Josh Gordon joins the New England Patriots from Ceveland
Josh Gordon joins the New England Patriots from Ceveland

NFL trade news: New England Patriots sign Josh Gordon from Cleveland Browns


The New England Patriots have rolled the dice on talented but troubled wide receiver Josh Gordon after trading to bring him in from the Cleveland Browns.

New England sent a fifth round pick in next year's draft to Cleveland in exchange for the uber-talented Gordon, who on his day can be one of the most dominant receivers in the league.

The problem is, however, that those days have been few and far between of late with Gordon's long-standing substance abuse problem that has resulted in him being handed numerous and lengthy bans from the NFL.

Gordon missed both the 2015 and 2016 seasons through suspension and in total has appeared in just 41 of a possible 98 games for Cleveland during his six years with the team.

He looked almost back to his best in the first game of this season when he caught the game-tying touchdown against Pittsburgh, but the final straw seems to have come after he managed to pick up a hamstring injury while on a promotional photo shoot.

The Browns decided enough is enough and it is no surprise to see Bill Belichick take a chance and back themselves to be able to handle another troubled soul and get the best out of him in New England.

What is certain is Gordon's ability - he led the league in receiving in 2013 with 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns despite only playing 14 games.

He's since only scored two touchdowns but he could be back to his dominant best if he can stay on the field with Tom Brady as his quarterback.

The Patriots are never afraid of taking a chance on a player, and with the current wideout options limited, the chance to have an elite receiver for a small price was too good for them to pass up on.

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