The Cleveland Browns are anticipating the return of Josh Gordon in Week 12 which has their surprisingly strong season looking even better. The Browns have continued to remain competitive this season thanks to strong play by Brian Hoyer and a running back tandem that has three solid sets of legs. Now, their leading wide receiver is expected back which could be the added boost needed for the postseason. However, general manager Ray Farmer denies Gordon will be handed the keys to the car right away.
The Browns' offense is functioning well at the moment. The team is benefitting from having an elite tight end in Jordan Cameron along with Miles Austin and Taylor Gabriel. For that reason, Farmer is hesitant to just immediately begin throwing every pass to Gordon when he makes his way back to the field. The team intends to evaluate Gordon's physical and mental state while making him earn a starting spot on the offense.
"What's a big opportunity?" Farmer said, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Do you disrupt what you do offensively just to make sure that you throw the ball to Josh Gordon? I don't know if that's really the right way to operate. Is he a phenomenal talent? Sure I'd tell you that he is a talented young man and he can do a lot of good things. But do you kind of disrupt what you are to just make sure that one person gets the ball? I think that teams win. Talent doesn't. It's really about building a team and people have to find a way to fit into the team and I think that's what we're looking for here is a championship level team."
The Browns have a real chance at making the playoffs and Gordon's return will be a big factor in that happening. Some might say the fact that Gordon was one of the best wide receivers in the league last year despite missing two games is enough of a reason to start him immediately, but Farmer is being cautious considering the chemistry that has already been built up.
''So there's no slight on Josh," Farmer said. "There's no intimation that I said that he was suspect or he wasn't doing anything that he was asked to do. This is more of everybody that comes through our football team, it's not based on talent, it's based upon can you fit into what we're going to do short and long term."
The Browns must work out a solid starting rotation with their wide receivers along with their running backs for the second half of the season. Ben Tate, Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West have all proven to be extremely talented backs that can carry the Browns offense, so who gets the start? The Cleveland Plain Dealer speculates that rookie West might be getting the nod for Week 10 over the veteran Tate. Fantasy owners take notice.