Browns Trade Josh Gordon to Patriots

Melvin A via Flickr

NFL

Browns Trade Josh Gordon to New England

In another dramatic turn in the Josh Gordon saga, the Browns have made a deal to part ways with the troubled wideout. Cleveland agreed to trade Josh Gordon and a 7th-round draft pick to New England for a 5th-round pick. This trade has major implications around the league, especially with the two teams involved. The trade came after the Browns’ previous announcement that Gordon would be released by the team on Monday.

The team quickly changed course as other teams around the league began calling the Browns about a possible trade. It was reported that around 8-10 teams were interested in trading for Gordon’s services. While the move by the Patriots isn’t completely unexpected, it was rumored that the Browns had narrowed their list of trade partners down to the 49ers and the Cowboys.

Over the weekend, the Browns made the decision to move on from Gordon after he came to the facility seeming “not like himself.” The Browns were also concerned that Gordon came into the facility with an injured hamstring. It was reported that Gordon sustained the injury during a promotional photo shoot, which only helped to fuel his release. Teams have learned that Gordon has not relapsed into substance abuse – an issue that has plagued him throughout his career – as was previously rumored.

What does this mean for the Patriots?

With this trade, the Patriots will add to a receiving corps that was one of the weakest in the league. In adding Gordon, the Pats will look to get him up to speed as soon as possible and insert him in the starting lineup. One implication of this trade is that the Pats don’t seem to view Chris Hogan as a legitimate first-choice receiver. When Gordon gets up to speed on the playbook, he looks set to become that number-one option. Gordon is easily the most talented player in their WR corps and will look to take advantage of that opportunity. He will now look for targets from one of the best QBs in the league. A decent-to-good QB is something that Gordon has never had, so working with Brady will be a huge opportunity. With the Patriots, Gordon looks better equipped to revive his career.

In a corresponding move, the Pats released former Browns WR Corey Coleman. Coleman did not record a catch through the Patriots’ first two games. It will be interesting to see where Coleman will end up — or if a team will even sign him. Coleman had bounced around earlier during the offseason. He was first traded from the Browns to the Bills, then was scooped up by the Patriots. Gordon needs to find a team and stay there or he may be out of the league soon.

What does this mean for the Browns?

The Browns, having traded away one of their best players, will now look to in-house options to pick up the slack. Browns receivers Jarvis Landry and rookie Antonio Callaway will surely see an uptick in production. This was already seen in their Week 2 loss to the Saints, as Landry had five catches for 69 yards and Callaway had three catches for 81 yards and a touchdown. Callaway showed his explosiveness with a 47 yard touchdown catch that put the Browns in a position to win the game. Landry’s floor is now at least 5 catches per game, as Tyrod Taylor will need someone to throw to.

Fantasy Implications

As mentioned previously, the Browns receivers both deserve an uptick in fantasy.  Landry is more of a high-end WR2 to WR1 with the trade of Gordon. Antonio Callaway should be on fantasy radars now too, as he is now in flex consideration. He should see an uptick in targets and was considered one of the most explosive receivers in the draft this year.

Gordon, on the other hand, will slot into a number-one role with the Patriots. He should see a decent share of targets when he learns the full offense. Gordon should be considered a WR2 in fantasy within a Pats offense that likes to spread the ball around. However, he does have the chance to become a WR1 if the Pats make a commitment to get him the ball on a regular basis. Hogan should be downgraded to a flex option and Edelman, when he comes back, should be WR2 as well. Edelman will take on less of a target share with the addition of Gordon to the receiving corps.

Photo Credit: Melvin A via Flickr

Follow Ben Glassmire on Twitter: @brglass10