Is Josh Gordon hanging out with Johnny Manziel a big deal?

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon was photographed hanging out with Johnny Manziel at a UFC fight. Should that be cause for concern for the Browns?

When Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon applied for reinstatement to the NFL after his latest suspension, the league made it abundantly clear what they want to see from Gordon.

“The process is that we’ll go back and we’ll look at how he’s conducted himself over the last several months, what he’s done to make sure it’s consistent with the terms of his suspension,” commissioner Roger Goodell said in his annual Super Bowl press conference. “I will engage with our people to understand where he is, where he’s been, but most importantly it’s where he’s going. When these things happen, it’s about trying to avoid them in the future.

“Our No. 1 issue here is to prevent these things from happening. I’m hopeful that Josh understands that he’s going to have to conduct himself differently going forward to be a member of the NFL and to be representing the Cleveland Browns, or any team in the NFL. So our job is to try to get people to understand that, try to make sure that they live by the policies that we have and ensure that this is what all of us in the league want, but also I think our fans want. our fans want players playing by the same rules.”

Pretty simple, right? Stay clean and show the NFL that you have changed.

Then came the Tweet that put a damper on the Sunday morning of Browns fans far and wide:

If one of the check marks on your application to rejoin the NFL says “conduct yourself differently” then hanging out with Manziel – who is only days away from being released and quite possibly out of the NFL – is probably not the best way to go about it.

If you go by the responses on Twitter to the image, then this is a big deal as Gordon works to rebuild his image.

But should it matter to Goodell or the Browns?

That one is a little harder to answer and may have to be filed under “to be determined.” While there isn’t anything wrong with hanging out with a teammate at a public event, it does continue the ongoing question of whether or not Gordon has truly changed. And Gordon’s latest suspension was triggered after he tested positive for alcohol after consuming a drink or two while on a flight with some of his teammates.

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If Gordon just caught up with Manziel for the fight and nothing else, then it is probably a regrettable but not actionable event. And if there is more to it, there is little doubt that video will come out sooner rather than later as Manziel and his “friends” love nothing more than highlighting his latest party antics. Plus, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the NFL comes calling about a drug test for Gordon in the next few days.

Browns fans have assumed for weeks now that Gordon’s return to the team is nothing more than a formality. But executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown recently said that while the Browns are open to Gordon’s return, there will also be a new level of accountability.

“I think Josh is wise enough to understand that if comes back, he’s going to have to prove that again and eyes will be on him,” Brown said. “But I’m confident he can do it. I know him well enough. He’s a good young man. He’s just got to get past a few things and hopefully has learned. If he hasn’t, then he won’t be a part of the organization.”

Eyes were certainly on Gordon in the early hours of Sunday morning but, for now, there doesn’t seem to be anything more to it than just two teammates enjoying a UFC fight.

For Gordon’s sake, hopefully that is all that transpired.

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The Cleveland Browns will open free agency on March 9 with a little more than $47 million in salary cap space to spend. Follow Dawg Pound Daily for all the latest news on free agency as the Browns work to rebuild their roster.