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Josh Gordon's agent: 'He'll get through this tough time and still has a very bright future in the NFL'


CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Josh Gordon's agent says his client is doing well and determined to be re-instated to the NFL after his minimum year-long ban expires in February.

"With Josh, he's hanging in there,'' Drew Rosenhaus told Northeast Ohio Media Group Saturday at the Joe Haden & Friends softball game at Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio.

"He's biding his time. It's a difficult process and it's meant to be difficult obviously. But I've got faith in him and he'll get through this tough time and he still has a very bright future in the NFL in my opinion.''

Rosenhaus said Gordon, a Houston native, is still living in the Cleveland area and spending time with his teammates away from the Browns facility. During his unpaid ban, Gordon is not permitted to work out with the team or attend meetings.

In essence, he's been kicked out of the league for multiple violations of the substance abuse policy and won't be permitted at team functions until he gets the green light from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

"The players on this team really care about Josh,'' Rosenhaus said. "Joe Haden's been great to him and so have all of his friends on the team. That's really meant a lot to Josh during this difficult time.''

One reason for Rosenhaus' optimism is that another one of his clients, former Redskins tight end Fred Davis, was recently re-instated and signed a one-year deal with the Patriots. Davis was suspended indefinitely in February of 2014 for multiple violations of the substance abuse policy and spent all last season out of football. He was reinstated by Goodell on May 7th and signed by New England on May 11th.

"Josh is just as determined to make it back as Fred was,'' said Rosenhaus.

Rosenhaus acknowledged that it's difficult for players suspended indefinitely to be banned from their teams and separated from their support structure. Gordon, who was banned after drinking alcohol on a plane to Las Vegas in January with teammates and former Browns receivers coach Mike McDaniel, plays pickup basketball with his Browns teammates and hangs out at Haden's house, but misses working out at the Browns facility and being on the field for organized team activities.

He was also suspended 10 games last year for marijuana and two games the year before that for what he said was codeine in his prescription cough syrup.

"It's not an easy situation to be in and he's just taking it one day at a time,'' said Rosenhaus.

Still, he's confident Gordon can remain clean and sober despite being tested up to 10 times per month by the NFL.

"It's been about four months and we're just trying to get him through this year,'' Rosenhaus said.

Not every indefinitely-banned player gets re-instated. Former first-round receiver Justin Blackmon of the Jaguars is still in limbo after sitting out more than a year on his minimum one-year ban. The Jaguars are preparing to do without him again in 2015 and his status is uncertain.

It's a departure from January, when Jaguars owner Shad Khan told reporters he's was "very optimistic'' about Blackmon returning to the field in 2015.

Meanwhile, Haden said in April that he keeps in touch with Gordon a lot.

"I just try to keep him positive,'' he said. "When you're out for the year, you can't be too excited at all. I'm just trying to be there for him, just trying to keep him on a positive note."

Like Rosenhaus, who also represents Haden, the cornerback can attest to the fact that Gordon is committed to resuming his NFL career.

"For sure,'' he said. "That's all it is."

In the interim, the Browns are counting on newcomers Brian Hartline and Dwayne Bowe to upgrade the receiving corps and improve on the Browns league-low 12 TD catches in 2014. Bowe tweaked a knee in practice last Tuesday and left the field, but coach Mike Pettine said it's nothing serious.

The Browns are in their third and final week of voluntary organized team activities, with Thursday's practice the only one open to the media. The club will conduct it's mandatory minicamp next Tuesday through Thursday before most of the team disperses until the start of training camp at the end of July.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ss..._medium=twitter

I think I've heard these sentiments before, so once again it's time for him to just shut up and do it

Very few have any faith left. Yes, it is possible that he pulls through this, and if he does, can he return to being the solid contributor that he was previously? His future is hanging by a slim thread...

Any agent will say this about his client. No surprise.

You know, I was reading this and a thought occurred to me.

The NFL says that they want to help these guys get straight but removing them from the support of the team, teammates and the resources the NFL can provide.

Does that sound counter productive to anyone else besides me?

Ditto. I actually checked the date of the article.

As I said in another thread, I would be surprised if he plays another down in the NFL. I am waiting to hear that he failed another test as he has not shown that he can stay clean. An entire year away from the team and the structure? He can't stay clean when he is working with the team.

My problem with Gordon at this point has little to do with the weed & the booze and everything to do with his work ethic and attitude. His abysmal attitude and ridiculous posture when he did get a chance to play last year leaves me wanting no part of him for anything other than potential trade value. Frankly, he no longer fits this team and unless he can have his head completely (surgically if necessary) removed from his derrière, then he is already out the door, it's just a matter of time.

JMHO

I don't think Josh Gordon deserves to be a Cleveland Brown.

The kid is pissing away a golden opportunity that hundreds of thousands (probably more) of men only can dream of.

I sincerely hope the kid gets his act together and can grow up, but if he doesn't play another down in Cleveland, I won't lose any sleep over it.

to be fair, no player deserved to be a cleveland brown since 99. i sure as hell don't want to. we're trash.

If we traded this guy, he'd be happy.

Nobody deserves to be a Cleveland Brown I'm not sure I would wish that on my worst enemy given their recent history.

I hate Gordon's attitude, but the Pot thing is really blown way out of proportion. No big deal IMO. Yes its against league rules and thats what Gordon signed up for but still Pot come on this is 2015.

