Fansided

Cleveland Browns’ Joe Haden says Josh Gordon “looks the exact same”

By Corey Young

Aug 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon (12) warms up before the game between the Cleveland Browns and the Atlanta Falcons at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon (12) warms up before the game between the Cleveland Browns and the Atlanta Falcons at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Josh Gordon is getting first-team reps at Browns practice, and Joe Haden says the wideout “looks the exact same.”

Since coming off activation last week for the Cleveland Browns, embattled 25-year-old wide receiver Josh Gordon is finally getting first-team reps. Gordon has only practiced with the team a handful of times, with a quad injury holding him out of practice until last week. And while he’ll be suspended for the first four games of the season due to violating the NFL substance abuse policy, Gordon is ready to give newly acquired Robert Griffin III the flat-out best wide-receiver weapon he’s had.

For his part, Gordon teammate and starting stud cornerback Joe Haden was quick to recognize Gordon’s abilities.

“He still looks the exact same and it’s just crazy,” Haden stated via Cleveland.com. “He looks a little bigger. I don’t know how that happened, but he’s still out there running around, looking the same, running his routes, floating. It still looks effortless.”

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“It’s important for him to be out there with those guys,” said first-year head coach Hue Jackson. “It’s important for him to be with the ones because I think he’s going to be one of our better players. We have to put him out there and see what he is capable of doing.”

It may be easy to forget Gordon’s abilities in light of the receiver’s extensive off-field issues. But we’re talking about a guy who lead the league in receiving yards in 2013 with 1,646 — in 14 games! Gordon also registered 18.9 yards per catch and nine touchdowns, which were better numbers that season over Antonio Brown, Demaryius Thomas, A.J. Green, and recently retired Calvin Johnson.

Gordon has the ability to take the top off of any defense with his speed and quickness. Assuming he stays on the straight-and-narrow, he could easily emerge as a top-three receiver in the NFL this season.