Should the Cowboys roll the dice on Josh Gordon?

The Dallas Cowboys arguably have the weakest group of wide receivers in the NFL. Does that make Jerry Jones desperate enough to acquire Josh Gordon?

The news that the Cleveland Browns are set to part ways with Josh Gordon has every franchise in the NFL asking themselves whether they should take a chance on the talented wideout. The Cowboys’ obvious need for a wide receiver will spark tons of speculation connecting them with a move for Gordon. In the end, Jerry Jones and company should come to the conclusion that Gordon’s on the field talent isn’t worth all of his off-field issues.

Let’s be clear, if Gordon did sign with the Cowboys he would immediately become the most talented receiver on the roster. It’s a move that Dak Prescott would likely love to see. His current group of wideouts looked horrible in the team’s Week 1 loss to the Panthers.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that a healthy and focused Gordon could change everything about the Dallas offense. The team wouldn’t suddenly become the Patriots or Packers through the air, but Gordon would give the Cowboys attack meaningful balance. The threat of him down the field would give Ezekiel Elliott a lot more room to run the football.

Acquiring Gordon is still a temptation the Cowboys have to resist. A player who isn’t reliable enough for a franchise that’s won one football game in the past two seasons is not trustworthy enough to help Dallas make the playoffs.

Remember, Gordon is permanently entrenched in the NFL’s substance abuse program due to his past transgressions. That means that any positive test would cause him to miss significant game action. To put it bluntly, Gordon’s next positive drug test with the NFL would likely be his last.

The reports that claim the Browns cut Gordon, at least in part, because he was “not himself.”

Any team that acquires him will need to spend a lot of time monitoring his behavior and well-being.

It’s not as if Dallas doesn’t already have their share of players with character concerns. Randy Gregory has endured several run-ins with the NFL over substance abuse. Elliot missed time last year after violating the league’s personal conduct policy. The organization has enough players to worry about off the field without adding a player with Gordon’s track record of transgressions.

Some wide receiver-needy team might give Gordon a shot this season. It shouldn’t be the Cowboys though. Despite their profound need for a game-changing receiver, they can’t afford to bring another unreliable player into their locker room.