The New England Patriots made a splash this week by trading for troubled wide receiver Josh Gordon, but there are a couple other moves worth talking about.
There has been quite the revolving door for the New England Patriots since the start of the 2018 NFL season, especially at the wide receiver position.
The latest pass catcher to walk through that door is one of the most talented and controversial. If the Patriots can find a way to make this Josh Gordon work, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady will simply go down in history as not only the greatest at their position, but world healers as well.
So let’s start with Gordon.
The surprising, yet intriguing move that brought the playmaker to New England is seen mostly as a desperation move at a position where the team does not have a lot of depth. It can also be seen as fate. Perhaps a player like Josh Gordon was meant to end up in Foxborough, a place known for zero tolerance when it comes to doing your job and showing up on time.
Although Gordon’s issues go deeper and may not be something the Patriots nor the rest of the NFL is equipped to handler, being around a player like Tom Brady and having a coach in Belichick who will downplay his stardom may just be the slap in the face he needs to stay clean and to stay humble.
When people say a change of scenery may be something a player needs, this may very well be that situation. If things click, the New England Patriots may not have Randy Moss version 2.0, but Josh Gordon version 1.0 (at least for the remainder of the season).
This is for everyone assuming it won’t work out. Give the man a chance. He is 27 years old, recognizes his mistakes and internal issues. Sometimes it takes a little success to find that love within. Many times it takes figuring out your own worth that shapes your external value.
Josh Gordon in a New England Patriots uniform looks great. Josh Gordon producing in a Patriots’ uniform will be the NFL comeback story of the year. Quite frankly, it is a revival both sides need.
Good friend Cyrus Jones is back
Speaking of second and third chances, the New England Patriots are willing to give their 2016 second-round pick another look.
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According to reports, the team has signed cornerback Cyrus Jones off the Baltimore Ravens practice squad to a two-year deal.
Jones, who was cut prior to the 2018 NFL season, was looking to get back on track with the team after missing the entire 2017 season with an ACL tear.
Before that, in 2016, the Alabama product had one of the worst rookie seasons in recent memory by a high-round draft pick. Beyond issues covering in the secondary, Jones had issues with ball security returning punts and kickoffs.
Ironically, his ability to return punts and kickoffs may be the primary reason the team brought him back. Looking past those ball security issues, Cyrus Jones is talented and a dangerous threat in the open field.
If he finds his focus this time around, he should help the team immensely. He can also provide cornerback depth. With Patrick Chung suffering a head injury, the team may have to make some adjustments in the defensive backfield.
Having Jones back on board allows them to do some shifting. That could involve Eric Rowe playing some safety and giving J.C. Jackson a chance to lock down that No. 2 cornerback role.
Overall, it would be a nice story if it worked out this time around for Cyrus Jones.
Corey Coleman back on the practice squad
The Corey Coleman experiment in New England is not over.
According to NFL.com, the Patriots have added Coleman to the practice squad after releasing him to make room for Josh Gordon.
The 2016 first-round pick was given another opportunity by the Patriots just a couple of weeks ago. As another player looking to revive his career, Coleman has been a disappointment since having a promising rookie season.
Although his reliability is almost as suspect as Josh Gordon, bringing back Corey Coleman gives the New England Patriots another talented receiver to turn to if there is another injury or Gordon doesn’t work out.
What’s interesting is both players are coming over after having success with the Cleveland Browns. The hope is Tom Brady can take those talents to another level. If that does happen, the Patriots will go from having almost no wide receiver depth to having one of the more explosive receiving groups in the league, especially when Julian Edelman return.
Rob Gronkowski, Chris Hogan, Edelman, Phillip Dorsett and potentially Josh Gordon and Corey Coleman. Talk about some toys for that man they call the GOAT.