Patriots Acquire WR Josh Gordon

pedroia'sboys

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Thanks for the insight.

What is your opinion on the NFL rules regarding alcohol and weed?

His may be one of the greatest careers that never was, based on policies that most likely will not be in place in 10 years.

I get it — you have to obey the rules in place, and I’ve referred to the NFL test that gets guys in the program as a moron or addiction test. But the likely end result in this case strikes me as harsh.
With all the attention the opioid crisis is bringing on drug makers doctors, marijuana in 10 years will be one of the most prescribed drugs for pain. I cant imagine how often these NFL docs hand out pain meds, it's honestly shocking we havent heard more about current players having opioid issues. They hooked my father on fentanyl patches that are supposed to work for 48 hours but on the second day hes in hell. Not from the pain but from the withdrawal. The only thing that helps him sleep is medical marijuana. I'm sure that's where the NFL headed. With what the players put there body through it's insane the NFL test for weed.

In terms of Josh gordon any kind of use alcohol or weed will be the end of him. First the alcohol then the weed then down the rabbit hole to xanex and codeine. I'm honestly shocked he was never hooked on opioids as far as we know. If the report that he was drunk/acting weird at the team event is true then he wont make it three weeks here. It doesnt matter if he knows this is his last chance. I was a hair away from losing a fantastic job, to the point where if I got fired It would have taken me 5+ years to make the same money. Once I started the only priority was finding the next high. No addict can start or stop once it begins only until you crash. I hope I'm wrong but I dont see this ending well.
 
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McDrew

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Bill Belichick has made a career of giving struggling veterans a one-year chance to shine in this structure and cutting them lose the second they start to falter. Albert Haynesworth lasted 6 games. Andre Carter got a season and was done. Chris Long revitalized his career. I know Gordon is a different variation on Belichick's usual redemption story, but I like this. He stays in line and follows the Patriot way? Let's see if he can hit 1k yards in 14 games. He relapses once? Released with a <1M cap hit.
 

dcmissle

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Thanks again. Best of luck.

Football question — what’s the learning curve for Josh? How different is the Pats’ offense from what Haley is running and what was run in Cleveland before Haley?
 

DJnVa

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Thanks again. Best of luck.

Football question — what’s the learning curve for Josh? How different is the Pats’ offense from what Haley is running and what was run in Cleveland before Haley?

Re: Haley

 

Seels

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Let's look at it like this, from Gordon's perspective:

He'll never, ever, ever have an opportunity for a lottery ticket this good. In this perspective, his situation is similar to Moss's.
If he can't, he's done in the league all together.

While it's possible he has an incident and just loses it, I'm an optimist, and think it's far more likely this isn't the case.

Here's a reddit comment from the other day breaking down his play against the Steelers:
https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/9gc8df/so_out_of_curiosity_i_rewatched_all_of_josh/
 

BigSoxFan

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It’s probably going to lead to a major letdown but I haven’t been this excited about a player acquisition since probably Revis and Moss before him. The guy is such an amazing athlete and the possibilities are really endless if he can overcome or control his issues. We never got to see what Cooks/Gronk/Edelman could do but I’m really hoping that we get our chance this year with Gordon.

In a 3/1/1 set, you could have Gordon running deep patterns, Edelman being security blanket #1 over the middle, White being security blanket #2, Gronk running the seams, and Hogan/Dorsett streaking down the other sideline. Gordon has the ability to basically do what a good 3 point shooter does in basketball - he’s going to create a lot more spacing for other receiving options. Right now, teams are just collapsing on Gronk and we don’t have much else to beat them. They still may do that but now if you do that, you’re looking at 1 on 1 matchups for Hogan/Edelman/Gordon. And if you don’t pay attention, quick dumpoffs to White will probably be there all game.

I’m so pumped and jacked about this move.
 

Seels

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Even if his numbers don't materialize to what the optimists hope for, he's going to be elevating the play of guys like Gronk Edelman and the running backs just by drawing the safety on so many plays.
 

E5 Yaz

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Always remember, Peter King is the same lout who emphatically said that Darren Sharper's off-field issues should not be a consideration as to whether he should be in the Hall of Fame

Gordon's issues, however, should be a factor as to whether he should even have a chance to play
 

PaulinMyrBch

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So if the Schefter report is true and he's indeed healthy - he's going to play on Sunday, right? I know that WRs on this team take time to learn the playbook but there's no history of a guy this talented joining in the middle of the season.
I can’t imagine he’ll play Sunday.
1. We don’t need him
2. If there is anything to this hamstring report, even in the slightest, they’re going to give him some time to make sure its right.
3. Playbook.
4. Playoffs don’t start tomorrow.
 

DJnVa

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Whistle while you work~~~~

Three things:

1--He used to wear #13. No conflict with Brady. Whew.
2--When you realize that a lot of those highlights came with Brandon Weeden throwing to him...
3--If my doctor posts here, expect your phone to ring around 1 am.
 

staz

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Every single signing, trade and draft pick is loaded with risk. But if the downside of this is cutting Coleman, a few dollars, a 5th for a 7th (and lost opportunity with whatever Plan B would have been), even a 10% chance at realizing his potential upside mandates there is no reason not to give it a go.
 

