Entering the season, the Cleveland Browns were a team that was adamant that Josh Gordon was not on the trading block, no matter how ludicrous the offer. Entering the season, the Chargers were a team destined to be in the bottom tier with a stingy front office that seems to care more about money than winning. In the NFL things tend to change rapidly. After one week of the season it makes perfect sense that the Browns would want to trade Josh Gordon, and in the sake of winning now, the Chargers should be the team that is calling for him.
San Diego Chargers Should Pursue Josh Gordon
The Chargers Defense Is Going to Be Good
In the first half of the Chargers season opener at division rival Kansas City, it became clear that this Chargers team was not the same team we saw in 2015. In 2016, the Chargers defense looks like it may be able to take a huge step forward. On the defensive line, Corey Liuget and Brandon Mebane showed to be huge maulers and run stoppers with power.
Last season Liuget missed six games with injury and Mebane was on the Seattle Seahawks. Joey Bosa is expected to be eased in on the defensive line next to the two, and with that is a strong three man front with pedigree at all three spots.
Melvin Ingram had a breakout season in 2015, and should only look better as a pass rusher with this loaded front. Denzel Perryman and Manti Te’o are young inside linebackers who had never played with each other until last season. In the opener both looked comfortable and both were near the ball on almost all plays.
On top of that Jason Verrett had a shutdown game, and when healthy he is up very high on the list of top-tier cornerback. So with a strong front seven and talent on the back end, it is possible the Chargers first half may not be an anomaly. This may be a talented unit ready to make a run in 2016. They blew a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter, but that had more to do with the offense and it’s inability to move the ball late.
The Chargers Do Not Have a Keenan Allen Replacement
The Chargers offense opened the game just as hot as their defense. The Chargers were mixing and matching their running backs with success and they were feeding Keenan Allen the ball like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Allen had six catches in the first quarter and a half and almost all of them went for a first down. Allen and his success and ability to demand respect opened up all of the other options for the Chargers and they moved the ball with ease.
When Allen went down, the offense did not know who to pass the ball to. The Chargers fourth quarter featured three plays and a field goal after an interception followed by seven plays that led to two punts. Dontrelle Inman and Tyrell Williams were the two needed to step in for the loss of Allen which made most NFL fans say, “who”? The duo finished with three catches and while Williams got loose on one of his, there is a giant hole in the offense now.
In Steps Josh Gordon
One player who would fill that hole and may be available would be the talented but troubled Josh Gordon. Gordon is similar to Allen in terms of skill set. Both are taller and longer players, but like to play the possession, run after the catch game. They also both have been looked at as players who demand a high number of targets.
Gordon is suspended for four games this season, which is why he would be on the trading block, and at a reasonable price. When he comes back, the Chargers could potentially pick up where they left off after giving Inman and Williams repetitions for the next three games.
Allen is one heck of a talent, but this is his third straight season marred by injury. With an ACL, his status for week one of next season has to be up in the air, and Philip Rivers is not getting younger. Gordon is a restricted free agent this year, so the Chargers could see what they have in him before investing in him long term. They could also let him test the market and wind up matching any deal thrown his way knowing that none will be long-term deals given his off-field record.
For the Chargers to play out this season with the wide receiver position like it is and to just hope that Allen will be back and ready to carry the unit again in 2017 would be wasting the precious years left of a star caliber quarterback. The Chargers need to jump back into this AFC West battle right now, and Gordon, despite his issues would have them back as a team that was beating a Super Bowl contender on the road.
The Browns Have Too Many Wide Receivers as It Is
Yes, the Browns said they are not looking to trade Josh Gordon. They also said that Robert Griffin III had not only the chance to start this year but long into the future for the Browns. Things change. The Browns clearly entered the offseason with no expectations of having Josh Gordon. The team drafted four wide receivers, on top of Terrelle Pryor, who they were bullish on and Andrew Hawkins, who head coach Hue Jackson coached in Cincinnati.
That said, the Browns will have to cut one of these names when Gordon comes back. Pryor had a big time deep catch last week, and rookie Corey Coleman looks all the parts of a rising wide receiver. If the Browns saw Griffin in his debut and thought they struck lightning in a bottle, it is one thing to add Gordon into the mix. However, while Gordon is a great piece to have, it is safe to say the Browns have bigger needs than wide receiver.
One theme the Browns have stuck to this offseason is acquiring future draft picks. Trading down, trading veterans it did not matter, they want to be in the next three drafts early and often. If the Chargers were to call, knowing that they need to compete now more than later, and give up a 2017 second round pick, or a couple of future picks, why wouldn’t the Browns say yes?
Most times a team goes to the media saying a price they would not accept for a trade, it is just to set a market for that player. The Browns did just that, and now the question is if the Chargers can trust the off-field issues enough to go for it.
Conclusion
While it sounds like a trade you see on Madden more so than in the NFL, the Chargers really need to do their homework on Gordon this week. They have at least until week four when the Browns would have to make a roster move. While the trade deadline is not until week eight, once Gordon makes the Browns roster and plays in a game for them his price is only going to go up. The Chargers will likely give Inman and Williams a chance, but after week two, do not be surprised to see rumors pick up.
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