How much will Josh Gordon develop this year? (1 Viewer)

[EBF]

On paper, Gordon is one of the most obvious candidates to take the next big step and become a true star in 2013. He had 805 yards on 96 targets last season, which is tremendous production for a rookie WR on a bad team. For the sake of comparison, Blackmon had 865 yards on 133 targets for Jacksonville. Gordon was much more effective overall and showed more of a knack for the big play.

Gordon has the right kind of frame to be a #1 target at 6'3" 224 and he showed great ability as a deep threat last season. My one concern with him is that he could end up being a one trick pony. Torrey Smith had a similar rookie year, but failed to progress as a second year player. If Gordon is going to join the elite ranks, I think he'll have to become effective as a possession target in addition to excelling on deep routes.

How do you like his chances for 2013? Will he have a true breakout season ala Demaryius Thomas or will he be stuck in Torrey Smith territory as a one-dimensional deep threat? He seems like one of the most compelling WR buy candidates, so I'm curious to hear some opinions, especially from Browns fans who watched him extensively last year.

 

[Banger]

He's being drafted at his floor. The guy essentially didn't play football for an entire year, had no training camp since he was a supp pick and then came in and had a rookie qb throwing to him. By all accounts he's incredibly raw but supremely talented. Couple that with the fact that there is usually one primary downfield threat in turners offense and the stars seem aligned for a very nice breakout.

I love him this year but I fear as the season gets closer and closer, hes going to have glowing camp reports that hes loking incredible and that his adp will continue to rise and reduce some of the great value he has now.

 

[Coeur de Lion]

I like Gordon from a talent perspective. But the situation in Cleveland is just brutal. Losing culture, run first system, garbage QB, crappy recycled coaching, revolving door upper management, etc. I have a hard time projecting greatness for any Browns' player until that franchise shows signs of not being the worst run in professional football.

 

[Banger]

I like Gordon from a talent perspective. But the situation in Cleveland is just brutal. Losing culture, run first system, garbage QB, crappy recycled coaching, revolving door upper management, etc. I have a hard time projecting greatness for any Browns' player until that franchise shows signs of not being the worst run in professional football.

You could say the same thing about chargers before LT or the bengals prior to AJ Green or a ton of players. Things change each an every year and teams that are bad end up good and vice versa. His adp now is in the mid 30s which is where he finished last year scoring wise. I think there are a number of factors that would indicate that he should be able to improve upon what he did last year.

 

[EBF]

Yea, how bad were the Lions when they drafted Calvin?

Situation is a factor, but elite players are so scarce that I'll take them wherever I can find them.

 

[Coeur de Lion]

I like Gordon from a talent perspective. But the situation in Cleveland is just brutal. Losing culture, run first system, garbage QB, crappy recycled coaching, revolving door upper management, etc. I have a hard time projecting greatness for any Browns' player until that franchise shows signs of not being the worst run in professional football.

You could say the same thing about chargers before LT or the bengals prior to AJ Green or a ton of players. Things change each an every year and teams that are bad end up good and vice versa. His adp now is in the mid 30s which is where he finished last year scoring wise. I think there are a number of factors that would indicate that he should be able to improve upon what he did last year.

Totally agree -- but the Browns sucking has been pretty consistent.That said I agree -- if I can get Gordon as a WR3 this year in redrafts, I'm on him like white on rice. I don't see a Demaryius Thomas like stud fantasy WR1 breakout this year though as the OP was asking.

 

[Drop]

I am confident that J Gordo will progress statistically mainly because of his hands. He can catch and he's so big and fast that he's usually open. He's a thoroughbred and the passing game should be built around him. Hopefully the drop against the Colts last season wasn't the unclutch ghost of Braylon Edwards showing up. If he starts wearing makeup like BrayBray sell immediately. Weeden was a terrible draft pick because he's old, and he's not that good, but he's not terrible at throwing a football so for now he should be good enough to continue the WR development in CLE like he did last year.

Torrey Smith is smaller and faster and I'm not putting down his hands, but they aren't like Gordon's. I would also like to add that despite Smith's stats staying the same from year 1 to 2 I did see a lot of improvement in his overall game and I wouldn't call him a one trick pony. His speed will always be his best asset, but he did improve his all around game in my eyes and you have to remember that he's only 6 feet tall.

