SB Nation Cleveland - Josh Gordon Comes To Terms With Cleveland Browns, According To Report

Josh Gordon Comes To Terms With Cleveland Browns, According To Report

2012-07-16T20:42:56Z

On Monday afternoon, the Cleveland Browns came to terms on a four-year deal worth $5.3 million ($3.8 million guaranteed) with troubled wide receiver Josh Gordon, according to a report filed by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

#Browns have signed Josh Gordon to 4-year deal, source tells pd. @caplan first reported they agreed to terms. 4 yr, 5.3 mill, 3.8 mill guar
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) July 16, 2012

Gordon was selected in the second round of the 2012 NFL supplemental draft and was the only player taken. After showing flashes of brilliance at Baylor University, Gordon had problems with drugs and tested positive for Marijuana on at least two separate occasions, which ultimately cut his college career short.

The Browns hope to push into the future with Gordon as a centerpiece of the team's offensive attack along with first round selections Brandon Weeden at quarterback and running back Trent Richardson.

For more on the Cleveland Browns, go to Dawgs By Nature. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Browns Receiver Josh Gordon Denies Report Of 3rd Failed Drug Test At Utah

2012-07-15T12:00:19Z

Although a report released earlier in the week reported that recently drafted Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon failed a third drug test at the University of Utah, the talented wideout publicly revealed that information to be inaccurate. Gordon told The Plain Dealer that he never tested positive for any substance while at Utah:

"The whole time I was in Utah, I never ended up testing positive for any administrative test given by the administrative people there,'' Gordon said Thursday. "It was just their choice to test me and just make sure I was staying clean.''

The only player selected in the 2012 Supplemental Draft, Gordon also admitted to The Plain Dealer that his two reported marijuana failures ultimately got him booted from Baylor's program, which had obviously become common knowledge. Vowing to make good on the Browns' obvious vote of confidence in his abilities however, Gordon has repeatedly stated his intention to remain clean, and he looks poised to put his checkered past behind him.

For more on the selection of Gordon, stay with this StoryStream. For more on the Browns, head over to Dawgs By Nature. And for more NFL news this offseason, be sure to visit SB Nation's NFL hub.

Josh Gordon Says He Will Stay Clean For Browns After Spotty Past With Marijuana

2012-07-13T13:58:50Z

Josh Gordon had a hard road to the NFL before getting selected by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2012 Supplemental Draft. He saw a family apartment burn, had to transfer schools once and almost did again, and was caught twice on drug tests after smoking marijuana. It was the marijuana that eventually ended his career at Baylor, keeping him out of the picture during Robert Griffin III's tear through college football in 2011.

It was a big decision to go into the Supplemental Draft with no guarantee that he would be picked, but he was rewarded in a big way by Cleveland. As Cleveland.com reported on Thursday, Gordon is thankful to the Browns and vowed in a phone interview that he wouldn't go back to his old ways:

"Despite everything I've been through, despite being a kid with a spotty background, the Cleveland Browns stuck their neck out and risked taking me and put their faith and belief in me, and I won't let them down," Gordon said in a phone interview. "I'm grateful, and I know I can't go back to being the person I used to be."

Him being forced to leave Baylor was tough on everyone, especially his coach Art Briles. Art gave a shining review of Gordon's character, which probably didn't hurt his standing with the Browns as they were scouting him:

"It killed me, it really did, because as a coach, I think we're in the kid-saving business," said Briles, who's remained in close contact. "I know Josh's character, I know his heart, I know his mind, I know his soul and it's all good."

The Browns have to hope that he'll keep good on his promise, as they used a valuable second round pick from next season's draft to pick him up. Clearly, they saw something in him to spend that pick, and clearly he's grateful. It remains to be seen if he can reward the Browns and stay away from marijuana as his NFL career starts.

For more on the Cleveland Browns, go to Dawgs By Nature. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

2012 NFL Supplemental Draft: Gordon Pleasantly "Shocked" To Be Second-Round Draft Pick

2012-07-13T02:11:51Z

A talented player with question marks like former Baylor wide receiver Josh Gordon, turns the NFL Supplemental Draft into a big game of chicken among teams looking to add talent with the lowest possible draft pick. But the Cleveland Browns weren't playing around with Gordon, instead jumping at the chance to take the 6'4" wide out in the second round of the supplemental draft.

