DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Gordon Little Duo Shows Signs of Progress

Browns: Gordon-Little duo shows signs of promise - news-herald.com
http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2012...OBR+Newswire%29

By Jeff Schudel
JSchudel@News-Herald.com
@jsbrownsinsider

No pair of Browns receivers since Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow Jr. five years ago has given defensive coordinators fits.

Before Winslow-Edwards, you'd have to go all the way back to the days of Webster Slaughter and Reggie Langhorne in the late 1980s to find a true No. 1 and No. 2 receiver.

Greg Little and Josh Gordon might be adding their names to the list of dynamic duo receivers soon. With four games to play, they rank second and third in receiving behind running back Trent Richardson, who has caught the majority of his 44 passes as checkdowns when no one else is open.

Little has 35 catches for 408 yards and two touchdowns. Gordon, the rookie plucked from the supplemental draft on July 12, has 34 catches for 646 yards and five touchdowns.

Gordon's yards receiving and touchdown catches are team bests. Not only that — Gordon has 12 catches of 20 yards or more, which is best among rookies. His 646 yards also beat out the rest of the rookie class, which includes first-round picks Justin Blackmon (taken fifth by the Jaguars), Michael Floyd (13th, Cardinals), Kendall Wright (20th, Titans) and A.J. Jenkins (30th, 49ers).

The Browns don't have a second-round pick in the 2013 draft because they used it on Gordon, but it is no stretch to say Gordon wouldn't have lasted to the second round.

"I think you've got two guys there that really love playing the game," Coach Pat Shurmur said. "Their roles have been established, so to speak, of how we use them.

"What you notice now is we don't have as much of a rotation and the flopping going on at the receiver position because we've kind of established who our guys are as we move forward here. You've got Josh in the game most of the time. You've got Greg Little in the game most of the time. Then, we kind of get the third and fourth guys in there with (Travis) Benjamin and Mo (Mohamed Massaquoi). As roles get established, then they tend to play better, and I think that's what we're getting."

Little is in his second season, just as Winslow, a rookie tight end in 2004, preceded Edwards by a year.

The Browns snagged Langhorne in the seventh round in 1985 and a year later drafted Slaughter in the second round. Winslow, a tight end, and Edwards were both first-round picks. Like Gordon, Little was taken in the second round.

Gordon had his best day of the season in Oakland when he caught six passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown catch came on a 44-yard play. All five of his touchdowns have been from beyond 20 yards.

Little caught four passes for 48 yards in Oakland and threw a block that sprung Massaquoi on a 54-yard catch and run.

Little has been all business since losing a Twitter war with fans earlier in the season.

"At times when we're both in, (opponents) may play the safeties a little deeper or maybe closer to my side," Gordon said Monday. "They're being cautious of me taking the top off the defense, going over the top with the deep play. They kind of leave the middle open for the underneath routes, the routes that Greg can make good possession catches for first downs and a lot of good yards after the catch. Either way, it's hard for a defense to focus on just one of us."

Gordon and Little won't be breaking any records this season, but they promise a bright future. In 2007, Winslow caught 82 passes for 1,106 yards and five touchdowns. Edwards had 80 catches for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns. The Browns were 10-6 but did not make the playoffs.

Slaughter and Langhorne were at their best together in 1989. Slaughter caught 65 passes for 1,236 yards and six touchdowns. Langhorne caught 60 passes for 749 yards and two touchdowns. The Browns finished 9-6-1 and advanced to the AFC championship game, where they lost to the Broncos, 37-21, in Denver.

I really like the way this group, and the team as a whole, have progressed.

Little has seemingly cured his dropsies and is a nasty blocker. Gordon has all the physical tools, including an absolutely outstanding set of hands. These guys were both rough around the edges and lacked experience due to missing playing time in college and are showing with time they can grow into something special.

As far as other members of the group, if he can get healthy and stay healthy, I really like Cooper. He reminds me a lot of Don Beebe. He may not have the pure speed that Beebe had, but he has sure hands and always seems to know where the first down marker is.

If we can get one of our TEs to make that jump from showing flashes to consistent good play, we could really get on a roll.

