DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Josh Gordon Faces Year-Long Suspension

I don't care if he's suspended I don't think you send a talent like his packing... especially if you are the Browns. Flame me all you want.

I think we should give Santonio Holmes a call.

A 1 year make it or break it deal.

We can't even be happy for a day!!! Nope,just pull the rug right out from under us...it's always something.

'Cleveland Browns' Josh Gordon fails another drug test, per report, faces banishment from the NFL'

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2014/05/josh_gordon_cleveland_browns_s_1.html#incart_2box

By Mary Kay Cabot, Northeast Ohio Media Group on May 09, 2014 at 6:08 PM, updated May 09, 2014 at 8:47 PM

BEREA, Ohio -- On Johnny Manziel day in Berea, news broke that Browns superstar receiver Josh Gordon has failed another drug test and faces banishment from the NFL for at least a year.

Two sources told ESPN's Outside the Lines that Gordon tested positive for marijuana and was informed in early winter. Gordon received a second letter in April notifying him of the pending suspension and his right to appeal, ESPN reported.

Because Gordon is already believed to be in stage three of the NFL's substance abuse policy, as reported last June by cleveland.com, he faces banishment from the NFL for a minimum of one calendar year. After that, he'd have to apply for re-instatement with Commissioner Roger Goodell. Gordon was suspended for the first two games of last season and docked two other game checks for failing a drug test.

Specifially, he said he tested positive for codeine, which was in his prescribed cough syrup. League insiders wondered if he had gotten caught up in the Purple Drank craze, a concoction that includes cough syrup and dissolved candy.

It was at least his second violation of the substance abuse policy, and at least his fifth failed drug test since 2010, including three for marijuana in college.

Reached by ESPN Friday afternoon about the latest failed test, Gordon said: "That's something you're going to have to talk to (agent) Drew Rosenhaus about. I really don't know anything about it."

Asked whether he planned to appeal, Gordon said, "I'm going to have to find out about that later. You need to call Drew.''

Rosenhaus, reached by email, declined to comment. The Browns aren't permitted to comment per league policy and are referring all inquiries to the NFL office.

A source told cleveland.com that some high level members of the Browns organization have known about Gordon's failed test for at least a week, well in advance of Thursday night's first round of the draft. The coaches were told late Friday afternoon, the source said.

It apparently didn't change the Browns' draft strategy. They passed on Clemson star receiver Sammy Watkins, who was available when they traded down from No. 4 to No. 9 with the Bills. The Bills, in turned, grabbed the dynamic wideout, and the Browns traded back up a notch to No. 8 to take Oklahoma State cornerback Justin Gilbert.

Later, they traded up from No. 26 to No. 22 to take Manziel, who conducted his introductory press conference in front of a packed house at the Browns facility Friday and was whisked off to the airport to a chorus of cheers from fans lined up on the sidewalk.

The Browns also let pick No. 35 come and go without taking a wideout to replace Gordon in the event he's kicked out. Instead, they chose Nevada offensive tackle Joel Bitonio, who has the versatility to play guard or tackle.

The looming suspension means the Browns could be without their No. 1 wideout for the entire season -- or longer. Gordon, who was kicked out of Baylor and off the Utah football team for the marijuana violations, returned from his suspension last year to take the NFL by storm.

In 14 games last season, he led the NFL with 1,646 receiving yards on 87 receptions and became the first player in NFL history with consecutive 200-yard receiving games. He also caught nine TD passes en route to his first Pro Bowl berth.

At minicamp last month, Gordon declined to come to the podium, but talked to reporters off to the side and said he was looking forward to another great season.

"(I have) just a lot more experience, going to the Pro Bowl, being selected All-Pro, things like that,'' he said. "It just gives you a lot more motivation, shows you that you can go out there and do it again for however many times and really just build a career and build a resume and just (receive) accolades and good things. not only individually, but hopefully can pile on some wins on top of that for the team.''

Gordon, who has been a regular contributor on ESPN this season, was very public this offseason, also appearing on multiple NFL Network shows during Super Bowl week. He's also filmed commercials and made other public appearances, enjoying his newfound celebrity status.

Former Browns CEO Joe Banner considered trading Gordon last year because of the off-the-field concerns, but others in the organization weren't on board. The Browns passed on several good offers. He made it clear in June that Gordon has to walk the straight and narrow, saying, "Gordon knows that the rope that's left isn't long."

Acquired in 2012's supplemental draft, Gordon knew last September when he returned to the team that not only was his future with the Browns at stake, but with the entire NFL.

“I feel like it’s a last chance opportunity for the league,'' he said. "Nobody just wants a problematic type of person in their program or their organization because of how they’re perceived to be. So I definitely want to stay away from controversy as long as I can, forever. That’s definitely my No. 1 priority."

But Gordon didn't feel the Browns should have to follow his every move.

"Nobody should be a caretaker for me at this point in my life,'' he said. "I should be seen as a grown man and have the responsibility for the actions I'm taking and I have to look at it that way. I can't expect to have to somebody there for me, to be in my ear to do this and do that. You've just got to know right from wrong.''

He said both the suspension and a speeding violation, for which he was reprimanded by the team, changed his mindset.

"It definitely has,'' he said. "Just being taken away from (the game), it's a humbling experience for me. You find an appreciation for the game. The absence of it makes the heart grow fonder in a sense. That's really what it's about for me right now.''

