Cleveland Browns pick Josh Gordon

I know it's now been a few days since this actually happened but just wondered what peoples thoughts were on the move by Cleveland taking WR Josh Gordon in the second round of the Supplemental Draft.

I know very little about him, but a few people have said that he has all the physical tools to be a number 1 receiver, but is very unpolished, especially route running etc. Not sure why he was in the supplemental draft, but don't you think a 2nd round pick is quite high for someone like this? I reckon a decent veteran receiver could have been had for a 2nd rounder.

He may well come good, but at the moment a high pick puts a bit of pressure on him to perform early, especially when there is a decent chance that the Browns will be picking in the top half of the draft again next year

Not really sure how this supplemental draft works. I understand it takes away the Browns second round pick from next year, but what decided that Gordon was worth a second round pick? Does it work as a normal draft, but teams decide to pass up on their picks?

Dominic Dicoco wrote:Not really sure how this supplemental draft works. I understand it takes away the Browns second round pick from next year, but what decided that Gordon was worth a second round pick? Does it work as a normal draft, but teams decide to pass up on their picks?

Teams basically place a bid if they wish to get any of the players in the sup draft (normally not more than a few players tops, and often players are there as a result of off the field issues, like getting kicked out of college) and the team that places the highest bid for a player gets them in exchanged for that pick in next year's draft. If two teams make an equal bid (same round) then its decided in some other way (I can't recall excatly how, but probably somewhere along the line of strength of schedule).

thunder and lightning wrote:
Teams basically place a bid if they wish to get any of the players in the sup draft (normally not more than a few players tops, and often players are there as a result of off the field issues, like getting kicked out of college) and the team that places the highest bid for a player gets them in exchanged for that pick in next year's draft. If two teams make an equal bid (same round) then its decided in some other way (I can't recall excatly how, but probably somewhere along the line of strength of schedule).

Thanks for that. I'd never heard of it before this pick was announced. A second round pick does seem quite high though.

bambamwillis wrote:I know very little about him, but a few people have said that he has all the physical tools to be a number 1 receiver, but is very unpolished, especially route running etc. Not sure why he was in the supplemental draft, but don't you think a 2nd round pick is quite high for someone like this? I reckon a decent veteran receiver could have been had for a 2nd rounder.

He may well come good, but at the moment a high pick puts a bit of pressure on him to perform early, especially when there is a decent chance that the Browns will be picking in the top half of the draft again next year

He was in the supplemental draft as he got kicked off the Baylor team for smoking marijuana, has then spent this year not playing as he transferred to Utah but decided to declare for the supplemental draft instead of playing for Utah next year.

The only reason I think there will be pressure on him is due to the fact that Greg Little did so well in his rookie year after being taken in the second round and having not played football for a year. I think overall though fans still know that this guy hasn't played football properly for a year and as hopefully Little will get better, Massaquoi will stay fit and Benjamin will have an impact meaning we don't have to rely on Gordon to come in and put up a 1,000 yard season. We could have an exciting WR group for the future but they do all need a bit of work so Weeden will have a tough time in his first couple of seasons (if not all of them).

Looks like he failed drug tests 2 other times. If he can't lay off smoking weed when there are potential millions of dollars at stake for him, teams are understandably cautious about his level of maturity and commitment. If he can get his act together, he could be a real steal.

thunder and lightning wrote:
Teams basically place a bid if they wish to get any of the players in the sup draft (normally not more than a few players tops, and often players are there as a result of off the field issues, like getting kicked out of college) and the team that places the highest bid for a player gets them in exchanged for that pick in next year's draft. If two teams make an equal bid (same round) then its decided in some other way (I can't recall excatly how, but probably somewhere along the line of strength of schedule).

The other way, broadly speaking, is the draft order excluding trades from the most recent NFL draft. There is an extra complication involving some kind of weighted lottery if teams very close in draft order to one another both bid the same round for a supplemental player.

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With regards to Gordon he has the physique to make it as a receiver. His stats however are threadbare at Baylor... its one season (2010 - hasn't played since as noted in a couple of the above points due to drugs and NCAA transfer rules), 42 catches, 714 yards including one catch for 94 yards.
Given that Cleveland's position at the top of round 2 (their effective supplemental bid) you are rating him better than Alshon Jeffrey... I'm sorry but that ain't true.

The Mangler US_UK wrote:Looks like he failed drug tests 2 other times. If he can't lay off smoking weed when there are potential millions of dollars at stake for him, teams are understandably cautious about his level of maturity and commitment. If he can get his act together, he could be a real steal.

Well hopefully when he's quoted as saying things like the fact he'll prove the Browns right for taking him etc. he means it and maybe with help from the franchise can get his personal life sorted, to help reach his full potential.

crazy_dave23 wrote:With regards to Gordon he has the physique to make it as a receiver. His stats however are threadbare at Baylor... its one season (2010 - hasn't played since as noted in a couple of the above points due to drugs and NCAA transfer rules), 42 catches, 714 yards including one catch for 94 yards.
Given that Cleveland's position at the top of round 2 (their effective supplemental bid) you are rating him better than Alshon Jeffrey... I'm sorry but that ain't true.

The likely to be early in the 2nd round pick does seem a gamble, and we have no way of knowing when he would have been taken by someone else, but there is part of me that thinks it's the sort of gamble we need to take in a division full of the leagues best defenses we do need to do something to improve offensively then again with Richardson, Weeden, Schwartz and Benjamin all coming in and likely to have a big part this year means we can't be sure if it was needed, plus we may have been able to get better next year. Still I have to hope it will turn out to be the right decision.

The Browns making a terrible decision isn't really newsworthy

GSC wrote:The Browns making a terrible decision isn't really newsworthy

Given how he did in his rookie year do you still consider it to be a terrible decision?