Daily Dawg Tags: Josh Gordon’s next big step

The Cleveland Browns will have Josh Gordon back at team headquarters today. What comes next remains a big question, however.

Today is a major day for the Cleveland Browns and one of their troubled players.

Wide receiver Josh Gordon will be back in the building.

Gordon was conditionally reinstated by the NFL last week and is allowed to join the Browns for meetings starting today. If everything goes according to plan, which has rarely happened since Gordon joined the Browns, he will be eligible to return to the field on Dec. 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

There is still a lot of distance between sitting in a meeting room and Gordon playing in his first regular season game since December of 2014, which is why the Browns are wise to stay cautious as they reintegrate Gordon into the team.

On Monday, both executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown and head coach Hue Jackson addressed the Gordon question, with Brown talking about “if Gordon can get back on the field” and Jackson saying the team does not want “those things” that have been part of Gordon’s past.

The good news in all this is that it appears that Gordon is working to get his life turned around and the Browns are there to support him. Judging from the interview that Gordon did with GQ (see the link further down), the depths of his drug abuse continue to run deeper than anyone could have imagined.

One of the arguments that Gordon’s supporters continue to throw out is that he is “only 26” and will, of course, be the same player he was in 2013. Gordon may “only” be 26, but he is a 26-year-old with a lengthy history of drug abuse, which has to have some kind of longterm impact on his body.

Time will tell if Gordon’s return is real this time or just another tease. But the fact that he has made it this far is a positive sign and one that he should be applauded for.

Cleveland Browns news:

The competing views on Sashi Brown

Cleveland Browns fans either love or hate Sashi Brown, and those feelings were once again clear during his press conference on Monday.

Corey Coleman returning to practice for the Browns

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Corey Coleman is back from injured reserve and may only be a couple of weeks away from being on the field again.

Could Andrew Luck be in the Browns future?

The Cleveland Browns are still searching for that franchise quarterback, and Andrew Luck’s name is one that comes up as a potential fit.

Josh Gordon on addiction, his NFL comeback, and using before games (GQ)

"In a candid new interview, the Browns receiver admits he had something in his system “probably every game of his career.”"

Brock Osweiler, Josh McCown and quarterback woes (cleveland.com)

"I wanted the Cleveland Browns to keep quarterback Brock Osweiler. I thought Osweiler could give the Browns some type of veteran to play for a while so DeShone Kizer would not have to open the season as the starter. It was hard to imagine that the second-rounder from Notre Dame was ready to take over a 1-15 team in Game 1 of his rookie season. After eight games … and eight losses … few would dispute that statement."

NFL news:

NFL suspends Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans one game (NFL.com)

"New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton insisted that Mike Evans should have been ejected for his Sunday antics. That didn’t happen, but the NFL isn’t done with the Buccaneers wide receiver."

A.J. Green, Jalen Ramsey won’t be suspended for fighting (ESPN)

"Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green and Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey will not be suspended for their fight in Sunday’s game, the league announced Monday. Both players will face potential fines for their role in the fight."

Bucs may sideline Jameis Winston to allow shoulder to heal (tbo.com)

"The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are discussing sidelining quarterback Jameis Winston for two weeks to allow his injured shoulder to heal. Winston re-injured his right shoulder Sunday in the Bucs’ 30-10 loss at New Orleans. He suffered the initial injury Oct. 15 in a 38-33 loss at Arizona but has yet to miss a start in 40 career NFL games."

Chiefs offensive line looking for answers (kansascity.com)

"Wander into any NFL locker room, and you’ll likely find that the offensive linemen are often the most intelligent, introspective and honest players on the team. Given the complex nature of NFL offenses, the ample brainpower they possess shouldn’t be a shock. And given their importance to any offense, neither should their candor and tendency to place the blame on themselves when things go wrong."