Gordon isn't one to lack for confidence, but even he was surprised when the Browns snapped him up early in the second round. According to Pro Football Talk, Gordon expressed his "shock" during a radio interview in this hometown of Houston.

"I was more than shocked for sure," Gordon told FOX 26 Sports in Houston after being picked in the second round of the 2012 supplemental draft. "I definitely didn't think that high, but I'm thankful for the opportunity. . . . I'm definitely in shock. It still probably hasn't hit me yet."

It will hit Gordon later in July when he tries to put his checkered past behind him for good and gets to work with the Browns in training camp.

For more on the Cleveland Browns, go to Dawgs By Nature. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Can Josh Gordon be a Game Changer for the Young Browns Offense?

2012-07-13T00:45:53Z

The Browns selected Josh Gordon in the second round of the 2012 Supplemental Draft on Thursday afternoon, a huge vote of confidence in a guy who has not played football in almost two years.

Gordon started out his college career at Baylor where he looked like he was emerging as a young star in that offense prior to leaving after the 2010 season and transferring to Utah.

Though on paper, Gordon’s departure from Baylor was a curious one, the end result didn’t wind up hurting his draft stock all that much. In fact, the mystery of what he could have been probably propelled him to an even higher draft status than he otherwise would have been.

Gordon has fantastic overall measurables, big hands, and really good athletic ability. All he really lacks is experience, and the thought of what he cold become tantalized the Browns enough that they used a second round pick in next year’s draft to get him.

That’s surprising to me for a variety of reasons, the main one being that the Browns’ pick in next year’s draft could be pretty high. They have an up-and-coming defense and a couple of young offensive stars with which to build around, and with Brandon Weeden’s age, the time to win is clearly now or in the not-so-distant future. However, the choice to drop a second rounder from next year’s slew of picks is a curious one.

Still, it’s well understood what the Browns are trying to do. In 2011, they selected Greg Little with a second round pick, and in 2012, they brought in Miami’s Travis Benjamin in the third round. Add Josh Gordon to the mix, and the Browns obviously feel like they have a great young trio of receivers. With those three guys, it will be extremely intriguing to see what they do in the pre-season and in training camp.

What the Browns are getting in Gordon may be unknown, but at least on paper, they believe he can start and he really enjoyed meeting the team.

“I enjoyed my visit there last week, and was very impressed with all of the people I met, including Mr. Heckert,” Gordon said. “I have also had the chance to speak with Coach Shurmur on several occasions and I am looking forward to the opportunity to play for him.”

Gordon hasn’t played in an actual football game since the 2010 season when Baylor concluded a pretty average season with a bowl game against Illinois, and he missed out on being on the receiving end of a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback last season. That being said, Gordon hasn’t been inactive. He practiced all of last season with the Utah Utes football team, and he was planning on using his redshirt last season and playing with the Utes in 2012. I am not sure Gordon could have done much better than being a second round pick in the 2013 draft had he actually played, but the Browns expect him to be an immediate contributor despite the time off.

“Anytime you pick somebody that early, you’re hoping he’s a good football player, and that’s what we think Josh is,” Heckert said. “… Most years, there’s not a player of Josh’s caliber in the supplemental draft, so you don’t hear about it very much. But we look at it as a positive. We’re getting a really good football player and we’re getting him a year early.”

Gordon is going to need to learn fast, and he’s got a bunch of young new teammates to do it with. Brandon Weeden, Trent Richardson, Greg Little, Joe Thomas, and now Gordon provide the foundation for the future of this team, and the Browns need him to be a game changer.

Athletically, Gordon appears to be up to the task, and from what I have heard and read about his pre-draft interviews, he is a sharp kid. This is an exciting move for Browns fans, though they might be disappointed to not have the pick next offseason. Hopefully Gordon produces well enough to keep the fan base at ease.

