Wide receiver Josh Gordon is still practicing with the Browns while he awaits word on what could be a year-long suspension.
So it might be natural that he’s not practicing with the most urgency.
Browns coach Mike Pettine told 92.3 The Fan that Gordon didn’t always exert himself fully in practice.
“It is something we’ve talked about and from what I understand he’s made some improvement, but it is a work in progress,” Pettine said, via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “I’m a big believer in quality of reps versus quantity of reps. If I’m a player and I know that I’m going to be out there for 40 full-speed team snaps I may have a tendency to pace myself.
“There still needs to be improvement there but we’re aware of it.”
Of course, there’s a chicken-egg quality there too. If Gordon cared enough about his craft to push himself fully, he might not continue to put himself in positions that lead to suspensions.
Pettine also admitted it was a bit frustrating getting ready for the season with the Gordon suspension hanging over their heads.
“There’s certainly a level of frustration because we’ve known the news for so long,” Pettine said. “It’s just a holding pattern and I understand that the league has a process that they have to go through and there’s other things that they’re dealing with and we respect that. But at the same time it is difficult because it really will affect our preparation for the season.”
Not having one of your best players tends to do that.