Josh Gordon may be reinstated by the start of Training Camp

[JarOfMayo51]

We have 12 draft pick, no reason to bring him back.

Rookie WRs tend to come in and play like dog ****... Gordon could give you productivity for 1 more year while you develop younger guys

As long as you don't commit long term money to him on a contract extension and have a contingency plan in place knowing that he could be unavailable at any moment, he's a net positive for the team over other roster bubble guys

 

[JarOfMayo51]

The NBA just doesn’t care at all lol.

When it comes to weed, no professional sports team should even be testing players for it at this point.. its ridiculous

keep the focus on PEDS and other more serious drugs, but the main point of testing should be to catch people who are cheating with performance enhancers, not go after people puffing the magic dragon

 

[Jackson 2]

Can you elaborate?

Alcohol, xanax, cocaine, weed, methazine, crystal meth. Those are some of the substances Gordon himself identified.

 

[PP2]

When it comes to weed, no professional sports team should even be testing players for it at this point.. its ridiculous

All the more because using it doesn't give you a competitive advantage, whatsoever.

But it does help deal with the great deal of pain that comes with playing professional football.

 

[PatriotsReign]

I got fired from a great job due to addiction in 1989. I got sober later that year. I am fortunate in that when I started interviewing again, no one knew my history.

Did I lie in those interviews? Yup, I sure did. And I ended up being an asset to all the companies I’ve worked for since.

I’m fine with whatever the patriots decide to do.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I got fired from a great job due to addiction in 1989. I got sober later that year. I am fortunate in that when I started interviewing again, no one knew my history.

Did I lie in those interviews? Yup, I sure did. And I ended up being an asset to all the companies I’ve worked for since.

I’m fine with whatever the patriots decide to do.

Life is all about second chances.

It's what you do with them is what counts.

Josh has had a ton of chances and I truly believe he wants to put the addiction past him......but the Patriots run a business. He needs to be dependable, reliable and productive. Thats on him.

 

[RobertWeathers]

When it comes to weed, no professional sports team should even be testing players for it at this point.. its ridiculous

keep the focus on PEDS and other more serious drugs, but the main point of testing should be to catch people who are cheating with performance enhancers, not go after people puffing the magic dragon

Pot is still illegal in most states.

 

[Simpelton]

We have 12 draft pick, no reason to bring him back.

Logical fallacy: false dilemma.

There is absolutely no reason whatsoever we can't bring Gordon back AND draft a top wideout. Heck if we don't get Gronk back we might need THREE new wideouts, either Gordon or someone to replace him, someone to replace Gronk, and someone to replace Danny Amendola and move the likes of Dorsett and Hogan down in the depth chart. We really, really, REALLY missed that reliable 3rd option this year. We need someone to nail down that Danny Amendola role, and Hogan isn't cutting it.

We may wind up almost completely overhauling the receiving corps this year. Only Edelman is really safe right now.

 

[Dragda]

Addiction requires taking personal responsibility for your recovery to overcome it. The team will know how well he is doing by training camp, if reports are correct that he can be reinstated then.

Addiction kills. It’s no joke. I, my wife, and two of my kids went through addiction and now recovery. We have a rule in our family. You relapse, stay away. An active addict is a destructive force. We can’t have it in our homes. It seems extreme even to our other friends in recovery but addiction is a MF. If JG is truly in recovery let him play. If not, any gray area is a detriment to him and everyone around him.

 

[PatsFan2]

The Gordon option or demon is one thing I cannot see BB exercising in the coming season. Based on experience I expect them to pass too many options available with FA and the Draft. I am sure they can Draft a guy with Gordon-like Talent potentially. Getting Gordon was a desperation move that could have handcuffed us thank goodness we were playing the inexperienced Rams.

 

[pctronics0072]

I'd bring him back. It's not like we have much talent at WR. He's clearly much better than Hogan and Dorsett. You can't count on him, but he might be able to help win a game or two. If he makes it to the playoffs, consider that a bonus.

I initially thought the same thing. Another poster on here made an interesting argument against it though.

The NE offense is complex and game-plan specific and in order to have any chance of picking it up, a skill player needs practice snaps. Gordon would be taking snaps in practice away from someone and a game plan would be developed that maximizes his talents. Therefore, if he was to be lost in the middle of the season due to drug related suspension, that is a wasted opportunity.