 

[werdnoynek]

Gimme gimme. I'm all in for Gordon. I see elite all over him. He shined at times last year... that's after little to no football (any level) for a year plus. Young, huge potential, I got him when and were I could last season and I'm trying to get him now. Out of 4 leagues I have him in 3. I offered the 1.01 (devy league) this season and couldn't pull him from the current owner.

He has the tools, if he puts them together; look out. Situation be damned... he can transcend.

ETA: I see him as a top 15 dynasty WR with top 5 potential. Now.

 

[CentralPA]

Seems like a "don't believe the hype" type of player. I just don't like the offensive situation in Cleveland at all minus maybe Richardson. Gordon could end up being a nice WR3 but I just don't see the potential breakout that others see.

 

[King of the Jungle]

Seems like a "don't believe the hype" type of player. I just don't like the offensive situation in Cleveland at all minus maybe Richardson. Gordon could end up being a nice WR3 but I just don't see the potential breakout that others see.

I agree. I own Gordon and would love for him to take that next step however he will have to bust his tail to do so. He is extremely raw and I think although we will see more flashes of his potential this year I am not expecting a huge leap in production until year 3-4. And that will only occur if the quarterbacking in CLE can reach average to above-average.

 

[CentralPA]

Seems like a "don't believe the hype" type of player. I just don't like the offensive situation in Cleveland at all minus maybe Richardson. Gordon could end up being a nice WR3 but I just don't see the potential breakout that others see.

I agree. I own Gordon and would love for him to take that next step however he will have to bust his tail to do so. He is extremely raw and I think although we will see more flashes of his potential this year I am not expecting a huge leap in production until year 3-4. And that will only occur if the quarterbacking in CLE can reach average to above-average.

If he has good camp then the hype train will be chugging along at full steam. I just can't overlook the Brown's offense. Weeden does nothing for me. They'll be a run first team. Just seems like he's looking like a good WR3 or a very nice bench piece at this point.

 

[King of the Jungle]

The other issue is by draft day you will be paying for near his ceiling if you want him. I think in redraft Greg Little will be the better value and will make decent strides this season outperforming his ADP.

 

[CentralPA]

The other issue is by draft day you will be paying for near his ceiling if you want him. I think in redraft Greg Little will be the better value and will make decent strides this season outperforming his ADP.

If Little fixes his dropsie problems then that offense will start doing some damage in the passing game and Gordon becomes more viable. But I don't think it'll happen.

 

[MAC_32]

I like Gordon from a talent perspective. But the situation in Cleveland is just brutal. Losing culture, run first system, garbage QB, crappy recycled coaching, revolving door upper management, etc. I have a hard time projecting greatness for any Browns' player until that franchise shows signs of not being the worst run in professional football.

You could say the same thing about chargers before LT or the bengals prior to AJ Green or a ton of players. Things change each an every year and teams that are bad end up good and vice versa. His adp now is in the mid 30s which is where he finished last year scoring wise. I think there are a number of factors that would indicate that he should be able to improve upon what he did last year.

Totally agree -- but the Browns sucking has been pretty consistent.That said I agree -- if I can get Gordon as a WR3 this year in redrafts, I'm on him like white on rice. I don't see a Demaryius Thomas like stud fantasy WR1 breakout this year though as the OP was asking.

You will be able to get him as a WR3. No reason to expect any less than last year, and he has the profile of a potential elite WR. Almost certainly won't happen this year, but progress? Absolutely. Not being priced like that now and even with his price adjusting over the next 3 months I'd be surprised if he's drafted as a top 25 WR come August.

 

[Coeur de Lion]

I like Gordon from a talent perspective. But the situation in Cleveland is just brutal. Losing culture, run first system, garbage QB, crappy recycled coaching, revolving door upper management, etc. I have a hard time projecting greatness for any Browns' player until that franchise shows signs of not being the worst run in professional football.

You could say the same thing about chargers before LT or the bengals prior to AJ Green or a ton of players. Things change each an every year and teams that are bad end up good and vice versa. His adp now is in the mid 30s which is where he finished last year scoring wise. I think there are a number of factors that would indicate that he should be able to improve upon what he did last year.