He said he hoped he could regain the trust of his teammates, who went 0-2 and scored only 16 points in his absence.

"I hope that the trust is still there from before,'' he said. "But it's something I'm definitely going to have to earn back I believe through making plays and showing how hard I can go out there during practice and the game, not just myself but everybody. We need to trust together and it's a big commitment thing for me and they have to see that in me."

The Browns signed two free agent receivers in the offseason, Nate Burleson and Andrew Hawkins. Both will most likely be counted on heavily.

The pending suspension wasn't exactly a warm welcome for the Browns new rookie quarterback.




(end)

P.S. If they knew this, and apparently they did, they shouldn't have traded down and should have picked up a receiver in the first round. What the hell???

And Haslam knew it but still traded down and passed on the top WR's? WTF

I don't get it either.

MKC tweeted what I am thinking ...... Gordon better somehow win on appeal.

You guys just don't get it. So, we should just blow up our draft and take Watkins because we lose JG? Talk about reaching. Yeah that works. Just like some said we would never win anything without JT. You know how many games a great LT wins ya? Ask Joe, he has one winning season here. I know this hurts, Josh was a great WR, but he was great last yr. and how many games did we win? You think blowing this draft by reaching for a WR is gonna transform us into a playoff team? Don't you want the Team to continue to build for a lasting success? Panic moves don't work. Were getting the BPA by rounds that we have targeted. No use in blowing the whole draft because of one player.

I'm definitely not a fan of the Manziel pick, but WR's are cheap. You can find them in later rounds, and FA is littered with them.

The 49ers got Boldin and Johnson for a 6th and a 4th.

If this wasn't so incredibly bad, it would be funny.

Adam Caplan ‏@caplannfl 2m
Jeez: @mortreport just said Nate Burleson broke his arm during the recent minicamp for the #Browns.

What can you do when God hates you?

Mort says he's expected back for TC, but you hate to see a re-injury like that.

so... that's a joke, right?

No, not a joke. He broke his arm in mini-camp ... but may be back for training camp. Same arm he broke before though, so that could be problematic.

Hope not. We desperately need him.

Sign Santonio Holmes and Miles Austin.

braylon edwards is avail...

J/C ........ Who the heck knows?

I don't know how he gets this reduced ..... but let's hope.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/repor...spension-050914

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon will be suspended for the 2014 season due to a second failed drug test, FOXSports.com NFL insider Mike Garafolo has confirmed.

Gordon, who served a two-game suspension without pay and was fined two additional game checks last season for a failed test, allegedly tested positive for marijuana months ago. ESPN first reported the suspension, which Garafolo reports Gordon hopes to knock down to four-to-six games.

ESPN reached out to Gordon by phone and the third-year receiver was evasive.
"That's something you're going to have to talk to [agent] Drew Rosenhaus about. I really don't know anything about it."

According to ESPN's "Outside the Lines," Gordon received a letter over the winter from a doctor affiliated with the NFL saying that he had failed a test. He received a second letter in April in which said he faced a 16-game suspension but can appeal.

This isn't something new for Gordon, who had drug issues during his college days at Baylor.

He was kicked off the team following a second suspension for marijuana use. Gordon's first failed NFL drug test was for what he described as a cough syrup that contained codeine. The latter is listed as a banned substance by the NFL.

The news could throw a serious damper on the Browns, who are just a day removed from celebrating their draft selection of star quarterback Johnny Manziel.

Gordon had a Pro Bowl season in 2013, as he pulled down 87 catches for a league-leading 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns.

It almost reminds me of last year, as our RB [position went from strength to "who do we have left that can carry the ball?"

Absolutely heart broken and frustrated regarding this news, sadly though it isn't THAT big of a surprise. I just wonder why we didn't take Sammy Watkins? This front office and coaching staff will no doubt be kicking themselves when our offense can't move the football cause our receivers can't get open or hold onto passes.

I have absolutely ZERO doubt that this team will have TWO top 10 picks next year.

Just our luck.

Only the best and brightest for us Cleveland fans.

I think the reason that we didn;t take Watkins is that Gordon is sitting here with a drug suspension, and Watkins had a pair of drug charges in 2012. He was arrested for marijuana possession, and possession of a controlled substance. That had to scare the crap out of a Browns front office facing the prospect of losing Gordon for good because of drugs.

Why tempt fate again? (especially at #4 overall) Add in that the Bills made a stupid offer for Watkins, and I think that it made it easy to move away from him. We didn't sit at 4 for very long before the trade was announced. We didn't want the Lions to change their minds.

What I don't understand is how we went from a team ready to possibly contend, to "4-10 same old Browns" just because of one player..

Is Gordon a talented player? Yes of course. But the Lions show that having the best WR in the league doesn't mean everything.

The cupboard is not bare. Yes we will bring more in, but we will be just fine.

Bringing in a rookie WR isn't going to replace Gordons production anyways.

Its time to stop all the doom and gloom. People want the team to change its losing ways. Maybe the fans need to change ther losing mentality.

Quote:

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Its time to stop all the doom and gloom. People want the team to change its losing ways. Maybe the fans need to change ther losing mentality.

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I agree wholeheartedly, #brownsgoodkarma

I don't think we were going to compete for the playoffs, but the lose of Gordon is huge. He was 40% of our passing offense last year.

He was also one of the few things that gave me hope that Manziel to succeed.

We just lost our best offensive weapon. I don't think it's a losing mentality to be dismayed by that.