with somebody as good even with a first round pick.
I just have a problem with a report that says something like, “they want a 2nd rounder”. Really? Are the Saints or the Jags offering the 2nd rounder? Cause I think that little piece of information would make a huge difference. Think team’s have more specific demands than “any pick in the 2nd round”.
This isn’t Madden ’07.
(I can’t remember the exact trick, but I could do something like trade the 32nd, 96th, and 128th picks for the 1st, 65th, 97th, and 129th. EVERY YEAR. And beer? Always just asking a buck.)
What was the asking price for Ryan Mallett before last years draft? I believe a second rounder. Is this Lombardi playing coy to get the QB Billy B wouldn’t let him have in the offseason?
If franchise and playoff teams want a specific player, maybe we shouldn’t give them said player… Anyone else feel like we are getting 3 shiny pennies for our old crumbled up smelly dollar?
Gordon in Cali?
Good luck with that.
Pass the dutchie on the left hand side…
love his talent as much as you do, Pat, but if I was a GM and not a fan I’d disagree. What are the odds that he doesn’t get that third strike? Let’s see, in the last 3 years: he has failed 3 drug tests in 2 years of college, the last two he knew were coming (and the final test while on double-secret probation), all while sincerely expressing remorse and change and while being counseled by schools with great self-interest in keeping him clean, His “punishment” was second round NFL money. Since his arrival last year he’s flunked another two tests. He expressed sincere remorse when he got here before flunking these.
Banner has viewed this kid from point-blank range the past year, and I think we can safely assume the org has ears on the ground about what he’s up to. And Banner is open to a deal despite the blinding talent. No,,you probably won’t get a receiver in the second round with that talent. But you might get a player instead of someone banned by the league long term. He gave Remorseful Face to Baylor and Utah and Heckert and every scout who worked him out. The one year suspension would be a minimum and who knows what other conditions the league would seek for his return and where he’d be mentally then. Hate the idea of ditching this talent but given the odds of his future a second rounder is not selling low.
Isn’t his talent alone worth the risk. I would say so, especially since Little and Benjamin would be playing much bigger roles. And it’s not like we are hurting for picks. A team in first place a quarter way through the season does not trade their best offensive player, regardless of the quarterback.
That all makes a ton of sense, but I can’t put on my GM pants when my fan pants are so comfortable. My gut tells me that at some point this season, there will be a team who panics and trades a 2nd round pick for Gordon, and I know that when it happens I will be angry. I also know that after it happens, the Browns will lose (unless they’re playing the Jaguars). And that will also suck. I don’t give a lot of weight to curses in Cleveland, but I have to admit that the idea of a guy like Gordon with such a ridiculous track record of drug use being clean for the rest of his career while playing for a different team would be so incredibly Cleveland.
“…would they be celebrated for trading Josh Gordon?”
No. Not be me. For a second rounder? This would be stupid.
Sshhh, don’t give Banner any ideas.
For SF’s first rounder (which could be a proxy 2nd rounder by the time the draft comes)?
If there’s anyone I’d expect to be traded, it’s Joe Thomas this offseason. You can probably get a first round pick for him from a contender and he’s hitting that age where his level of play is going to fall off.
You have to ask yourself – if the team can’t win 6 games in the last 5 seasons, what do they really have that is worth keeping? At first I had issues with all the changes, but then I realized I was holding on to a losing culture. I think it goes without saying, but may be not – if you want to win 10 games a season, a lot has to change.
Also, You forget that Banner/Lombardi wanted Weeden gone but they stayed with him even though he wasn’t “their guy” so that argument doesn’t hold water. They already signed Greco and he wasn’t “their guy” either. More than anything, I don’t think Banner/Lombardi care about where the player comes from, but they do care what they do on the field. There are several contracts coming up at the end of the season and we will get a really go idea which side of this discussion is correct.
prescription cough syrup, not over the counter – and that’s what Gordon’s agent says it was, not the NFL. We’ll never know what he was really suspended for.
I will feel precisely the same way, and would feel gut-kicked for being left with another year of unwatchable football after being teased this season. But I will not go off on Banner like people did after the Trent trade. The only type of exec who can create a winner here is one who can shut out our hysteria and thumb-sucking and just make the correct decision. Banner may not be that guy, but let’s recognize the worst front office would be one that yields to public pressure, meddling owners or anything that is not football smart, long and short term.
I’m reading this as if you used a sarcasm font, whether you meant to put it there or not. LOL
Darnit…can you just delete my coment then? LOL
If he’s made 5 bad decisions to this point (3 in college and 2 in the NFL) why do you think that a sixth is “highly unlikely”?
He had first round talent when we used a 2nd round pick on him in the supplemental draft. It’s his little habits that brought his value down. But when he’s on the field, he’s one of the more physically talented players on the field. That’s the problem. A 2nd rounder might be the best we can get for him…(though I’m not saying it’s a good idea.)