Totally agree -- but the Browns sucking has been pretty consistent.That said I agree -- if I can get Gordon as a WR3 this year in redrafts, I'm on him like white on rice. I don't see a Demaryius Thomas like stud fantasy WR1 breakout this year though as the OP was asking.

You will be able to get him as a WR3. No reason to expect any less than last year, and he has the profile of a potential elite WR. Almost certainly won't happen this year, but progress? Absolutely. Not being priced like that now and even with his price adjusting over the next 3 months I'd be surprised if he's drafted as a top 25 WR come August.

We'll see. I'll be drafting him certainly if he ends up valued that way. To me, he feels like one of the guys whose (rightfully) higher dynasty value moves him up redraft boards too much.

 

[Beerguzzler]

Norv's offense is pretty complex. It's going to depend on him being able to pick it up and run the correct routes. Meachum had a significant problem doing that last season. The upside is that it is a big play, downfield throwing O. He has that ability to stretch the field. Now will Weeden be able to get him the ball?

 

[Donnybrook]

Josh Gordon: Cleveland Browns' air show will shock NFL

The Cleveland Browns were a slow-motion car wreck on offense last season, but new coach Rob Chudzinski has promised to flip the script with a wide-open passing game.

Second-year receiver Josh Gordon has already seen a difference.

"Defenses will be shocked to say the least with how much we're running downfield," Gordon said, per the Akron Beacon Journal. "I've never ran this much as a wide receiver ever in my life, and that's a good thing. And not just me, everyone from the slot guys to running backs, everyone's got passing plays in the system."

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

So, it looks like rankings, where Gordon is around 40 give or take some (is that right?), are based on overall season yardage/points totals.

But if you look at it as a per game average, it's more like he's a 15-25 overall WR.

Does this seem about right?

Would you consider him the same as a 1000 yard class WR at this point?

That third preseason game did not exactly instill confidence.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Great talent, but I don't like his prospects long-term. He's going to be tested a ton for the foreseeable future and based on the last few years there's really no reason to think he'll pass all of them.

 

[MAC_32]

He's still not doing the little things, i.e. could have broken up an INT last night but didn't put up a fight once realizing he couldn't catch the ball.

 

[Tackling Dummies]

Great talent, but I don't like his prospects long-term. He's going to be tested a ton for the foreseeable future and based on the last few years there's really no reason to think he'll pass all of them.

Yep, a knucklehead tolerance is needed, but you are most likely rostering him at a discount, so hang on and hope.

 

[Banger]

He's definitely a knucklehead and a risk in dynasty long term but I really love his prospects this year and the price couldn't be much better. He's being drafted likely below his floor....essentially no risk and all upside with a high potential ceiling. Guys like him are how you win leagues because when they hit you can trade the #1/2 wr you drafted to improve at other spots.

 

[LOCO]

i am ALL in on him. I have literally in all 5 leagues. In some he dropped, some I reached. I truly believe he will play like a top 24 WR starting week 3 and he comes with upside.

 

[Banger]

i am ALL in on him. I have literally in all 5 leagues. In some he dropped, some I reached. I truly believe he will play like a top 24 WR starting week 3 and he comes with upside.

I think it's a perfect storm of the suspension and the fact he plays for the Browns.

 

[Tackling Dummies]

i am ALL in on him. I have literally in all 5 leagues. In some he dropped, some I reached. I truly believe he will play like a top 24 WR starting week 3 and he comes with upside.

I think it's a perfect storm of the suspension and the fact he plays for the Browns.

Thread/

 

[oswizzle]

With Cannabis becoming Legal everywhere...this should be good news for Gordon

 

[RBM]

With Cannabis becoming Legal everywhere...this should be good news for Gordon

Good news? It ain't becoming legal in the NFL.

 

[DeaLerZ]

With Cannabis becoming Legal everywhere...this should be good news for Gordon

Good news? It ain't becoming legal in the NFL.

Ricky Williams might come out of retirement

 

[bulger2holt]

Looks like I really reached for him. Took him early in rd 7 in a 12 team ppr. Oh well. I liked him more than anybody left on the board and needed a WR 4 at the time badly.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

i am ALL in on him. I have literally in all 5 leagues. In some he dropped, some I reached. I truly believe he will play like a top 24 WR starting week 3 and he comes with upside.