Super Nomario

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Corey Coleman getting cut to make room for Gordon according to various reporters.
I wonder if they have Coleman, Hanson, Matthews, and some of these other short-lived guys back for a tryout in a couple weeks. See who has been working, who remembers the playbook, who is taking things seriously.

Was mentioned days ago in another thread, but i wouldn’t be surprised if Mike Lombardi was asked to weigh in on Gordon. Lombardi’s sounded pretty sympathetic to Gordon over on The Ringer.
I'd be shocked if Belichick didn't talk to Lombardi.

Re: Haley

OTOH, Haley is new this year and might not have liked what he saw from Gordon in that system. We don't know how much input he might have had on the decision to let Gordon go. Since he didn't play in the preseason and had only one catch Week 1, it's not like we have a track record of his production in that scheme. Looking at his coaches, it looks like his best year was in a mostly Air-Coryell-based scheme but he also had productive partial seasons in Walsh-type offenses.
 

steveluck7

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OTOH, Haley is new this year and might not have liked what he saw from Gordon in that system. We don't know how much input he might have had on the decision to let Gordon go. Since he didn't play in the preseason and had only one catch Week 1, it's not like we have a track record of his production in that scheme. Looking at his coaches, it looks like his best year was in a mostly Air-Coryell-based scheme but he also had productive partial seasons in Walsh-type offenses.
Haley was also the one who “started” Gordon in week 1 against his head coach’s wishes. (At the very least with his coach knowing)
Now, it could also have been just Haley undermining Jackson.
 

MuppetAsteriskTalk

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Every single signing, trade and draft pick is loaded with risk. But if the downside of this is cutting Coleman, a few dollars, a 5th for a 7th (and lost opportunity with whatever Plan B would have been), even a 10% chance at realizing his potential upside mandates there is no reason not to give it a go.
Sure, not much risk if he doesn't have an impact or does something stupid fairly soon and gets cut.

But I think the biggest risk is that maybe he actually plays well and becomes integral to the offense, and then flakes out later in the season leaving a hole in the offense right before the playoffs.
 

Spelunker

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Sure, not much risk if he doesn't have an impact or does something stupid fairly soon and gets cut.

But I think the biggest risk is that maybe he actually plays well and becomes integral to the offense, and then flakes out later in the season leaving a hole in the offense right before the playoffs.
If that happened I'd still thank him for the decreased injury risk to other pass catchers in the interim.
 

DJnVa

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Have we heard any comment from Gordon yet? Outside of the IG post.
 

Ralphwiggum

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Love this deal, even with the acknowledgement that it probably doesn’t work out.

I’ve always rooted for the guy, and hope this works out for him. The story of the Baylor coach helping him beat the drug test rather than get him the help he obviously needed . . . You wonder whether his life may have turned out different if a coach or someone else had taken an interest in him as a person rather than an athlete at a younger age.
 

joe dokes

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I would guess that the grand plan is to have him really operational at the same time Edelman returns.
 

lexrageorge

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I don't agree he sounds weary; his take seems realistic and not all that different from what Belichick would say, just in more words. This is his 19th season; he's seen lots of guys cycle through.

Still, it would behoove Gordon to arrive early and stay late to work with Brady before and after practice (recall Belichick complaining about Moss and Welker not doing that in A Football Life), and spend any remaining spare time picking the brains of Chad O'Shea and Josh McDaniels. Phil Dorsett has shown that it's not impossible to earn Brady's trust.
 

Ale Xander

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I’m hoping 81...
81 is currently Cody Hollister's.

I don't think anyone wants him to have that pressure though. 82 is available. I was thinking maybe Tom can convince Hoyer to give up 2, as in 2nd chance (if a WR is eligible for #2)


I am very excited about this move. I just hope that BB and TB are patient with him. The 5th rounder give me hope they will be.
 

CaptainLaddie

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where the darn libs live
81 is currently Cody Hollister's.

I don't think anyone wants him to have that pressure though. 82 is available. I was thinking maybe Tom can convince Hoyer to give up 2, as in 2nd chance (if a WR is eligible for #2)


I am very excited about this move. I just hope that BB and TB are patient with him. The 5th rounder give me hope they will be.
Sadly they aren't. WRs are 10-19, 80-89.
 

JokersWildJIMED

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Was mentioned days ago in another thread, but i wouldn’t be surprised if Mike Lombardi was asked to weigh in on Gordon. Lombardi’s sounded pretty sympathetic to Gordon over on The Ringer.
Interesting...in the Athletic, Lombardi was pretty strong against signing Josh, and in later tweets after the news did not seem overly optimistic...hope he is wrong.
 

TheoShmeo

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I'm not a Peter King hater but that comment is itself, dumb.

They have not "cast their lot" with Gordon. They've taken a limited chance (moving down two late rounds in the draft if it doesn't work out) in exchange for a player who MIGHT be an answer at a position where they had serious need.

If you want to discuss dumb things the Pats have done, you should start with the decision to open the season with this group of WRs and not making moves in late summer to augment a group that was clearly deficient. Adjusting on the fly in this way carries some moderate risk, but that's all.
 

dcmissle

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Good point.