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As far as other members of the group, if he can get healthy and stay healthy, I really like Cooper. He reminds me a lot of Don Beebe. He may not have the pure speed that Beebe had, but he has sure hands and always seems to know where the first down marker is.

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Except when he dropped that pass over the middle that hit him in the chest and when he went out of bounds a yard before the marker with nobody around him.

If MoMass would be a willing #3, I would love to offer him a reasonable contract for that role.

And this is coming from a guy that's not too big a fan. But he does have great hands. And I'm hoping that he can turn the injury history around like DQ has.

Gordon, Little, MoMass, Benjamin, Cooper ... I think that group has a nice ceiling.

I think it's helping both of them having a QB that can and will get it to them down the field.

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If MoMass would be a willing #3, I would love to offer him a reasonable contract for that role.

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Not sure where he could expect to get more. 3 3/4 years in he's totaled 1,729 yards and 7 TDs. Might be able to compete for a starting spot with Jets, Chiefs, Colts, or Rams... but #3 is probably his best case realistic scenario.

MoMass is a no4/backup no2....he always was, at least that was what I said when we drafted him

He's just not the slot guy you'd want...lacks the speed amd quicks you need there. Norwood/Cooper are our guys for the slot...maybe draft/FA some competition there

I'd be ok to make him an offer as a backup outside WR/no4 but I'd rather us sign Driver for that role

This WR core has come a long way from when Robiskie and Massaqiou were starting. Talking setting a offense back.
Right now I think Josh Gordon might be the 2nd best WR in the AFC North,talent and skill set wise.
Torrey Smith is a playmaker,but Gordon gives you size to go with that speed.
Greg Little needs to have a off season where he can workout with some All Pros like Megatron, Fitzgerald etc. It could help him.
The Browns need to find a 3rd WR who can give a element of quickness and solid hands.
I'm not so sure he is on this roster. Benjamin hasn't really impressed this season.
with Gordon coming on strong,you would figure he could take advantage of favorable matchups.
Cooper has good hands but just can't seperate.
They need to dip in the FA market and bring someone in who can help glue this group together. It doesn't need to get younger.

No doubt about their progress.

You gotta love the downfield blocks by Little. Gordon has displayed soft hands and the ability to make big plays downfield.

Very optimistic about their growth as players and what they might become.

Gordon is my new favorite player. Thank you Heckert for having the balls to give up a #2 for him. He might be worth a #1.

Gordon was one of the guys along with Schwartz that Lombardi blasted Heckert for drafting. Even a rumor of him coming in gets me going. Little and Gordon are coming on and the future looks outstanding.

I think one thing is for sure...

Heckert is gone.

As for his replacement, let's hope it's not Lombardi.

If it is, J & J will never have experienced a backlash like they will see ... it will be similar to the look on LeBron's face when he saw fans burning his jersey. They will not be prepared for it all. They really have no clue about this fanbase.

Their only way to combat that will be to win right away ... so they better hope they do it.

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I think one thing is for sure...

Heckert is gone.

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Why would you think that? I have heard nothing from anyone suggseting that.
( except people on this board )

Just my guess based on things that have and haven't been said.

Then you add in the new structure and you have to ask would Heckert even want to stay. He would have to relinquish a bunch of authority.

It's possible that Jimmy Haslam could be the worst thing to happen to the Browns since Modell moving them if he's not careful here ... he could end up stunting real growth.

Which, IMO, is what I think is going to happen.

But hey, if J & J need to make a decision on a player, they'll watch some highlight reels and make the call.

I know that makes me feel very comfortable.

To add to what I just said ...

Why couldn't Haslam have come in and assumed Owner and CEO titles, get rid of Holmgren, and let things play out this season? Why did he have to bring Banner with him? Then to give him all that control on top of it ...

Really pisses me off everytime I think about it.

I think Haslam is so in over his head.

This waiting until the end of the season is nothing but reputation protection ... they don't want to be perceived as going back on their word.

There's a possiblity that next season could have new coach, new coordinators, new offensive/defensive systems, and lombardi as GM ...

You think Weeden is confused now ... he might get to Alex Smith territory by next season ...

Only in Cleveland, only in Cleveland.

Arent we putting the cart in front of the horse a little bit here? How do anyone know all this stuff?

I'm excited to see what a full off season in Berea will do for Gordon.

