The Patriots Have Reportedly Agreed To A Trade For Browns Receiver Josh Gordon

The Cleveland Browns announced their plan to move on from wide receiver Josh Gordon over the weekend, saying they will look to trade him by Monday and release him if unable to work out a deal.

Since then, there have been reports that numerous teams have called the Browns about Gordon’s services, and on Monday it appears one familiar Browns trade partner has emerged as the front runner. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the New England Patriots are “close” to a deal for the talented but troubled receiver.

Later in the afternoon a deal was agreed to, with the Patriots sending Cleveland a conditional fifth round pick for Gordon, with a stipulation of him needing to be active for 10 games.

Gordon is also medically cleared to go, with an MRI on his hamstring coming back negative.


Somewhat hilariously, this is the second former Browns wide receiver added to the Patriots roster this season, as they picked up Corey Coleman last week after he was let go by the Bills, who traded for him during camp. Coleman and Gordon won’t be reunited, though, as Coleman is the roster culprit of the trade, as he’s been released to create space for Gordon, who of course, is a much bigger name and has the chance to have a much greater impact on the Patriots’ passing game.

The question with Gordon, as always, is where he’s at with regards to his mental health and battles with substance abuse. Gordon missed a portion of camp to try and get himself right, but there have been reports and speculation that the Browns choosing to move on from Gordon have to do with more than just being late for a meeting. The Patriots have a history of rehabilitating players’ careers, and if you were to pick any spot that seems like a great fit for Gordon it would be there.

The super talented receiver, if he were to buy into the structure and the culture in New England, could blossom there in a way that he hasn’t been able to in Cleveland, where culture and structure has never been a strong point during his tenure.