Cleveland Browns Select Josh Gordon in Supplemental Draft

Former Baylor wide receiver Josh Gordon was the only player selected in the 2012 NFL Supplemental Draft, and he was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the second round. This is an intriguing move to me. The Browns’ offensive rebuild started last offseason with former North Carolina receiver Greg Little, and it continued this past season with Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden.

Now, the Browns have added another piece to what they hope is one of the top up-and-coming offenses in the NFL. Despite the fact that Gordon’s final season was in 2010, the Browns expect him to be a big part of their offense.

“We hope he comes in and plays right away,” Browns general manager Tom Heckert told reporters in a conference call Thursday, according to NFL.com. “That’s the goal. Obviously, we’ll see him here in a couple weeks, but a lot will have to depend on how he picks things up … but, yeah, we expect him to play.”

This is a surprising move to many because the Browns’ pick in next year’s second round is expected to be relatively high, so them using such a potentially high pick seems like a risky move for a guy who has not played in so long. Still, Cleveland is excited about his potential.

“Anytime you pick somebody that early, you’re hoping he’s a good football player, and that’s what we think Josh is,” Heckert said. “… Most years, there’s not a player of Josh’s caliber in the supplemental draft, so you don’t hear about it very much. But we look at it as a positive. We’re getting a really good football player and we’re getting him a year early.”

Gordon was kicked out of Baylor for a failed marijuana test, and he says he doesn’t plan on going back to that lifestyle anytime soon.

“It was against school policy, of course, and I was (suspended) in the summer,” Gordon said. “I’ve definitely put that part of my life behind me. I don’t plan to ever go back there. It was a difficult time, but I learned from it, and I’ve moved on.”

If the Browns can get good production out of Gordon, this offense has the makings of something special in the future. They have a future star at running back in Trent Richardson, and a pretty good looking young group of receivers led by Greg Little, Travis Benjamin, and now Gordon. Not to mention, first round quarterback Brandon Weeden has entered the fray.

This is a very interesting move by the Browns and I am eager to see the competition it brings at camp and in the pre-season.