Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon will miss the first couple of games of the 2013 season for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, but he still was able to work with the team during training camp and the offseason workouts. Unfortunately for Gordon, he has been slowed by patellar tendinitis in his right knee.
The good news for the Browns and their fans is that Gordon should be 100 percent by the time he can return to the field, but people will question whether or not he’ll be ready to play and if his work ethic will allow him to get in game shape in time.
Gordon has had writers and analysts questioning his work ethic all offseason, but he hasn’t been listening and doesn’t believe they accurately portray the effort he gives online.
[As far as] loafing, I mean certain people see different things when they look at me run or look at me move,” Gordon said, via the Akron Beacon Journal. “It might look slow because I’m a little bit larger to play at my position. So it might be a little bit deceptive, hard to look at it. It looks like, compared to everybody else, a little bit shorter strides, shorter movements, but I go out here 100 percent every day I come out here.”
Gordon went on to say that his coaches are happy with his performance and that he has been putting in extra work after practices with quarterback Brandon Weeden. All of these things point towards Gordon doing the right things to prepare for the season, so we will find out when he runs out on the field after his suspension whether he has done enough.
If the Browns are going to be the surprise team that many believe they can be, they’ll need Gordon to show up and be prepared in a big way.