New England Patriots Trade For Josh Gordon

CLEVELAND, OH – DECEMBER 10: Josh Gordon #12 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates a touchdown in the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 10, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) Josh Gordon /

New England Patriots Trade For Josh Gordon

Trade now agreed to: Patriots are sending Cleveland a 5th-round pick and if Gordon isn't active for 10 games, Patriots get back a late-round pick from Browns, sources tell ESPN.

As @rapsheet reported, Patriots were closing in on trade for Gordon.
Trade now official.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 17, 2018

And there you have it, the 24 hour circus that is the Josh Gordon situation in Cleveland has seemingly found its resolution. Gordon, 27, will join a Patriots team with a clear need for a deep ball option. The results from the Patriots/Jaguars game on Sunday afternoon made is very clear that the Patriots lack a legitimate threat on the outside when Rob Gronkowski is contained.

Chris Hogan has served in that role in the past few years but seems to slide in and out of that responsibility from game-to-game. Hogan did manage to score two late TD on Sunday but only had 3 catches for 42 yards. Rob Gronkowski was absorbed by Jalen Ramsey and there is only so much that Phillip Dorsett can do from the slot.

There are some major questions that remain in the wake of this news; Josh Gordon’s health, playing status, immediate trust by Bill and Tom and ability to learn the playbook are at the forefront right now. Based on the past, I would be surprised if Gordon is thrust into action right away and even if he plays in Week 3, I expect his participation to be limited.

The Patriots see the return of Julian Edelman in Week 5 vs. the Colts from his suspension. At that time, assuming no major changes, the wide receiver unit would be Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan, Josh Gordon, Phillip Dorsett, Cordarrelle Patterson and possibly Corey Coleman (if they hang on to him) along with TEs Rob Gronkowski, Dwayne Allen and RBs like James White.

As many have been doing in the media and in the general public, we are jumping the gun a bit on the assumption of Josh Gordon’s impact. Since his explosion onto the scene in 2013, Gordon has only played in 11 games with 43 catches with 655 yards and 2 TDs.

In his tumultuous 6 year stay with the Browns, Gordon had 180 receptions for 3106 yards and 16 TD in 41 games. Within those 6 years he missed a portion of 2013, most of 2014, all of 2015 and 2016 and most of 2017. For most players, the end of the relationship would have been a long time before today but it speaks to Gordon’s natural talent. At 6’3″, 225 lbs, Gordon is a certified freak of nature.

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It would be a tough argument to definitively say whether he still has the skill set but he clearly can still make the tough play. The clear hurdle in this situation is whether or not Gordon can stay out of trouble, show up on time, learn the playbook, earn Bill and Tom’s trust and get on the right track. New England has done it before, taking Randy Moss out of the depths of Oakland and turning him (back) into the best WR in the league.

It’s ridiculous to make that comparison but it’s applicable based on Gordon’s situation and his talent. Worst comes to worse, Gordon is only being paid the veterans minimum and is not signed for next year. Gordon has everything to play for and can use the Patriots as the launching point for the second chapter of his career if he takes advantage of it.

With a huge IF….IF the Patriots manage to squeeze anything out of Josh Gordon with the return of Julian Edelman around the corner, it should alleviate some of the major concerns in the aftermath of the Jaguars defeat. The defense clearly needs some work but if Brady and Co. can get back to scoring 30+ a game, they will be back on track for another AFC Championship appearance.

From a DFS standpoint, this will be a wild ride. The mere potential of a Tom Brady to Josh Gordon will have the DFS public salivating dreaming of multi-TD, 100+ yard affairs. He is not on the slate for DraftKings in Week 3 so you may get a free look at him if he does play right away. Despite the potential, I would air on the side of caution in your lineups until you start to see a pattern.

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