FOXBORO, Mass. — Breaking news: The New England Patriots acquired Josh Gordon in a trade with the Cleveland Browns.
Of course, we knew that Monday afternoon, but Patriots head coach Bill Belichick finally addressed the acquisition in a news conference Friday morning. That came after days of Belichick saying the trade hadn’t yet been finalized.
Belichick even said more than was expected about his new star receiver.
“Well, since the last time we met, we officially added Josh and Cyrus (Jones) to the roster. So, it’s good to get them here,” Belichick said. “I’d say really in both cases, those two guys have done about as much as they can do in the few days they’ve been here, or been back in Cyrus’ case. We’ll see how it goes, but I think Josh is a smart kid. He’s worked hard. He’s picked up a lot. Cyrus has gotten back into things quickly, so we’ll see how it goes.”
It’s certainly a good sign that Belichick is saying Gordon has “picked up a lot” since he was acquired. The Patriots’ offense is famously hard to learn, and Gordon reportedly is expected to play Sunday against the Detroit Lions.
Gordon has been suspended for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy multiple times since coming into the league in 2012. When asked about how the Patriots would monitor Gordon, Belichick said he wouldn’t discuss a player’s injury or personal situations.
Gordon caught seven passes for 151 yards with an 80-yard touchdown against the Patriots in 2013Â while still a member of the Browns. Belichick was asked about that play Friday morning.
“It was a chance to see him first-hand,” Belichick said. “It was an impressive play.”
The Patriots sent a fifth-round pick to the Browns for Gordon and a seventh-round selection. Gordon hasn’t been dependable through six years in the NFL, but acquiring a player of his talent level is worth the risk to move back two rounds at the bottom of the NFL Draft.
As Belichick says, “we’ll see how it goes.”
