It seems crazy on the surface. Take away a receiver that led the NFL with 1,646 receiving yards last season. Replace him with the likes of Miles Austin and Nate Burleson. And then potentially throw a rookie quarterback under center hoping that he is successful in his first season.
All that is fine and dandy. Losing Josh Gordon for the 2014 season will have a dramatic impact on the Cleveland Browns and Johnny Manziel on the football field. That’s really not even in question right now.
This article isn’t focusong on how Gordon’s suspension would impact Manziel on the field. Rather, it’s a look at just how much of a negative influence Gordon might have been on the rookie quarterback off the field.
As we all know, quarterbacks and wide receivers share a special relationship. They need to in order to create the trust and understanding of one another on the field. While this doesn’t necessarily translate to life-long friendships, it is a dynamic we should definitely look at when discussing what Manziel needs to succeed as a football player outside of the stadium.
Courtesy of Deadspin: To say that Manziel can party hard would be an understatement.
The stories have been aplenty since Manziel was drafted in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft back in May. Trips to Las Vegas, a drunken swan ride and a questionable photo in a Vegas bathroom (no not a Ben Roethlisberger thing) are all incidents that have surrounded Manziel in recent months.
Now look at Gordon’s off-field issues for a second. It’s rather clear Manziel loves to party, but he hasn’t (to our knowledge) broken the law during his exploits. On the other hand, Gordon has been a walking rap sheet.
In 2010, Gordon and then Baylor teammate Willie Jefferson were arrested in a drive-thru lane of a local Taco Bell restaurant. The police report indicated that Jefferson fell asleep in the drivers seat. Both were arrested on drug possession charges (via USA Today).
In 2011, Gordon was suspended indefinitely by Baylor head coach Art Briles for an unspecified rules violation. The receiver has since indicated it was due to a positive marijuana test (via the Houston Chronicle).
It was due to a failed marijuana test,” Gordon said. “It was against school policy, of course, and I was (suspended) in the summer. 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.
One month later, Gordon transferred to Utah but decided to enter the supplemental draft instead of suiting up for the Utes.
After being selected in the secound round of the 2012 supplemental draft by Cleveland, Gordon has continued these off-field exploits.
In June of 2013, Gordon was suspended for the first two games of the following season for violating NFL’s Substance Abuse Policy (via ESPN.com).
Courtesy of Sports Rants: Gordon isn’t in any position to be a positive influence on Manziel.
While he went on to lead the NFL in receiving yards last year, Gordon’s off-field issues were not behind him. Back in May, ESPN reported that Gordon was facing a year-long suspension for yet another violation of the substance abuse policy. Since then, he has been pulled over in an incident where a friend was popped for marijuana possession. And just recently, Gordon himself was arrested on DUI charges.
Is this the type of personality and individual that the Browns want to surround an already enigmatic Johnny Manziel with? Pure speculation, but the idea of Gordon and Manziel hanging out off the field during the season doesn’t seem like it will end all too well. At least with Nate Burleson, Manziel can make sure to hold the wide receiver’s pizza in order to make sure the latter is paying attention to the road. That’s pretty much all fans in Cleveland have to worry about as it relates to any type of trouble Burleson will bring to the table.
Courtesy of the Associated Press: Burleson can act as a calming veteran influence for Manziel.
Back in 2012 when Detroit Lion teammates were getting arrested on a consistent basis, Burleson took it upon himself to speak to the players privately (via Pro Football Talk). That’s the type of leadership Manziel needs from veterans on and off the field. Not a player in Gordon, who seems to be more of a selfish individual at this point.
As most of you know, those with addictions tend to bring others around them down to their level. They aren’t thinking about the welfare of others, just how they can get their next fix.
As much as Gordon needs to start surrounding himself with better influences, he simply isn’t a good influence himself right now. In that, his likely year-long suspension could very well have a much better long-term impact on Manziel’s career than him actually suiting up in 2014.
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