Josh Gordon's days as a member of the Cleveland Browns are over, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reporting the embattled WR is expected to get dealt before 4 p.m. ET on Monday. And it appears they've found a suitor in the AFC East.
No, it isn't the Jets, but rather the Patriots that are reportedly close to a deal to land Gordon, Rapoport said. There has been no official word yet from either team.
Rapoport notes that a mid-round pick could get it done for Gordon, with Josina Anderson of ESPN listing the Jets and 49ers among the teams who have expressed interest in trading for him.
Gordon, 27, did not play in Cleveland's Week 2 loss to the Saints -- two days after GM John Dorsey announced that the team planned to release him.
"For the past six years, the Browns have fully supported and invested in Josh, both personally and professionally and wanted the best for him," Dorsey said in a statement. "But unfortunately we have reached a point where we feel it's best to part ways and move forward. We wish Josh well."
The last straw with the Browns for Gordon, according to Rapoport, was him being late to the team facility on Friday, and the question of how he injured his hamstring.
Gordon, who caught 50 passes for 805 yards and five touchdowns during his rookie season in 2012, exploded during the 2013 season, when he racked up 87 catches for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns.
He then missed the 2015 and 2016 seasons due to drug and alcohol-related suspensions, and played in only five games in 2017 -- catching 18 passes for 335 yards and one touchdown.
The Jets are set up well at wide receiver, with Quincy Enunwa, Robby Anderson, Terrelle Pryor, and Jermaine Kearse among their options. But none of them is viewed as a potential difference-maker -- which Gordon was before issues got in the way.
Gordon is making $790,000 this season, after which he is eligible to be a restricted free agent.