Browns Hope Josh Gordon Will Be Part Of Offense's Foundation, Believe He Can Start

2012-07-12T19:43:48Z

The Cleveland Browns were the only team to make a selection in the 2012 NFL Supplemental Draft, bringing in former Baylor wide receiver Josh Gordon. Unlike 2011, in which the Oakland Raiders gave up a third-round pick for the right to draft Terrelle Pryor, who might not have even been signed as a free agent by the rest of the league, many figured Gordon could go as high as the second round.

He'll join a Browns offense that has been rebuilt from the ground up, or rather is being rebuilt presently as the two catalysts for rebuilding have yet to play a down in the NFL. That is rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden and rookie running back Trent Richardson. Now, they've got rookie receiver Josh Gordon and also second-year receiver Greg Little.

Cleveland held a press conference on Thursday to talk about why they drafted Gordon, and it seems like they're putting a lot of hope into him. May Kay Cabot had some Tweets from the conference, mainly citing general manager Tom Heckert. For one, Hecker believes that Weeden, Richardson and Gordon are the foundation:

Heckert/Gordon said he hopes Weeden, Richardson and Gordon are foundation of where they want to go offensively.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) July 12, 2012

Heckert also said that Gordon has the making of a No. 1 receiver, saying "He can start in the NFL, that's obviously what we think," according to another Tweet from Cabot. Heckert noted the similarities with Little and his missed time, but noted that Gordon practiced with Utah the entire time he wasn't allowed to play.

On top of all that, Heckert said that they were going to take Gordon in the second round no matter what, meaning that they would likely have done so in the 2012 NFL Draft, and also regardless as to whether or not they heard something about another team potentially targeting him in the supplemental draft.

For more on the Cleveland Browns, go to Dawgs By Nature. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

VIDEO: Highlights Of Your Newest Cleveland Brown, Josh Gordon

2012-07-12T19:00:20Z

The Cleveland Browns added a potential instant impact receiver on Thursday afternoon, selecting Baylor's Josh Gordon in the second round of the NFL's Supplemental Draft. Gordon has not played in over a year, sitting out the 2011 season after a suspension for a failed drug test and then a subsequent transfer to Utah. Gordon decided to go into the supplemental draft instead of playing for the Utes, and the Browns took immediate interest in the big wideout.

It is Cleveland's first supplemental draft pick since Bernie Kosar, and that worked out pretty well for Browns fans. But there's still some intrigue surrounding Gordon because he has such potential but has not played in a year. That's when you turn to grainy prospect video clips to whet your appetite in advance of training camp:

Via @DraftBreakdown:

h/t Zac Jackson at FSO

For more on the Cleveland Browns, go to Dawgs By Nature. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

2012 NFL Supplemental Draft: Cleveland Browns Take Josh Gordon With Second-Round Pick

2012-07-12T17:36:58Z

The 2012 NFL Supplemental Draft is presently underway. The first round passed without any players being selected, which isn't a shocker because that would require a team to forfeit an actual first-round pick for the 2013 NFL Draft. The only player that had significant buzz was former Baylor WR Josh Gordon. In fact, he may be the only player taken throughout the rest of the draft.

Gordon did get drafted, in the second round by none other than the Cleveland Browns, as Adam Schefter reports via Twitter:

And in today's supplemental draft, former Baylor WR Josh Gordon goes to...cleveland in round 2.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 12, 2012

There were reports that the Browns were interested in Gordon prior to the draft starting, and there were also people suggesting pre-draft that Gordon could go as high as the second round, with most being of the opinion that he wouldn't make it past the fourth round. What's slightly shocking is that the Browns were willing to give up that second-round pick.

That isn't to say he's a bad fit or anything of that nature, it's just that the Browns have two receivers who are very similar to Gordon already on the roster in Mohamed Massaqoui and Greg Little. The latter actually measures up with Gordon almost exactly, with a 40-yard dash time that's .01 seconds behind his. Still, it's hard to argue with the Browns trying to get young talent to help out rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden.

For more on the Cleveland Browns, go to Dawgs By Nature. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.