The Cleveland Browns have lost Josh Gordon for the season and after his suspension was upheld and now Jordan Cameron, Nate Burleson, Miles Austin, Andrew Hawkins and Travis Benjamin will step up and could be solid fantasy football options and starters for the Browns, as they now need some WRs to make an impact after the leading receiver in the NFL will be out for 1-year for failing a drug test.
According to ESPN.com, the NFL decided to uphold the suspension, knocking Gordon out for the year and that is a major hit for the Browns. The team signed Andrew Hawkins, Nate Burleson and Miles Austin to make up for the loss of Gordon and now those players will need to step up. The NFL played out the situation as everyone expected and while they can protect themselves by saying the drug policy was collectively bargained, the hypocrisy of this league is disgusting, especially when compared to the Ray Rice situation.
The Browns knew that Gordon likely will miss time and that has allowed some fantasy owners to grab him late in drafts. In keeper leagues Gordon should be a higher pick even with the suspension coming, as he was fantastic last season despite playing with two subpar QBs in Brian Hoyer and Brandon Weeden. Now it looks like unless you were in a keeper league, it was a waste of a pick.
Last season he led the league with 1,646 yards and he also had nine touchdowns and 87 receptions and that actually came in just 14 games. Not the typical sleeper, but if everyone lets him go, don't be afraid to take him. UPDATE: yeah, Gordon has his suspension upheld. Damn, took him in multiple leagues, but one is a keeper!
Trades don't usually go down this late in the offseason, but Gordon is a different type of situation and he will be a major loss if he is out for the season. The Browns went 4-12 last season and now have Mike Pettine as their new head coach and they come in after signing Ben Tate to help their rushing game, which ranked 27th in the league last season with just 86 yards per game. Gordon has the potential to be a superstar with the numbers he put up last year and the Browns envision him catching passes from Manziel in the future. Losing Gordon for the season would be a massive blow for the Browns as they try and make some headway in the AFC North division with the Ravens, Steelers and Bengals.
The Cleveland Browns would be a logical destination for teams looking to trade any WRs, as the team has lost Josh Gordon for the year to a suspension, but the team may not want to give up draft picks or take on salary. This late in the summer trades do not usually go down and the team may have to make a move after Gordon was the leading receiver in the NFL last year and now they have Brian Hoyer coming in and he will be down a major weapon.