New England Patriots wide receiver Josh Gordon is indefinitely suspended for violating the condition of his reinstatement regarding the NFL’s substance abuse policy. While he has kept himself away from the spotlight, Gordon still made his fans know the latest on his controversial life. In a tweet, Gordon said “Blessed with so much, I couldn’t ask for more.. Life just keeps getting better...”, meaning everything’s going well with the wide receiver who is waiting to be reinstated by the NFL.
The Patriots acquired Gordon from the Cleveland Browns via trade.
He played 11 games for the Patriots, recording 40 passes for 720 yards and three touchdowns. He made an instant connection with Brady after he caught his 500th career touchdown pass. However, Gordon’s career suffered another setback as he was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list for violating the terms of his reinstatement under the league's substance abuse policy.
Gordon signed one-year tender with Patriots
Recently, Gordon signed a one-year contract tender with the Patriots, meaning they are the only team he can play for if reinstated by the NFL. If he makes the roster and plays all 16 games, Gordon will earn around $2,025,000 next season. However, it will all depend on Commissioner Roger Goodell, who said that Gordon must first focus on getting his life back on track.
“Once he gets on the right track, we'll get to that place (of suspension discussion),” said Goodell. Brady and fellow wide receiver Julian Edelman both expressed their support for Gordon, on their respective social media accounts, expressing hope for a speedy recovery from his latest bout with a banned substance. The Patriots recently selected a wide receiver, N'Keal Harry, in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Patriots to get four 2020 compensatory picks
The Patriots lost several key players in the offseason, including defensive end Trey Flowers, offensive tackle Trent Brown, wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson and defensive tackle Malcom Brown. Flowers signed an enormous five-year deal worth $90 million with the Detroit Lions where he will be reunited with former Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who’s now the head coach of the Lions.
Brown signed a four-year contract worth $66 million with the Oakland Raiders, Patterson joined the Chicago Bears on a two-year, $10 million deal while Malcolm Brown inked a three-year, $15 million contract with the New Orleans Saints. However, the Patriots will have a chance to fill the void with compensatory picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.
According to a projection by Nick Korte of OverTheCap.com, the Patriots are expected to receive four compensatory picks in the 2020 NFL Draft. Korte said the Patriots will receive two third-round picks for Flowers and Brown and two sixth-round picks for Patterson and Malcolm Brown. With the additional four compensatory picks, the Patriots will have a total of 14 picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, including a fourth-round pick from the Bears and three seventh-round picks from the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, and the Seattle Seahawks.