Skip to main content

The Return of Josh Gordon


If you were to google this headline, I'm sure you would find at least a dozen articles about this story, but all different seasons. Could this finally be the year Josh Gordon makes his triumphant return to the National Football League? The 26 year old receiver hasn't touched the field since the 2014 season. He's super talented, making the pro bowl in 2013, but his career has been derailed by a crippling drug problem. I was a big Josh Gordon fan, always keeping up with the news to see if it's worth making a waiver claim for him in fantasy. I drafted this guy last year and really expected a return in the 2016 season. After Gordon checked himself into rehab, I gave up, and thought for sure that marked the end of his career. Then he goes and drops that video this year pouring his heart out to the internet, trying to come back. Well it activated what little sympathy the commissioner had and they decided to reinstate him. It's conditional, though, which means he won't be able to see game time until week 13. Now this makes him the definition of "Boom or Bust". Being removed from the game for 3 years really takes a toll on a player, and coming back to a broken team like the Browns doesn't exactly leave much possibility of an upside. Without all-pro tackle Joe Thomas, the offensive line is severely wounded. DeShone Kizer is of course running into problems, probably just because he's wearing a Cleveland jersey under center. The (failed) trade attempt for AJ McCarron just proves the team's doubts for their rookie QB, and the lack of a supporting cast of wideouts does not bode well for Gordon's success against secondaries. All that being said, there's no disputing his raw talent. His business manager, Michael Johnson, spoke very highly of him, saying that he is in the best shape of his life and that "the best player in the world is back in the NFL". This is some high praise, but it's coming from the guy who was hired to help Josh Gordon be successful, so of course he's going to say good things about his client. I'm optimistic with Gordon and I'm one of those people who hoards him on my bench in fantasy, but I'm not too confident that he will be able to find success this season in Cleveland. Still, it will be nice to see him back on the field and hopefully some experience back in the game, albeit a part of that dumpster fire, will help him get back to where he was before his career was derailed. 

-Matty Ice (@mahon_4)



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Fly Eagles Fly - The NFL's Next Dynasty

By: Scott Edwards Twitter: @scottedwards18 When looking at the NFL, you begin to think, who’s next? Who is the next team to become a dynasty? Tom Brady’s career is winding down, and it seems as though the Patriots empire is beginning to as well, so who else would be better suited to take the dynasty title at this point than the Eagles? The team that defeated the reigning dynasty of the NFL in the Super Bowl may be the team that can become the next one. The team is led by now 3 rd year QB Carson Wentz, who was bound to win the MVP award in his second season until a torn ACL ended his season prematurely. With numbers of 3,296 passing yards, 33 TD, and just 7 INTs, it is hard to imagine that Wentz will only improve has he gets older. Wentz is an unbelievable athlete who possesses pure accuracy, a beautiful spiral on his ball, and an absolute cannon for an arm. The arm-sleeved QB brings an undeniable swagger to the field game in and game out, leaving you in awe after see...

Russell Wilson – All Alone

By: Scott Edwards Twitter - @scott_edwards18 For years, at least it feels like, the Seattle Seahawks have been powered by their stellar defense and above average offense. And while Russell Wilson has been one of the top QBs in the entire NFL for years now, it seems as though he hasn’t had to carry the burden completely ever. Yet, after an offseason that included the departures of Sherman, Chancellor, Avril, and Bennett, it all but seems that this team will run through Wilson and what he can put together game in a game out. Those four defensive leaders are now gone, and Wilson faced that possibility last season when he was tasked with half a year without Seattle’s finest. But more than ever, it feels like Wilson is simply… All Alone. Woah. On offense, it has always been felt that Russell Wilson had to make magic with minimal weapons and an offensive line made out of sticks and bones. But it was always okay because you knew the defense could keep the other team in check u...

Future Faces Of The NFL

By Constantine Martin Twitter: @gusmartin321 Over the past decade, the NFL has made stars of many different players who play many different positions. The superstars of the NFL, however, have generally stayed the same, with a few new guys here and there who make a splash for a couple seasons. Generally, it is hard for a player, especially in a sport like football where the average career is only 3.3 years, to be highly productive long enough to become one of the premier cornerstones of the NFL. Special players like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Antonio Brown, Adrian Peterson and others throughout the past several seasons have reached a level of success and stardom seldom matched by even the most talented of prospects. But the NFL currently has a few young players on the rise who could be the headliners of the league for years to come, and below are my top five players most likely to become the next faces of football. 1. Carson Wentz This...