Little has made significant improvements. Maybe his talk with Alonzo Mourning had more influence on him than anyone imagined.

I'm less inclined to think that WR is a huge need moving forward now.

Why do I feel like the Gordon Little Duo is a folk music group?

I am excited about this WHOLE team,but out of the handful of games i have been able to watch,Gordon has been a very bright spot.I hope Gordon and Little continue to improve!

Here's what I've love to see in a game:

Weeden: 400+ Yards Passing and 3+ TD's
Gordon: 100+ Receiving Yards and 1+ TD's
Little: 100+ Receiving Yards and 1+ TD's
Richardson: 150+ Yards Rushing and 1+ TD's

Will it ever happen? Most likely not. But Weeden has not had a game over 2 TD's, and Richardson just hasn't had a HUGE game. He's had a couple of great games, but nothing HUGE. And I'd like to see Gordon and Little both having big games at the same time.

The only way I see this happening is in an offensive shootout game similar to the Cini game in 2007.

With the emphasis that the coaching staff puts on spreading the ball around on offense, and the desire to have at least 8 different receivers catch the ball on any given day, I doubt that double 100 yard games will be in the offing.

I would love to see Weeds break the 3 TD mark in 1 game before the end of this season. I think that he can do it, but I also realize that we run a lot down at the goal line.

Honestly,i can't wait until Trent has a huge breakout game!May have to wait a little while for that,but it's very encouraging to see these young guys coming up especially Gordon...

Especially seeing as teams are going to start taking Gordon away, which would lead to more Little/Mass over the middle type plays.

That's where the coaching staff comes in. Once a defense starts going after one of our weapons, we have to know how to use the other ones.

And when to go back to what they were trying to take away...

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As Gordon said: defenses now are kinda rolling to him to keep him from taking the lid off the defense, but to do that, they leave the under and middle stuff more open... which is where Little & Mo will be working.

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Which will in turn lead to defensive adjustments where they try to bait Weeden into thinking the under and middle will be open, hoping to force INTs. It's a chess match, and Weeden and our coaches can hopefully continue to make the necessary adjustments on the fly!

I like how these things have actually become a topic of converstation around here finally! It must mean we have some offensive talent - FINALLY!

Chess match for sure.. but our offense is pretty balanced in my eyes so teams can't just take one piece away from us and not suffer..

Push that safety back deep, and T-Rich will make u suffer.
Bring the safety in for run support.. watch the play action burn u deep.

We have the pieces offensively.. -minus the FB position (lol).. so hopefully we keep building.

Good question. We have better talent and more starting to show up with Heckert's picks, and as a body of work, where we traded up and for whom has given us depth and competition. I see no reason to expect anything but further improvement. I think he is very worthy of staying several years.

a facebook campaign has already begun.

The link is somewhere on this site.

Do you think Haslam knows about this?
Not good if he doesnt know.

Any one have a no damn logo one?
Or we have a logo its an orange helmet.

Josh Gordon's success with Cleveland Browns no surprise to ex-Baylor teammate Kendall Wright and coach Art Briles

By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer
December 07, 2012

BEREA, Ohio -- Josh Gordon's former Baylor teammate receiver Kendall Wright, whom the Browns targeted with the No. 22 pick in the draft, and his former Baylor coach Art Briles aren't surprised that he's already lighting it up in the NFL.

"I expected Josh Gordon to do what he's doing," said Wright, taken with the 20th overall pick in April by the Titans. "Josh Gordon is an absolute monster. I'm not surprised by what he's done and anyone who played with him would feel the same way."

Wright, who leads all NFL rookies with 54 receptions but is one behind Gordon with four TDS, was so sold on Gordon that he tried to convince the Titans to take him in the supplemental draft.

"I definitely tried to get him up here," said Wright. "I told my coaches about him, but good for Josh that he got drafted."

The Browns' draft strategy changed when the Titans nabbed Wright two spots before the Browns' pick. With Wright gone, the Browns opted to take quarterback Brandon Weeden at No. 22 instead of waiting until the second round to take a passer. But when Gordon declared for the supplemental draft in June, the Browns didn't hesitate to bid their second-round pick in 2013.

