
Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon has been the subject of trade rumors over the last couple of weeks and a recent report from Adam Schefter of ESPN all but guarantees that the possibility of a deal will remain in the forefront until next week’s deadline if he isn’t traded before that point.
On Sunday against the Packers, Gordon couldn’t beat cornerback Davon House for a fourth-down pass in the fourth quarter with the Browns trailing 17-6. That failure led some to question his effort and whether Gordon’s mind might be on the trade talk rather than the task at hand. Gordon said that wasn’t the case and coach Rob Chudzinski didn’t feel that Gordon, who also had a drop on Sunday, was disengaged during the game even if he thinks the wideout should have come down with the pass.
“I don’t think it was an effort thing,” Chudzinski said, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “Josh wants to be an elite receiver in this league and those are the types of plays that you have to find a way to make. He went up for it and he tried to body catch it mores than high-pointing it, so there’s some technique things that we can work with him on. I’ve seen him make some great catches before and he’s going to make more from here on out.”
For now, the Browns are reportedly balking at the offers made by other teams for Gordon. That could change at any moment, which means the next great catch Gordon makes could come in a different uniform while the Browns continue to turn their attention toward the future.