There seems to be endless “Johnny Manziel to the Dallas Cowboys” talk these days, but given the choice of knuckleheads, I’d pick Josh Gordon.
The Cowboys are no strangers to media speculation. If a big named and/or controversial player is in the news, the Cowboys are usually somehow linked. When you’re America’s Team, it just comes with the territory. “If you mention the Cowboys, you sell the newspapers,” they say.
And while there’s legitimate front office interest in Johnny Manziel, there’s a more intriguing knucklehead in Cleveland we should all be more interested in – receiver Josh Gordon.
In case you’ve forgotten, once upon a time Josh Gordon was regarded as a top-5 WR in the NFL. Unfortunately, Gordon let off the field recreational drug use derail his career by way of indefinite suspension. Sitting out the entire 2015 season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, Gordon has reapplied to return to the NFL in 2016.
If I had to pick one knucklehead from Cleveland, it would be Josh Gordon, NOT Johnny Football.
Whether Josh Gordon is reinstated remains to be seen, but if he is given one last chance, I’d like to see him do with a star on his helmet. Just take a moment to see his 2013 highlight reel.
Be warned: The language in the background music isn’t radio-friendly, but the plays are incredible.
The 6’3” 225lb game-breaker is still property of the Cleveland Browns. Like the other Cleveland knucklehead, Johnny Manziel, he would have to be released or traded before he could join another team.
Unlike Johnny Manziel, Gordon has a proven record of success. Gordon was a dominant player not so long ago. Perhaps that’s what makes the fascination with Manziel so mindboggling. Johnny Football hasn’t proven anything at the NFL level. He’s all the risk and hasn’t even proved he has reward potential.
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People forget just how good Josh Gordon really was (is?). The player that led the league in receiving yards in 2013 did so without a franchise QB and playing just 14 games. At only 24-years-old, Gordon still has youth on his side. Even with a year off, Gordon should be able to reclaim the greatness he once showed us…provided of course he can stay clean.
Josh Gordon’s laundry list of drug offenses stretch all the way back into college – Drugs are clearly a problem for him, and he’ll need to convince Roger Goodell those days are all behind him. This is an indefinite suspension so the NFL is under no obligation to reinstate him if they aren’t absolutely convinced.
People will continue to clamor for Johnny Manziel, and it’s understandable. Johnny Football is fun and marketable. He creates plays as well as excitement. On top of that, he’s a local kid who’s almost certainly going to be on the market this offseason. Josh Gordon may never be on the market.
The biggest thing working against Manziel is the position in which he plays. There is no greater position in the NFL than the QB. Today’s rules greatly favor the passing game and if you don’t have a franchise QB – you don’t have a chance. Franchises hinge on the QB and an unreliable one can singlehandedly ruin a team.
The Dallas Cowboys could take a risk on a player like Josh Gordon. He plays receiver and matched alongside Dez Bryant, he wouldn’t be the sole source of receiving yardage in the Cowboys’ offense. If he flamed out (so to speak), Dez and company would just resume activities.
A QB like Manziel has too many questions to be given the responsibilities of QB. The Cowboys cannot waste developmental time (assuming they would otherwise invest in a young QB to develop) on a player with maturity and work ethic issues. Basically, I’d gamble on a player who plays any position BUT a quarterback.
So the next time someone brings up how great Johnny Manziel will be for the Cowboys be sure to mention Josh Gordon, because it makes a lot more sense – even if it is less likely.
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Granted, I would never give Gordon a large or guaranteed contract, but I would be happy to offer a prove-it deal and see what happens. It will be fun to see if he comes back. It will be interesting to see what Cleveland wants to do with him. It would be neat to see him as a Cowboy, but maybe that’s just a pipe dream (pun intended).