Getty FA Josh Gordon
We recently tossed out the thought of the New York Giants potentially giving free-agent Josh Gordon a look as he eyes a return to the gridiron. Namely due to his connections with the team’s coaching staff. More specifically, head coach Joe Judge.
A few days later, and that idea has gained some serious traction around NFL circles. In fact, Big Blue has since catapulted themselves into the top-tier of many experts’ best suitors list for the uber-talent playmaker.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports even went as far as to name New York among the top-5 potential landing spots for the big-bodied wideout, who filed for reinstatement last week.
New coach Joe Judge carries a no-nonsense attitude, but he was part of the Patriots team that welcomed Gordon to town in 2018. Fellow Giants staffers Jerry Schuplinski and Brett Bielema, a former Bill Belichick consultant, also witnessed Gordon’s brief revival in New England. More importantly, the Giants could stand to improve their depth behind Golden Tate, Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton, especially with Daniel Jones entering a critical Year Two.
Would the G-Men want to invite Gordon and his history of availability issues to the New York market? Maybe not. But from a football perspective, the idea of adding another big body to that offense has merit.
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Is Gordon Actually a Fit With Giants?
The Giants will remain a trendy destination for Gordon all offseason, that is until/if he signs elsewhere. There are simply too many dots that connect the former All-Pro to New York for the potential marriage not to pique people’s interest, from former coaches to perceived need.
Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate, two of the G-Men’s top three wideouts, both fail to crack 5-foot-11-inches on the measuring stick. Rising star Darius Slayton, while listed at 6-foot-1-inch, is more of a burner than a physical presence on the outside. At 6-foot-3-inches and nearly 230-pounds, Gordon would present New York’s offense with the type of big-bodied receiver that Giants fans have been clamoring for.
As Benjamin noted above, Judge was part of the Patriots staff that took a chance on Gordon a few years back. He’s also the same guy that served as Gordon’s position coach in 2019, prior to the wideout suffering a knee injury that would land him on IR and eventually lead to his release.
During his time under the watchful eye of Judge, Gordon enjoyed the best production he’s seen since his All-Pro campaign way back in 2013. He played a total of 17 games during his New England tenure, hauling in 60 receptions for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns.
Gordon has clearly lost a step from his early days in Cleveland, but he’s still a serviceable contributor when on the field. A scenario that he will likely find much easier moving forward with the new bargaining agreement not suspending players for failed marijuana tests.
Still, with Big Blue’s top-three wideouts essentially locked-in for 2019, it would be hard to envision a scenario where New York brings in a 29-year-old wideout as their WR4, with no added special teams value, even while likely carrying a cheap price tag.