Getty Could Josh Gordon be on his way to the Oakland Raiders?
Josh Gordon won’t be sidelined for too long with his knee injury.
After re-aggravating his knee injury during a Week 6 win over the New York Giants, the New England Patriots wide receiver is due to return in one-to-two weeks according to ESPN’s Josina Anderson — which means he will be released by the Patriots once that happens.
Sources close to WR Josh Gordon feel Gordon will be ready in 1 to 2 weeks, and at that time expect Gordon will be waived off the #Patriots.
As the team’s No. 1 wide receiver this season, the 28-year-old veteran caught 20 passes for 287 yards and a touchdown.
Gordon, who has dealt with off-the-field troubles throughout his NFL career, had been drama free during the 2019 season. However, this knee injury obviously spelled the end of his Patriots tenure — something that wasn’t his fault — and he’ll immediately be scooped up by another NFL team once he’s released.
Could Raiders Sign Josh Gordon?
As far as other NFL teams are concerned, the Oakland Raiders would fit the bill of a team that should be in the running for Gordon’s services.
Oakland desperately lacks a true go-top option at wide receiver, with the Raiders relying heavily upon tight end Darren Waller and Tyrell Williams — a No. 2 receiver throughout his career — as their top receiving options.
At 3-3, the Raiders want to take that next step into cementing themselves as a playoff contender. With Patrick Mahomes’ injury in Kansas City, the door has opened up for the Raiders to cement positioning in the AFC West.
Jon Gruden Acknowledges Raiders’ Need at Wide Receiver
Head coach Jon Gruden acknowledged leading into the team’s Week 8 tilt against the Houston Texans that they’ll likely continue to tweak their receiver personnel — meaning they should be active heading into the trade deadline on Oct. 29.
Via Josh Schrock of NBC Sports:
“I think so,” Gruden said Friday when asked if Williams would be able to go Sunday in Houston against the Texans. “We got a good look at Tyrell this week — he’s got a chance. And Zay Jones is getting better. So, we might make more changes at wide receiver. We’re good at that.”
Gruden acknowledged that it’s been tough to get the job done with just four wide receivers for most of the season — including the recently-acquired Zay Jones.
“You know the tough part for us is we’ve only been dressing four wide receivers — I don’t know if anyone has noticed that,” Gruden said. “So, the fourth guy has to be able to play multiple positions as a backup. In fairness to Zay, it’s hard to learn one position in a week, let alone three. He has really done a great job, I can’t tell you how happy I am with him and [receivers coach] Edgar Bennett and all these young receivers for coming in here and getting ready to play on short notice.”
The Raiders have recently been linked with the New York Jets‘ Robby Anderson, who is reportedly on the trade block.
While Anderson would certainly be a solid acquisition — he had 63 receptions for 941 yards and seven touchdowns just two seasons ago — Oakland would have to give up draft capital for the young wideout.
In the case of Gordon, they could simply sign him. And let’s be real here — Gordon is a more dynamic receiver than Anderson.
If the Raiders want to save their season, upgrading at wide receiver — which means signing Gordon — is a must.
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Patriots’ Josh Gordon Injury Update: When Can Raiders Sign Wide Receiver?