Heard this before. Doesn't mean much. Virtually impossible to distribute trust, faith or hope even to him.

No use discussing a player who'll pretty much for the second year in a row, will not serve any purpose to this team or city. In my eyes, it'll be a miracle if he serves his suspension fully without yet another infraction.

As a supporter and fan, one disappointed and angry with his performance, and repeated issues, this sounds stale and phony to me. Why was this a needful article?

I applaud and admire loyalty, good that his former teammates are reported as supportive. But. If I go by my own lights, how often must I be sold down the river with more nonsense and drama before I care less.

Suggested topic correction: " . . . Has a Dimmer Future Now in the NFL Going Forward.

Gordon and Drew just need to shut the hell up until Gordon proves he can stay clean for more than a few games at a time. Take a page from the Manziel playbook and lock yourself away in rehab. Get away from the family, friends and agents and get your mind right. Whether Manziel makes it or not as a player, I am very happy he has made a serious attempt to get himself right and Josh Gordon I am no longer really concerned with his football career but the path he is own leads to nothing but tragedy. Cant fix the problem when you spend all your time denying there is a problem.

I think people are forgetting he was suspended for 10 games for being UNDER the league limit for THC, then suspended for a year after having a couple drinks on a plane after the season was over.

Should he have known better, yes, but he's been getting the shaft from the NFL.

You left out the DWI that put him in the no drinking category.
He's gotten nothing he hasn't earned.

All the substance issues aside, his effort and attitude sucked big time when he returned last year, when we still were in the playoff hunt and could really have used a boost. I think he's played his last game as a Brown.

Or... "Has Flushed $100M+ In Potential Contract Money Down The Crapper".

Whether you agree or disagree about Marijuana being a big deal, it's against the rules, and he broke said rules, multiple times.

99 out of 100 of us would get fired from our "normal 9 to 5" type of jobs for breaking the rules once. He's had a handful of chances and keeps breaking them...

There is absolutly nothing untruthful about that statement Mr. Kelso.

Yet in the back of my mind,he's a talented guy that we still own the rights to. He's costing us nothing at this point.

If he comes back with his head screwed on right, great. if not, Goodbye

yea, i'm a hot stoner.

but if you gave me a million a year...hell 250k a year to play football?

bye weed.

Damn, Haden is just one good dude.

I would love to see him play awesome right out of the gate this year and get his due. I think only one CB in the league is better than Haden and that's Revis. That's it. Haden is #2.

I see nothing in the policy about suspension for more than a year for testing positive for alcohol. Did he agree to something not in the policy?


"DUI discipline: The league is becoming stricter on this topic. Where previous first-time offenders were generally let off without a suspension, the new policy calls for a two-game ban for a first violation. Second violation will draw an eight-game suspension. Aggravating circumstances can lengthen the suspension in either case."

Correct. It is his fault, and his fault only, that he is under restrictions. He is aware of the restrictions and continues to violate them.

He is not getting the shaft, he is getting caught violating restrictions. Those are not the same thing.

Yep. Anyone can talk the talk. Gordon has continually stumbled when walking the walk.

I just hope that we get something ..... anything ... out of him. (but I doubt it)

His suspension for 2015 is not for pot. It is because he drank alcohol, while under prohibition due to his earlier suspension. He said that he didn't understand that .... but man, when it comes to my career, I would certainly make absolutely certain.

His suspensions have been because he could not follow the rules. I did not like the way the 2014 suspension "looked" from what was reported. (that one sample was actually under the limit, while the other was barely over) However, the drinking thing really has no excuse. If it were me, and I was in that situation, I would not even go near anything that could get me suspended again.

I also hated his body language and effort when he DID play last season.

you'd think he would've been raring to go... Yet he was apathetic and a bad player

if a apathetic and bad player can produce 8 catches for 120 yards, i'll take that all day everyday over what we use to have playing at WR.

One has to wonder if he's even here when he's here.

I don't even want to hear or see Josh Gordon's name again!

If I were in charge, he would have been cut last year!!!!!!!!!!!

might have been in the playoffs if he didnt play last year. jmo.

Good point pblack! I agree 100%!

No way we make the playoffs last year after Mack went down...but I agree he should have been cut...jmo

that's a massive reach.

I'm not very fond of the guy either, but cutting him would be a horrible mistake.

He costs NOTHING. He can't even be around the team (or any team, he can't even go the CFL)

So why not just let him sit there. If he turns himself around, great, if not, so be it.

Knee jerk reactions won't solve a thing and add nothing.

I believe this is the rational way to handle the situation. Let's see how "clean" he can stay over the next year and make our decision then. If all is good, then he may be a valuable piece to the puzzle...

thats what i thought before. now i think just cut the stupid lazy locker room cancer pot head. he sure is the complete opposite of "play like a brown."

Well...he won't BE in the locker room...he won't be playing 'like an anything' or for anyone...and he won't be getting a dime of the Browns' money or time.

Cutting him would be THE dumbest move they could make at this time.

This suspension is kinda like the NFL's version of "Scared Straight"

Hope it works.. Don't really care if it doesn't.

To be perfectly honest, I hold out very little hope he's ever going to put on the Browns Uni again. But he's shown he can play. So someone will give him a chance and if there is even a chance we get something for him, that's gravy...

But it can't happen now, so hold onto his rights but don't count on him at all.

...or in the facility, or meetings, etc. Like the man said: He doesn't cost us a dime...