The definitive DPD retrospective of Josh Gordon (Updated Sept. 4)

The Browns used a second-round pick on Josh Gordon in the summer of 2012, selecting him in the annual NFL Supplemental Draft.

Gordon had a troubled, if we are being kind, collegiate career, first at Baylor and then at Utah, where he never played a down before being dismissed from the team. All together, he reportedly failed three drug tests while in school.

Opinions were all over the board at the time about Gordon’s NFL future, and one AFC personnel executive’s comments to Albert Breer at NFL.com are extremely telling in hindsight:

"“It’s very hard to find a comparable player. The off-field issues, you try and draw on those players like that who have turned into huge successes, and having those examples tends to give executives some peace of mind. I struggled to come up with a high volume of players that have had his amount of issues and done a 180. We’ll see. The rest of it is up to the kid.”"

Gordon had a solid rookie year, making 13 starts and finishing with 50 receptions for 805 yards and five touchdowns. But it was the next season that he would make his mark on the NFL.

Following a two-game suspension to open the year, Gordon played in Cleveland’s final 14 games, finishing with 87 receptions for a league-leading 1,646 yards and scored nine touchdowns.

It was to be the last of the good times for Gordon and the Browns.

2012:

Browns will attend Josh Gordon’s Pro Day (July 9): Josh Gordon’s name has been the subject of many conversations in the past few days, despite missing the entire 2011 season. The former Baylor and Utah wide receiver has declared for Thursday’s supplemental draft, making him a coveted prospect for a number of teams.

Browns select Josh Gordon in Supplemental Draft (July 12): When former Baylor wide receiver Josh Gordon only visited with the Cleveland Browns, it was suspected that the team would try to select him in Thursday’s supplemental draft. And, much to the joy of fans, the team did just that, selecting Gordon in the second round. The Browns’ corresponding second-round pick will now be surrendered in the 2013 draft.

Browns sign Josh Gordon to four-year deal (July 16): Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, selected in the second round of last week’s supplemental draft, has already signed his first deal, a four-year contract worth $5.3 million with $3.8 million guaranteed.

Josh Gordon comes clean about third failed drug test (July 25): Remember when Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon refuted a claim that he had failed a third drug test while at Utah? As it turns out, there was a third failed drug test and, now that he’s signed by the Browns, he has come clean about it to The Plain Dealer.

A Browns WR has finally broken the 100-yard mark (Dec. 4): For a while, it seemed like it  might never happen, not with the way Brandon Weeden distributed the ball (or simply struggled). Nevertheless, the Cleveland Browns have finally exploded through another milestone during what happens to be a continuously surprising season. They have conquered the elusive 100-yard receiving game. Thanks to Josh Gordon’s six-catch, 116-yard performance, the Browns are starting to resemble a real NFL offense.

2013:

Are you concerned about Josh Gordon? (June 6): Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon has had his fair share of past troubles, which is how the team was able to draft him in the 2012 supplemental draft in the first place. But during his first season in Cleveland, Gordon was a model teammate and citizen, establishing himself as one of the up-and-coming receiving talents in the NFL.

Josh Gordon suspended two games (June 8): Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon made it through his rookie season without getting in any trouble, and even established himself as the team’s go-to receiving threat. His second NFL season is not off to such a great start. Just days after being criticized for a fairly boneheaded tweet, Gordon has been suspended two games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

Josh Gordon is not making many friends in Cleveland (June 21): Despite his talent and upside, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon isn’t make a lot of friends these days. First, it started with his two-game suspension to start the 2013 season, which stemmed from him testing positive for codeine after claiming it came from cough syrup back in February. Now, it’s his open Twitter celebration of the Miami Heat’s NBA championship that is testing the patience of Browns fans.

Josh Gordon’s impact on the Browns offense (Aug. 17): Josh Gordon is likely the most controversial player on the Browns as he has the talent to be one of the team’s best players but is still learning how to be a professional football player and is on a short leash, unless he plans to call the organization and his teammates’ bluff.

Unified message from Berea on Josh Gordon (Aug. 24): In the past two days, D’Qwell Jackson and Joe Banner have come out and publicly talked about how short Josh Gordon’s leash is in regards to not only the Browns but Jackson spoke on a larger level with the NFL as a whole.  The timing of these statements could be a coincidence but it certainly comes off like a strategy from the angle of the organization to vocalize the need for Gordon to appreciate the opportunity he has and grow up both from the front office as well as the locker room.

Josh Gordon is good, average QB play a huge improvement (Sept. 22): The game against the Minnesota Vikings worked to prove two things with the Browns offense: Josh Gordon is an impact player defenses are forced to counter and that even average quarterback play made a huge difference.

Josh Gordon a man without a country (Sept. 22): Josh Gordon, in many ways, seems to be a man without a country right now.  And he played that way on Sunday as he was the best player on the field in the Browns-Vikings game.  There was a ton of joy for Gordon as he caught 10 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown along with 22 yards rushing, but one cannot but think he is playing with a great of conflict within himself, maybe anger at the people who criticized him and never believed in him including some in the Browns front office, and then determination to prove to his teammates he is reliable and will be there for them.

Determining the value of Josh Gordon (Sept. 23): The Browns front office is being put in a position where they have to determine what Josh Gordon is worth.  Joe Banner is a numbers guy and seems to have a good understanding of the math when it comes to the NFL as well as weighing risk.

Josh Gordon to the Falcons? (Oct. 8): Jay Glazer of Fox and “sources” has reported that Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones is likely done for the year with a foot injury.  Naturally, with people speculating that the Browns are trying to trade Josh Gordon, even though it is teams calling to ask about Gordon, there is a natural connection to the Browns and Atlanta. So is there any chance the Falcons would trade for Gordon?  No.  Not at all; it would go against everything the Falcons have built.

Regarding Josh Gordon: Not if, but when (Oct. 24): The NFL trade deadline is fast approaching, and the chatter in Cleveland Browns-land revolves around two topics: Brandon Weeden and trading Josh Gordon. With Brandon Weeden finally on the bench, the Browns should focus on cutting ties with Josh Gordon.

Browns losses do not mar Josh Gordon’s performances (Dec. 1): The Cleveland Browns loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in a season where they are out of the playoff hunt does not diminish the incredible achievement by wide receiver Josh Gordon.  A week after setting the franchise record for receiving yards in a game with 237 on 14 catches with a touchdown, the second year receiver had 10 catches for 261 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Not only did he break the record he set, but he is the first receiver in NFL history to have back to back 200 yard games.  And in accomplishing that feat, Gordon put the rest of the NFL on notice.

Josh Gordon: A glimpse of the Browns future (Dec. 4): What a turn this team has taken in the last three weeks.  Much of the hope and excitement that fans had has slipped away as we experienced back-to-back-to-back losses to the Bengals, Steelers and Jaguars, not to mention the concussions of Jason Campbell and Brandon Weeden. But despite the depressing state of the team, there has been a bright spot: Wide Receiver Josh Gordon.