Well, another round of playoff games are over and the NFL is down to its final four teams. Sadly, the Eagles are not one of the teams that will be vying for a Super Bowl birth this weekend. However, as we’ve all come to learn, the NFL season doesn’t stop when your team is eliminated from the playoffs. Eagles fans want a whole new secondary, we want Marcus Mariotta, we want an edge rusher, we want a lot!
Over the past week or so, multiple rumors have surfaced about the Eagles making a play for Cleveland Browns Wide Receiver Josh Gordon. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Gordon, he’s a wildly gifted receiver who has had various issues off the field dating all the way back to his college days at Baylor University. He went from the NFL’s leading receiver in 2013, despite only playing 14 games due to a drug suspension. This year he missed almost all of the 2014 NFL season due to yet another drug suspension. Gordon was allowed to come back and play after week 10 of the season and caught 24 balls for 303 yards in 5 games and was suspended the final game due to missing a team walkthrough before their regular season finale. The question marks surround Josh Gordon like he’s the riddler, but the one thing that’s certain, the man has the ability to be a top flight receiver in the NFL.
3 Reasons Why This Works:
1. Chip Kelly is a smart guy.
I think he learns from his mistakes. He won’t openly say it and admit it, but I believe that he knows he made a mistake releasing DeSean Jackson (from a production standpoint). He’s no longer at Oregon, he doesn’t have another 5 star recruit and/or All-American ready to “plug and play”. He needs to replace Jackson’s explosive big play ability, and Gordon can do that. In 2013 he averaged almost 19 yards per catch and over 115 yards per game.
2. Josh Gordon needs to be babysat.
I’m not saying the Eagles babysit their players, but they come about as close to it as possible. Chip Kelly wants them eating right, working out right, sleeping 10 hours a night, etc. Josh Gordon needs to be on a strict and regimented schedule to keep himself focused off the field. If Gordon takes care of his body from a nutritional, physical, and mental standpoint, he’s easily a top 10 wide receiver in the NFL.
3. The money and the situation.
The Eagles, or anyone for that matter, are not going to make a long term commitment to the troubled wide receiver. Gordon is most likely going to have to sign anywhere from a 1 to 3 year deal that will be heavily based on incentives, leave the team plenty of out clauses, and won’t involve a lot of guaranteed money. If you’re a 23 year old stud wide receiver that wants to prove his worth and really cash in on his undeniable talent, what better place to go then Philadelphia with Chip Kelly’s explosive offense where receivers have put up career highs for two years in a row?
Who knows what direction the Eagles will in the offseason. There are plenty of red flags surrounding Josh Gordon, but in my opinion the reward outweighs the risk. Once upon a time, the Eagles let a player by the name of Cris Carter go because he had lost his way and needed a change of scenery. Carter went on to have an Hall of Fame career and thanks Buddy Ryan often for saving not only his career, but his life. Carter, like Gordon, had a substance abuse problem and wasn’t able to get straightened out until he left the Eagles. Maybe this is a little bit of karma coming full circle for the city of Philadelphia. I can hope can’t I?
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