New England Patriots: Josh Gordon situation the X-factor of 2019

If Josh Gordon is re-instated by the NFL, the New England Patriots will suddenly have one lethal passing attack.

There are a lot of X-factors for the New England Patriots in 2019 as they look to repeat as Super Bowl champions. One of which involves a player who may not even step on the field throughout the season.

That player is 28-year-old wide receiver Josh Gordon, who was suspended indefinitely by the NFL for violating the league’s substance abuse policy once again.

With his history of suspensions by the league, the Patriots took a risk when they acquired Gordon in a trade with the Cleveland Browns at the beginning of the 2018 season, but it was a risk they were willing to take and one that almost paid off.

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In 11 games with the Patriots, Gordon caught 40 passes for 720 yards and three touchdowns before deciding to walk away from the game to battle mental health issues prior to the suspension. As a big receiver with speed, Josh Gordon was beginning to form a chemistry with Tom Brady, a connection the 41-year-old quarterback wants to continue working on in 2019.

That of course depends on whether the league gives Gordon another chance. While most of that depends on his own commitment in improving himself outside of the football field, the NFL really holds all the cards and as Patriots fans, we all know they aren’t exactly rushing to help out the defending Super Bowl champions.

But what if?

What if the New England Patriots suddenly had a trio of receivers in Josh Gordon, N’Keal Harry and Julian Edelman to go along with a deep running back core. Despite no Rob Gronkowski or a reliable tight end in the passing game, Brady would suddenly have a duo of tall, physical receivers who would be tough to defend.

There’s a lot of “if’s” there, but based on pure talent, a Gordon and Harry duo would take away some of the sting of the Gronkowski retirement. It would also make Julian Edelman even more effective from the slot.

The 32-year-old Edelman certainly knows how a Josh Gordon return will impact his game and the team’s offense overall. On one local podcast, Edelman was asked about his teammate’s road to recovery and said he definitely wants him back on the field.

"“It’s a life situation and you’re pulling for him for that – to get better,” Edelman said on the podcast, via NESN. “And selfishly, I want him because he’s a really good football player and he can help us. I don’t know anything (regarding when/if he could get reinstated) going into it. Like, legit. Like, I’ve asked 30 people inside the organization and outside (the organization), like, ‘Do you know what’s going to happen?’ And no one knows not one thing. So we’re just kind of sitting and waiting to see what the circumstances are going to be with him because he’d be a really good tool to have. He balls.”"

Here’s another “if”

If even one of a group of receivers in Demaryius Thomas, Dontrelle Inman, Phillip Dorset or Maurice Harris also emerge within the offense, suddenly Tom Brady will have a nice collection of weapons to throw to. With the NFL unsure of what they will do regarding Josh Gordon, that is a big “IF.”

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However, Patriots fans have been dreaming about the addition of Josh Gordon since that one game he made Aqib Talib look like Cyrus Jones. Now that fans and the team got a glimpse of what he can do in New England Patriots colors, the thought of what and who he can be in the system is something to get excited about.

In summary, the Patriots will be fine without Josh Gordon. What makes him an x-factor is the possibility of how scary good the offense can be with a self-improved version of a player who flashed for 11 weeks and then was gone.

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