Just one day after the Cleveland Browns selected former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel with the 22nd pick in the 2014 NFL draft, their offensive game plan for next season might need to be completely overhauled.
Citing sources, ESPN’s T.J. Quinn and Don Van Natta Jr. reported Friday that 23-year-old Browns receiver Josh Gordon faces a one-year suspension after testing positive for marijuana.
“That’s something you’re going to have to talk to (agent) Drew Rosenhaus about,” Gordon told ESPN . “I really don’t know anything about it.”
Gordon led the NFL last season with 1,646 receiving yards — 37.6 percent of the Browns’ total — and added nine touchdown catches. The rest of the Browns receivers combined for just 1,029 yards.
A 16-game suspension might not be the worst outcome for Gordon. Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer reports that he could be banned from the league entirely.
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Gordon’s latest troubles likely will impact Cleveland’s draft strategy in Round 2, which begins Friday night in New York. USC’s Marqise Lee and Penn State’s Allen Robinson are two of the most talented wide receivers still available.
UPDATE (7:54 p.m.): The Browns used their second-round pick on Nevada offensive tackle Joel Bitonio.
