When the New England Patriots placed Josh Gordon on Injured Reserve on Wednesday, it appeared his 2019 season was over. However, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo, Gordon believes he’ll be ready to play again soon.
That means the next time Gordon takes the field, it’ll be for a new team. So which clubs should pursue the uber-talented wide receiver?
Considering Gordon’s checkered off-field history and multiple years of suspensions, he should be a highly coveted bargain on the open market. Let’s rank the top five teams who should be aggressively pursuing Gordon once the Patriots release him off IR.
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5. Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson is a legitimate MVP candidate despite having very few dependable receivers outside of Tyler Lockett. Seattle loves to pound the rock and take downfield shots, and few are as adept at ripping off big gains as Gordon.
Covering someone with Gordon’s size and speed is hard enough. Imagine what he could do in a Seahawks uniform when Wilson scrambles around to extend the play as he’s wont to do.
Seattle’s rookie second-round pick DK Metcalf has similar freakish athletic tools to Gordon but has been inconsistent in his maiden NFL season. Metcalf could stand to benefit from having another veteran mentor in the receiving room who resembles his skill set.
The complexity of New England’s offense is difficult for anyone to pick up. That Gordon was effective as he was in his limited time and role with the Patriots — which was broken up by his leave of absence toward the end of 2018 — speaks to his ability to grasp concepts.
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is known for having a loose locker room in terms of bringing in bigger personalities or players with prior baggage. He wouldn’t fear taking on the challenge of assimilating Gordon, especially due to the upside he presents.
There’s very little to lose here. It seems like no matter who’s around Wilson, he’s able to get it done. With a bye coming up in Week 11, Gordon could be eased into action the next few games if he’s healthy enough, and then really crack down on the playbook during the break.