"The Browns did want me, but they stuck to Baylor and got another great receiver," said Wright.

Gordon, who sat out last season at Utah, is coming off the best game of his career. In the win over Oakland, he caught six passes for 116 yards, including a 44-yard TD. He leads the team with 646 yards and five receiving TDs, and is first with a 19.0-yard average on his receptions. He's also third with 34 catches. Among NFL rookies, he's first in receiving yards, receptions of 20 yards or more (12) and tied for first in receiving TDs. All of his TDs have been receptions of 20 yards or more -- and the average distance of his touchdown catches is 46 yards.

Wright has 54 catches for 514 yards and four TDs. When they were together at Baylor in 2010, before Gordon got kicked out for marijuana use, Wright caught 78 passes and seven TDs, and Gordon had 42 receptions and seven TDs.

"Josh is big, fast and he's got monster hands," said Wright. "He makes its looks so easy. It looks like he can just wake up and do the things he does without stretching or anything."

Briles gave such a glowing report of Gordon (6-3, 225) the day he was drafted that it almost sounded too good to be true. He said then, "If Josh had played in 2011, he definitely would've been a first-round pick without question." And "He was born ready. I'd get ready to turn that pencil to ink today." He added, "When you look at the ceiling and Josh is in the room, you're seeing straight to the sky."

Now, five months later, Briles has been proven correct.

"I'm not going to say anything that's going to sound good unless it is," said Briles. "Everything I said about Josh I felt it because I knew him so well. I know his heart, I know his soul, I know his intellect, not to mention all of his ability, which is freakish. I had a very good intuition that he'd be a success because of all of those factors combined."

Briles also predicted that Gordon would stay on the straight and narrow in the NFL.

"That just comes with maturity," said Briles. "He just turned 21 years old. He's still a growing child and then to be able to hold that responsibility down shows a very mature factor."

Briles knew that NFL teams would discover the same thing Baylor's opponents did. "He's an impossible matchup for a defense," he said. "You don't have to be a trained professional scout or coach to spot (his natural ability). The guy's big, he's long, he's got great hands, he's got unbelievable speed and he's got jumping ability. When you start adding in he's tough, he's a great competitor and he's got great intellect, you can see why he was the highest-picked receiver in the supplemental draft."

Browns cornerback Sheldon Brown ventured to say Gordon has the best hands of anyone he's ever played with in his 11 seasons.

"His ability to pluck the ball out of the air continuing stride (is the best I've seen)," said Brown. "He can catch the ball without even focusing on it and that's God-given. He reminds me of (Texans five-time Pro Bowler) Andre Johnson. He can very special and the sky's the limit for him."

Perhaps his best attribute, Brown said, is his anti-diva personna.

"Do you ever hear him say anything?" said Brown. "That speaks volumes. He's not a showman. He makes his plays, he comes to work, he brings his lunch pail. I love him. He's the perfect teammate to me. I don't have to worry about 'What's this clown going to do?' Very rare."

Brown pondered what Gordon's role would be right now if Mohamed Massaquoi hadn't pulled a hamstring and missed five games.

"Everyting happens for a reason and he's making the most of it," said Brown. "It couldn't happen to a better person, because he works his tail off."

Browns receiver Josh Cribbs has been trying to coax Gordon out of his shell.

"He still doesn't talk a lot," said Cribbs. "I want him to break out and be vocal, be a leader. Even a rookie can be a leader. He's having an awesome season and he's only getting better. He's going to be that guy. I'm glad I have an opportunity to help direct him and just help lead him to that good path."

Cribbs, who also came in with some baggage from college, has been proud of Gordon's turnaround.

"Nobody really cares about when you fall down, it's how you get back up," said Cribbs. "We've all done things as a young person that we regret. Fortunately people take chances on you and they end up working out, myself included. He's done a great job bouncing back from anything that might've happened in his past and you don't see it in his future."

But don't expect Gordon to start popping off anytime soon.

"I'm not really a big, joking kind of guy," he said. "I pretty much stay to myself. It's not really a shell, it's just me being me."

Besides, Gordon would rather talk with his hands.

"If you want to come see my type of attitude, watch on Sunday," he said.

Wright and Briles already know all about it.


http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/12/josh_gordons_success_with_clev.html