I think it's a perfect storm of the suspension and the fact he plays for the Browns.

Two ways to look at this.

Perfect storm for him to slide in drafts.

Perfect storm for him to run into trouble again and fall into the Browns' offensive miasma they've been in the last few years.

He seems to be going where he should be. Even if he averages out to 1000 yards (over 14 games) are the 2 games of 0 still worth it?

7th too early?

Or is 9th/10th more like it?

 

[Craig_MiamiFL]

Won't pay his price in a PPR dynasty, but wouldn't mind the 8-9-10th redraft price tag.

Not the biggest of fans of him in PPR, but anywhere I can get him as a WR4 type (and not depending on him as a starter) I'll grab.

 

[JamesTheScot]

On paper, Gordon is one of the most obvious candidates to take the next big step and become a true star in 2013. He had 805 yards on 96 targets last season, which is tremendous production for a rookie WR on a bad team. For the sake of comparison, Blackmon had 865 yards on 133 targets for Jacksonville. Gordon was much more effective overall and showed more of a knack for the big play.

Gordon has the right kind of frame to be a #1 target at 6'3" 224 and he showed great ability as a deep threat last season. My one concern with him is that he could end up being a one trick pony. Torrey Smith had a similar rookie year, but failed to progress as a second year player. If Gordon is going to join the elite ranks, I think he'll have to become effective as a possession target in addition to excelling on deep routes.

How do you like his chances for 2013? Will he have a true breakout season ala Demaryius Thomas or will he be stuck in Torrey Smith territory as a one-dimensional deep threat? He seems like one of the most compelling WR buy candidates, so I'm curious to hear some opinions, especially from Browns fans who watched him extensively last year.

I don't see the T.Smith comparison at all. And while I'm not all into the BMI thing like you are, I do think it's the physical attributes that make the difference. Gordon has the length and weight to make contested possession type plays.

There's a mentality that must accompany that physical capability. There are plenty of good sized receivers who play softer and smaller than their capability. It's one of my concerns about A.Dobson. But I haven't seen that weakness in Gordon. Now, I can't say he's shown me an overly aggressive "my ball" mentality either, so it's a push bet for me.

With what we have seen from him, coupled with the obvious physical talent and capability, and considering his rawness and youth, I think the smart bet is to believe it's more likely to be there than not and snatch him up. While he isn't dirt cheap, I think you swing for upside in that part of the draft.

 

[leave a whisper]

took him as my WR3 a couple weeks ago @ #74 overall (needed/wanted a WR & it was him or Tav.Austin)

....i have no clue what to expect

 

[JamesTheScot]

i am ALL in on him. I have literally in all 5 leagues. In some he dropped, some I reached. I truly believe he will play like a top 24 WR starting week 3 and he comes with upside.

I think it's a perfect storm of the suspension and the fact he plays for the Browns.

Two ways to look at this.

Perfect storm for him to slide in drafts.

Perfect storm for him to run into trouble again and fall into the Browns' offensive miasma they've been in the last few years.

He seems to be going where he should be. Even if he averages out to 1000 yards (over 14 games) are the 2 games of 0 still worth it?

7th too early?

Or is 9th/10th more like it?

Agreed in that he sits on a knife edge right now.

Both the "grab" and "pass" positions are reasonable given his off the field concerns.

I'm a bit less risk averse once I get out of the starter territory on my roster so I tend to grab rather than pass when I think real talent is involved. I figure the remorse over him tanking on my roster is less than the remorse would be in seeing him explode on someone else's roster.

 

[bumpman]

I watched his highlights from last year and it looked like many of his catches were short and intermediate across the middle. In fact, his toughness going across the middle was notable to me. I think they were using him as more than a deep threat. Perhaps, because it has been decades since the Browns have had a consistent deep threat, that is the aspect of Gordon that sticks out.

 

[Eph]

He's coming back in Week 3, right? I wonder how many waiver wires he's on.

 

[Ketamine Dreams]

CBS says owned in 95% of leagues

 

[Eph]

Yahoo says 67% owned. That's quite a difference.

 

[bmsarvis]

Should be owned in all leagues. Looks like browns will be passing a lot. Probly top 8 in pass attempts albeit probly top 5 in int's too lol