It is far from a given that Gordon is here beyond this season even if he makes good.
 

j44thor

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dcmissle

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Must reading above. It will keep your fan expectations in check; more importantly, it will make you a better human being.

It’s overwhelmingly sad that lots of people need to self medicate like this just to get through the day.
 

rodderick

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There's very little downside to this, but I really, really don't understand why a lot of people are flipping their shit about this trade. Gordon's last productive season was in 2013, he's coming in in the middle of the season to learn a completely different system, and one who many receivers before him have struggled to integrate themselves into. If Gordon buys in he could be a difference maker next year, but for this season I'd be surprised if he played a signifcant role. The best thing about this deal is the fact that he's a RFA and could easily be retained for 2019.
 

bsj

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There's very little downside to this, but I really, really don't understand why a lot of people are flipping their shit about this trade. Gordon's last productive season was in 2013, he's coming in in the middle of the season to learn a completely different system, and one who many receivers before him have struggled to integrate themselves into. If Gordon buys in he could be a difference maker next year, but for this season I'd be surprised if he played a signifcant role. The best thing about this deal is the fact that he's a RFA and could easily be retained for 2019.
I dont understand why people are flipping their shit in EITHER direction.

One camp are fans convinced this is the next Randy Moss.

It isn't. Moss came with just as much left in the tank and evidence of success despite any purported "character" issues he came with.

One camp acts like its the worst thing in the world when Moss is brought up.

Relax. See comment above. But he is without a doubt the most physically gifted WR we have acquired since Moss. That's just a fact. People who make only that level of observation in reference to Moss are not out of bounds. People forecasting outcomes BASED on the observation are reaching.

Personally, Im preparing for anything between released in 2 weeks to having 2 above average years and getting paid somewhere else in 2020.
 
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joe dokes

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If you want to discuss dumb things the Pats have done, you should start with the decision to open the season with this group of WRs and not making moves in late summer to augment a group that was clearly deficient. Adjusting on the fly in this way carries some moderate risk, but that's all.
I'm sure they checked out available moves in late summer and decided that the pickings would probably be better later. (That remains to be seen). Did many useful receivers get picked up near or after cutdown day?
Ultimately, I think they planned for at least one of Mitchell, Britt or Matthews to stick.
 

BigSoxFan

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I always find it funny when internet sports message board readers always feel the need to throw cold water on these types of moves, as if there are people following this thread who don’t know/understand the likelihood that it doesn’t work out. Everyone knows what Gordon is dealing with. Everyone knows that a happy ending here is extremely low probability here. Who cares?

Sports are entertainment. Gordon is about as physically gifted as they come and incredibly entertaining to watch when he’s out there. I’m going to remain excited about this move until the moment he’s no longer on the team, which literally could come any day now. For now, I’m going to root for his successs because it’s good for him personally and good for my rooting interests.
 

DJnVa

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I see a lot of "People need to calm down, he's not gonna be Randy Moss!!!" without seeing a lot of "OMG he's gonna be Randy Moss!!!"
 

bsj

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I always find it funny when internet sports message board readers always feel the need to throw cold water on these types of moves, as if there are people following this thread who don’t know/understand the likelihood that it doesn’t work out. Everyone knows what Gordon is dealing with. Everyone knows that a happy ending here is extremely low probability here. Who cares?

Sports are entertainment. Gordon is about as physically gifted as they come and incredibly entertaining to watch when he’s out there. I’m going to remain excited about this move until the moment he’s no longer on the team, which literally could come any day now. For now, I’m going to root for his successs because it’s good for him personally and good for my rooting interests.
I think some people want to be able to get first dubs on the "i called a bust" trophy
 

bsj

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I see a lot of "People need to calm down, he's not gonna be Randy Moss!!!" without seeing a lot of "OMG he's gonna be Randy Moss!!!"
This is true. A lot of people are leaving out the context.

One of these I would have a big issue with. One a small issue with. One no issue with
a- Josh Gordon is going to be the next Randy Moss a Patriot!
b- Josh Gordon has a chance to be like Randy Moss, a great athlete who followed the straight and narrow with the Patriots
c- Josh Gordon is the most physically gifted athlete the Patriots have brought in at WR since Randy Moss

Ive heard very little a (which would be crazy to say at this point), some b (which i get but is flawed in that the "chemical" straight and narrow is very different from anything Moss dealt with), and lots of C (which is absolutely correct)
 

DJnVa

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Good point.

It is far from a given that Gordon is here beyond this season even if he makes good.
If he makes good, he's a RFA, and I would assume the Pats tender an offer, which, if he signs would likely be at the 1st (around $2.8 million) or 2nd round (around $2 million) level if another team wants him.
 

koufax32

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I’m happy about this and it has nothing to do with football. It’s well documented that the Patriots are a well oiled, disciplined machine with a history of providing stability for troubled players who need it. We don’t know for certain that that is exactly what Gordon needs but if it is, there’s not a better place for him. My opinion of the CLE front office will grow three sizes if we find out there was a better offer on the table but they wanted to send him to NE because they thought it would be the best thing for him.