Obviously, the counterpoint to this is that the same could happen to any player due to injury, season ending or otherwise. I guess a valid argument against this would be that injuries can not be predicted, but Gordon using drugs can be??

Overall, I believe that Gordon should be retained for the short term and see if he gets reinstated. However, the draft/FA plan needs to proceed as if he were not on the roster. If he gets reinstated then there will be a decision to be made at the end of camp as to whether or not to retain his services. As the team will know the circumstances that led to his last relapse, this will also help them make that decision.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Rookie WRs tend to come in and play like dog ****... Gordon could give you productivity for 1 more year while you develop younger guys

As long as you don't commit long term money to him on a contract extension and have a contingency plan in place knowing that he could be unavailable at any moment, he's a net positive for the team over other roster bubble guys

Yeah, this is pretty much true. There is the rare rookie receiver who contributes right away--the Malcolm Mitchell type--but I'd hate to see the Pats bank on getting even that kind of production from a first year guy, let alone relying on him to be WR2 from day one. Doubly so if Gronk retires.

The Pats should definitely target WR in the draft, but I don't think that alone is enough. I'd love to see them go after Devin Funchess, who I think could be a great fit here, but the money will probably be too much, and that's the rub. There aren't a lot of good FA WRs, certainly no one so good that you'd confidently pass on giving Gordon a shot and hoping for a longshot epiphany on his end that leads to real progress in his addiction recovery.

 

[BradyFTW!]

I initially thought the same thing. Another poster on here made an interesting argument against it though.

The NE offense is complex and game-plan specific and in order to have any chance of picking it up, a skill player needs practice snaps. Gordon would be taking snaps in practice away from someone and a game plan would be developed that maximizes his talents. Therefore, if he was to be lost in the middle of the season due to drug related suspension, that is a wasted opportunity.

Obviously, the counterpoint to this is that the same could happen to any player due to injury, season ending or otherwise. I guess a valid argument against this would be that injuries can not be predicted, but Gordon using drugs can be??

Overall, I believe that Gordon should be retained for the short term and see if he gets reinstated. However, the draft/FA plan needs to proceed as if he were not on the roster. If he gets reinstated then there will be a decision to be made at the end of camp as to whether or not to retain his services. As the team will know the circumstances that led to his last relapse, this will also help them make that decision.

It's an interesting point, but it could also go the other way - if you're reinventing your offense on a near-weekly basis anyway because that's what you do, that also kinda makes you uniquely able to adapt and move forward when you lose a guy like Gordon again. I also assume the practice snaps thing would be a known issue and that the Pats would ensure whoever has to step into his shoes was getting a lot of snaps.

 

[mosslost]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost...-a-patriots-super-bowl-ring-to-celebrate/amp/

I feel bad for Gordon, I’m just surprised how someone can beat the **** of their gfs and wives and get less of a suspension vs someone that just smoked weed.
This is a violent sport and players should have the ability to smoke during their off time.

Weed is way less riskier than Alcohol.
Someone smoking weed is less likely to assault someone.

The NBA lets their players do it during offseason and I think the NFL should follow suit.

With the above said I hope they reinstate him before training camp, and I hope BB gives him another opportunity because he will be cheap to retain.

he's fine. Just toss it up to him.

 

[Mack Herron]

 

[thecore762]

I hope things work out.
Bryant is pretty good too.

 

[TBR]

He's great value considering his talent. Sign him. At some point, you have to figure that he finally puts a season together. If that lightning strikes next year - look out.

 

[thecore762]

Great hands and he is like a mini Gronk.

 

[Simpelton]

With both eyes wide open to potential downsides, I do believe it's worth it. Gordon was fitting in well before his backslide. Maybe one more last chance is in order.

 

[Deus Irae]

We need talented players that have their head over their shoulders and Gordon just isn't that guy. He contributed greatly when he was here but I think Bill can find someone else to fill the void. Most fans in NE will never trust him again.

No offense to you, but little in this world means less to BB & Co. than whether or not Libra957 (or Deus Irae, or any random internet forum poster) trusts Josh Gordon on the Patriots.