May 24, 2013

Browns will check out former Baylor Bear receiver Josh Gordon

July 9, 2012 by 15 Comments

The Browns bid on free agent receivers this off-season only to get outbid. Then they seemed to just miss on all the top receiver prospects in the draft leading to them picking every other position 1 first. The supplemental draft has seemed to grow in stature over the last few years with Terrelle Pryor’s name. Now the Browns appear to be interested in Josh Gordon according to Nate Ulrich by way of Pro Football Talk.

The Browns were also interested in Gordon’s former Baylor teammate Kendall Wright before the draft. Some scouts have deemed Gordon to be superior to Wright, who went 20th overall to the Titans in April.

The talking heads around the league seem to indicate that it might take a second round draft pick commitment in order to secure Gordon’s services. So if the Browns want Gordon, they’ll submit a bid of a round they would like to draft him. If they’re the team with the highest round and worst record submitting for that round, they’ll get the right to draft the player while forfeiting the corresponding round once the regular draft rolls around.

If Gordon truly will cost a second round pick, the Browns better be very sure that Gordon can be a legit starter to make that gamble. Second round draft picks are nothing to be tossed aside on longshots.

Like Greg Little, Gordon had an entire year off of football after being dismissed from Baylor and transferring to Utah. Unlike Greg Little, Gordon is evoking comparisons (by some) to Calvin Johnson, Terrell Owens, and A.J. Green. He’s 6’4″ tall, 220 pounds and “could” run 4.4 or faster in the 40 at his pro day. Take all that with a grain of salt and read both the proponents and skeptics at Mocking the Draft.

[Related: PFT Puts Browns Dead Last in Initial Power Rankings]

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  • sgtkickarse

    I would do it, even if it was a 2nd round pick. How much criticism did the team get for sitting on its laurels and not getting a receiver? Now we have the chance to get a guy who is tall and fast and should have good hands? And we get him a year earlier than next year’s draft and a chance to work with Weeden for that year?

    Do it. Throw caution to the wind. Take a risk and go for the reward. I am tired of coming up short. I am tired of watching other teams risk and win. Do it.

  • http://twitter.com/Pelderskelter Patrick Elder

    Totally agree, now is the time to take risk, especially on a guy with so much potential. So we might blow a second-rounder, who cares? We blow picks every year on supposedly safe guys, it really is time to take a risk. Even then, a second-round pick isn’t THAT big of a risk.

  • http://www.facebook.com/creflow.dollars Creflow Dollars

    You dont find stars in the supplemental draft, you find projects that rarely pan out. The Browns are in no position to be developing projects even if it is at a position of extreme need.

  • Bryan

    Bernie Kosar, supplemental draftee.

  • Nate D.

    It seems like his “character issues” consisted primarily of getting caught for marijuana possession in the drive-thru of a Taco Bell. Doesn’t bother me at all. Go get him Browns!

  • Tron

    I say take a shot with a 3rd rounder. If the Redskins do the same we’ll beat them in terms of our record sucking. I don’t think they’d use a second on him since they have no 1st next year, but if they do, well then god speed.

  • Dee P

    Kosar yes…along with Cris Carter, Rob Moore and Bobby Humphrey. All had solid NFL careers, one had a tremendous career.

  • http://twitter.com/Pelderskelter Patrick Elder

    Since there’s such a small sample size for supplemental drafts, and you’re patently wrong that stars haven’t been found in the supplemental draft, I completely disagree with you. Not to mention that the Browns are in a position to draft developing projects. Every team is in a position to develop projects, as long as they also take solid, non-projects along with them.

  • Harv 21

    C’mon, even Delonte managed to do that without getting caught. So call it an intelligence issue if you prefer. Would be nice to know this guy’s capable of remembering the snap count and route between the time the huddle breaks and the ball is thrown. He’s a guy who tokes at the drive-thru window – that’s Pac Man-ish.
    Tac sauce in my bag, tac sauce in my bag …

  • realrepublic

    Every other position would not be 3 positions. It would, in fact, be 3 other positions. You could even say they were positions of need.
    That aside, do you have a side in this post? You restate some things that have been said and give us some links but you say nothing. If this is just a place to post links than do that otherwise you would serve your reader better to actually say something. We can’t just be satiated by fancy footnotes and no substance.

  • mgbode

    ” If they’re the team with the highest round and worst record submitting for that round,”

    Craig, this portion is not true. The supplemental draft operates in 3 portions with a “lottery attached” The bottom teams (can’t remember if it’s bottom 6 or 8), the middle teams (rest of non-playoff teams), and the playoff teams. Each set is put into a non-weighted lottery to determine the supplemental draft order and the teams are told their slot 1 hour before the draft.

    So, the Browns will have a slot that could be #1 – #6 (or 8?).

    This was all done to prevent another Kosar situation.

  • mgbode

    on Gordon himself, I am not sure. he had 1 good (but non-dominant) year at Baylor as a sophomore before getting kicked off the team and never even suited up for the team he transferred (Utah). Did something else happen this summer to prevent that from happening? Character red flag signs are flashing.

    he is athletic and has the build, yes. but, Baylor didn’t stress route-running, so he’ll have some work there (and less time now to do it). also, I have seen nothing on him about how good his hands are (neither good nor bad).

    interesting prospect, sure. but risky. I think the Browns should (at best) put in a 3rd round bid and take the chances rather than risk the value of a 2nd round pick.

  • mgbode

    1. caught for MJ possession.
    2. failed more than 1 drug test at Baylor.
    3. transferred to Utah and sat the year, but mysteriously decided to not play for them this year (and generally ‘something’ has to happen to allow the NFL to put you into the supplemental rather than normal draft).

    Also, a couple of red flags on his playing too:

    1. only played 1 year and caught a mere 42 receptions (good numbers for a 1st year sophomore, but it’s his entire college career)
    2. played in Baylor’s system where route-running is not emphasized.

    Now, I am not saying to not draft him. If our scouts deem him worthy of a shot, then so be it. But, I am saying there is enough added risk that I would not be comfortable with anything higher than a 3rd rounder (and if another team is willing to gamble more then so be it).

  • Dee P

    The character issues I agree with you on. But your red flags on his play I don’t. Just because he only caught 42 passes doesn’t mean that he can’t be a 80 catch NFL WR, and just because Baylor didn’t emphasize route running doesn’t mean he can’t run precise routes. The Browns should look at his physical abilities and make a decision based on those. Our coaches are more than capable of teaching proper routes. Just because one system didn’t call for a skill doesn’t mean that skill doesn’t exist. Besides, he’s obviously a project and by definition projects require coaching and development. But if his natural abilities equal him having a chance to succeed in the league than the Browns should go for it.

  • http://www.facebook.com/creflow.dollars Creflow Dollars