Reactions have poured in about the New England Patriots’ decision to trade for former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, but there hasn’t been one quite like this. While most Patriots fans are excited, or at the very least intrigued by what Gordon may bring to the table, NFL analyst Peter King is not one of those people.
Instead, King joined Dale & Keefe on WEEI to address the move and basically ripped into the 27-year-old wideout. Per Ryan Hannable of WEEI:
Peter King on @DaleKeefeWEEI: “The Patriots are a proud franchise, and I realize what I am saying is a little bit of idealistic crapola, but the Patriots should not be in business with Josh Gordon. He is not worthy of this franchise.”
King pulled no punches here when putting his feelings on the table. While there is obviously a known history about Gordon’s off-field issues, it’s an opportunity for a clean start with him. Even beyond that, Bill Belichick and company obviously believe the risk is worth the reward.
Josh Gordon’s Fit With Patriots
The thought of Tom Brady throwing long touchdowns to Gordon is surely appearing in dreams of fans at this point, but we should temper expectations right out of the gate. It’s tough to gauge how far along Gordon is in terms of learning the playbook and building a rapport with his new quarterback.
With that said, if Gordon can stay out of trouble and focus on football, this is a home run deal. There’s certainly risk involved, but as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport revealed Thursday, the Patriots only gave up fifth and seventh-round draft picks for the explosive wideout.
It’s a small price to pay, especially when considering his upside. Gordon caught 87 passes for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns in just 14 games during the 2013 season but unfortunately couldn’t stay on the field. If the Patriots can get production even remotely close to any of those numbers, it’s going to open up a lot for this offense.
Not only will Brady’s job get easier, but the likes of Rob Gronkowski, Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett and Julian Edelman (when back from suspension) will all have a lot more space to work with.
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Peter King Says Josh Gordon Is ‘Not Worthy’ of the Patriots