Patriots: Revisiting the Josh Gordon trade and what could have been

Remember when the Patriots nearly blew up the NFL by trading for Josh Gordon?

Josh Gordon‘s impact on the New England Patriots was short-lived, but the hype that surrounded the organization when he was acquired from the Cleveland Browns (along with a seventh-round pick) for a 2019 fifth-rounder was electrifying.

Tom Brady throwing to one of the most physically-gifted players we’ve ever seen? If drug use hadn’t derailed Gordon’s career, who knows how good he could have been, especially if he was able to re-discover himself with the Pats.

The breakdown here is simple. The Browns used that fifth-round pick to draft their current kicker, Austin Seibert, and Bill Belichick did what he normally does and traded that seventh-rounder to create more picks, ultimately selecting Maryland DL Byron Cowart and Stanford punter Jake Bailey.

Gordon appeared in 17 games for the Patriots over the course of the 2018 and 2019 seasons, logging 60 receptions for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns while very much not being a top option in the offense. Remember, Julian Edelman was still the team’s top pass-catcher and the Pats ran the ball a TON in 2018.

Then came 2019, when the Patriots decided to waive Gordon with an IR designation due to a minor knee injury. Apparently, Belichick knew some bad news was coming, and Gordon was later indefinitely suspended this past December for violating the NFL’s policies on performance-enhancing substances and substances of abuse. This came a year after he decided to “step away from football to focus on his mental health” late in the 2018 season.

The Pats cruised through the playoffs and won the Super Bowl without him.

If Gordon was able to shake his demons and continue on a positive trajectory with the Patriots, who knows what happens in 2019. Maybe the offense doesn’t completely fall off a cliff and the team manages to secure a first-round bye. Maybe Tom Brady doesn’t leave in free agency because he has another reliable weapon to throw to. Maybe Gronk doesn’t retire.

We know it’s a bit far-fetched, but Gordon could’ve played a role in keeping the dynasty alive if he buckled down and became a focal point of the Patriots offense. This is a guy who led the NFL in receiving in his second year in the NFL, recording 1,646 yards in just 14 games back in 2013! He was an All-Pro and Pro Bowler that year, and never again.

Damn.

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