I’m all for keeping him. Worst case scenario, he screws up and we don’t have to spend a crap ton of money to resign the little trouble maker down the road.
is this a good place to point out that the receiver we could have drafted, Julio Jones, a.k.a. the Falcons’ “final piece of the puzzle,” is going off this year as he enters his prime and averaging like 114 yards/game. But final piece or not, the Falcons are 1-4 and kind of effed.
[Yeah, just being obnoxious. Love Phil Taylor but we could sure use the headache-free premier receiver more]
and he had a prescription (again, according to him and his agent). the issue was that he didn’t get it approved by the NFL first. that’s a no-no. or, it was something else entirely (as the NFL is not allowed to say anything).
sarcasm
A rational man can make a case for trading Gordon as many of you have done. However, I see Gordon as that super hot girlfriend you had, maybe in college, that was way out of your league (and you knew it even then). When she was good to you, she was really good, and when she was bad to you, she was really bad. Your relationship was volatile and insecure.
Maybe she even messed around with another guy and you thought about kicking her to the curb, but you just couldn’t, even though you knew it would probably happen again. You had never been with a girl like her before, and you knew it would probably be a long time before, if ever, you’d be with a girl like her again. You knew it wouldn’t last anyway, you just didn’t know when it would end. You just knew you would not be the one to end it.
With a girl like that, when it’s all said and done and you look back on it, you never ask, “Why did I waste my time with her?” You say, “Thank god it ended, but damn, it was good while it lasted!”
Don’t know why I didn’t see that. LOL Even after finding it in someone else’s post. This site really needs a sarcasm font. đ
“When she was good to you, she was really good, and when she was bad to you” – Sounds like a quote from that Halle Barry version of CatWoman. The fact that I can make this reference actually made me throw up in my mouth a little.
We could use him…but I don’t know about use him more. A key to our victories this year has primarily been our defense. Even against Baltimore our defense was good. Phil Taylor is absolutely central to how well our defense is playing. I would easily take him over Julio Jones any day of the week.
The Niners need to jump on this . They are going to have K.C.’s second round pick anyway they won’t even be losing anything . Then when Crabtree comes back and it’s Boldin , Davis , Crabtreee and Gordon , with that o-line / run game ….who’s beating that ?
You are forgetting about their QB…who is a bit overrated.
Too bad Al Davis is no longer around, he would probably give us a 1st rounder for Gordon.
If they trade Josh Gordon they are true idiots
i can see de-criminalized, but not yet legalized.
Not with people driving cars under the influence.
what amazing timing with that comment. but actually a great point to bring up: Julio Jones isn’t playing anymore but Josh Gordon is.
I say roll the dice with the kid and see if he can stay clean.
no offense, but i never would have kept a girl around after finding out she cheated on me. it’s called confidence and self-respect.
thankfully, i never had to deal with that.
Just painting a picture, not telling my autobiography, so no offense taken.
So, I take it you’d trade Gordon?
Not really his numbers this season are down a bit but any qb missing their biggest target would have the same drop in numbers ( except Brady and maybe Rogers ) . Also if you have to drop your safteys and LBs back in coverage it opens the read option right back up for him .
As it stands right now yes he may be “overrated” by some but people are also letting 2 bad games out of 13 cloud their judgement a little bit as well . His qbr , td/int ratio , 3rd down percentage etc is still nice this season even with the terrible games and if they make this trade it will be huge . You can’t double Boldin and Davis like teams are doing right now if you have Crabtree and Gordon to deal with too .
I guess I was never on the Colin bandwagon. I thought that he was a decent QB, but not a stud.
He has another 8 or 9 seasons in him I would bet. Plenty of guys have 12 or more seasons. So I would not think of parting with him. Maybe in a few years you mpve him to RT, but day seems far off to me…..bc
What seems apparent to you is escaping me for now. TJ Ward, Joe Hayden, Joe Thomas, Sheard, Taylor, Wynn, Mac, Jackson, Robertson, and Hughes. I am sure their are more that were not brought in by B & L. If you are a contributor and understand you are representing a Team for some big time money, and they want no conduct detrimental to the team, you will probably be here. So I think the problem has nothing to do with how a player got here. He is here and does he produce and not cause problems for the team. Answer correctly and your a keeper till around 29 to 30 years old, with some exclusions of course. Trent Richardson was defiantly not living up to his billing. A # 3 overall pick and he gets you 3 yards a carry. That trade was shrewd by Banner. Gordon on the other hand is worth a #1 at the least.
Just who else is out there that you would have taken over Weeden? Really not many names come to mind for now. The last three years this team has been turned upside down. All the while scoring solid and good players. This year may not put us into the playoffs, but next year with the draft picks being assembled we will be in a nice position. Don,t write off Hoyer or Lewis, both of whom will be back with the team next year and that is a huge plus. It matters very little if I do not care to wait till next year. This year we maybe look presentable, but next year we will have a team that will go playoffs. My opinion any ways…..bc
we do know. codeine.