Patriots Officially Acquire Josh Gordon From Browns
The New England Patriots have officially acquired wide receiver Josh Gordon from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a conditional fifth-round draft pick in 2019, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Trade now agreed to: Patriots are sending Cleveland a 5th-round pick and if Gordon isn't active for 10 games, Patriots get back a late-round pick from Browns, sources tell ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 17, 2018
As @rapsheet reported, Patriots were closing in on trade for Gordon.
Trade now official.
As part of the condition, the 27-year-old Gordon reportedly must appear in at least 10 of New England’s 14 remaining games. If that is not the case, Schefter reports that the Patriots will get a 2019 seventh-round pick from Cleveland.
The Patriots emerged as both the betting favorites and real-world favorites for the 6-foot-3 Gordon early Monday, and struck a deal after the Browns announced they were done with the ultra-talented wideout — be it by trade or release — on Saturday.
Although they’ve been as supportive as a franchise can be throughout Gordon’s tenure in The Land, head coach Hue Jackson and the Browns’ frustrations with Gordon ultimately came to a head when Gordon was late to the facility on Saturday and with a reported hamstring injury Gordon sustained away from the football field.
Active for Cleveland’s Week 1 tie against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Gordon caught one of his three targets for a 17-yard touchdown. Reinstated after two seasons away from football late last season, Gordon finished the 2017 season with 18 catches for 335 yards and a touchdown. A 2012 second-round pick, Gordon’s best year undoubtedly came in 2013, when he set career-best marks across the board with 87 catches, 1,646 yards through the air, and nine touchdown grabs.
Schefter reports that Gordon’s hamstring injury will not be enough to keep him out of action this Sunday, while Field Yates reports that recently-signed wideout Corey Coleman has been cut off the Patriots’ 53-man roster to make room for Gordon.
