The Philadelphia Eagles are rumored to be considering a big trade to strengthen what is already a strong position group — and controversial receiver Josh Gordon would be the target.
After the NFL announced in July that Gordon would be re-instated to start the 2016 season following a lengthy suspension, speculation immediately turned to where his future might lie. Gordon has shown flashes of excellence with the Cleveland Browns but struggled to stay on the field as personal issues and failed drug tests have led to a series of suspensions.
Gordon will now start the 2016 season with a four-game suspension, and after that it’s unclear what NFL uniform he will be wearing.
There are some rumors that the Philadelphia Eagles may give Josh Gordon another chance. ESPN’s John Clayton said in an interview with the The Fanatic Midday Show with Rob Ellis and Harry Mayes that the Eagles may want Gordon — hypothetically, at least.
“I wouldn’t be surprised, as [the Eagles] looked down the landscape, if a receiver pops free … in fact, I was trying to go through the rationale, let’s say, for example, the Browns want to trade Josh Gordon,” Clayton said. “What teams might be interested? Philly might be one of those teams that might consider it because you’d be getting a great talent cheap and he would fit the outside slot.”
The Eagles already have an interesting group of players at wide receiver, led by Jordan Matthews, who had 85 catches for 997 yards and eight touchdowns last season. The Eagles also got solid production from Reuben Randle, who contributed 57 catches for 797 yards and eight touchdowns.
As PennLive.com noted, Matthews appears to be at the cusp of becoming a great player, though he hasn’t yet made that leap.
“Matthews led the Eagles in receiving last year working primarily out of the slot, and established himself as a leader of sorts in only his second season. So what’s Matthews’ ceiling? If he continues to elevate his play, he can grow into a legitimate No. 1 receiving threat, but if not, he and the Eagles offense might be stuck in mediocrity.”
Adding Josh Gordon would give the Eagles a bona fide No. 1 receiver and take some of the pressure off Matthews. He would also provide an important weapon for whichever quarterback happens to be behind center for the Eagles this year. ESPN noted in June that veteran Sam Bradford was running away with the competition, but the Eagles will also want to move first-round pick Carson Wentz into the position as soon as he’s ready. Having Josh Gordon would be a huge advantage for either quarterback, especially Wentz, who will likely need some time to get acclimated to the NFL.
The Philadelphia Eagles are already rumored to be looking to add a wide receiver. The SB Nation blog Bleeding Green Nation reported that the Eagles were looking into Anquan Boldin before he picked the Lions, and they could be on the hunt for another veteran wideout to provide some leadership in the position.
Even with the rumors that the Philadelphia Eagles could be interested in Josh Gordon, there are other indications that the Cleveland Browns want to keep him right where he’s at. Though the team has grown weary of his off-the-field problems, Gordon is still among the best wide receivers when he’s on the field, and the Browns are trying to kick-start their offense by landing Robert Griffin III this offseason. For Griffin to have any real success, he’ll need the best weapons possible, and that likely means the Browns hang onto Gordon at least a little longer.
[Photo by Bob Leverone/AP Images]