New England Patriots: The case for re-signing Josh Gordon
If indeed Josh Gordon gets another chance in the NFL, it should come with the New England Patriots.
Stepping away from the New England Patriots in late December 27-year-old wide receiver Josh Gordon stepped away from a chance to be a part of a Super Bowl winning playoff run.
While the decision to walk away was fueled by an NFL suspension due to substance abuse, it was still a disappointing failed opportunity for Gordon.
After being obtained from the Cleveland Browns in an early season trade, Gordon showed he can be productive in the Patriots system and with Tom Brady. In 11 games, he racked up 720 yards and had a chance for a 1,000-yard season if he had played in the final two games.
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Not only did he give Brady an outside target, he started to show his skills in route running. Along with Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski and James White, Gordon’s contribution on the field was starting to give Tom Brady a group of playmakers to fear for any opposing defense.
Then, it came to a screeching halt when Gordon did face suspension. As it turned out, Gordon’s absence helped the Patriots find success in the playoffs as they changed their approach on offense to more of a power-running team.
Still, the defending Super Bowl champions will be in search of an outside threat like Josh Gordon if they hope to repeat in 2019. If the league reinstates him, the Patriots still have his rights as he would be a restricted free agent.
Depending on who else they are able to bring in at the wide receiver position, taking another chance on Josh Gordon could help the receiving depth as long as he is not the top receiving option in the offense.
The case for re-signing
If reinstated by the NFL, the New England Patriots are the best team to handle Josh Gordon. They did so while he was still on the team in 2018 and haven’t ruled out bringing him back in 2019.
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Not only did Gordon seem to buy in on the field, he also became a favorite of his teammates and coaches. Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman amongst others all seem to have nothing but positive things to say about Gordon and he seemed to have bought into the Patriot Way before his personal issues drove him away from the game again.
When it comes to reliability or lack thereof, re-signing Josh Gordon should be a low-risk, high reward type opportunity that won’t hurt the Patriots if it doesn’t work out again. It would also give Josh Gordon a chance to really prove himself as a wide receiver in the league.
As a second or third option at wide receiver, Gordon should pick up where he left off before departing from the team prior to Week 16. Actually, being on the field to win a Super Bowl may be the motivation he needs to pull it all together.
Potential landing spots
At this point, there may not be many teams willing to take a chance on Josh Gordon. If there are, the New England Patriots can match any offer given to Gordon due to his restricted free agent status.
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While Gordon did prove he could still be productive on the field, the resources a team would need to monitor his off-the-field issues is simply too much. The Patriots already have those resources in place and knows they have had some success with Josh Gordon in their system.
In summary, if Gordon is given another change by the league, the Patriots will have an opportunity to bring him back on a team friendly deal and give him that last chance to completely strive in the NFL.