The San Francisco 49ers have expressed some apparent interest in Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, according to reports from Niners beat writers.
If all goes to plan for the Cleveland Browns, they'll be able to trade the much-maligned wide receiver Josh Gordon between now and Monday, according to various reports from around the league, including ESPN's Adam Schefter, who reported the Browns would prefer to trade Gordon instead of release him Monday, which was the initial report.
Additional reports, including some from Schefter, listed the San Francisco 49ers as a possible destination for Gordon. Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan worked with Gordon when both were with the Browns back in 2014 -- Shanahan served as Cleveland's offensive coordinator for one season.
Meanwhile, the 49ers have apparently reached out. According to both NBC Bay Area's Matt Maiocco and The Athletic's Matt Barrows, general manager John Lynch and Co. have "made a call" on Gordon, and the team is "doing its due diligence."
San Francisco likes its wide receiver corps, especially with promising rookie Dante Pettis. Along with Pierre Garçon, Marquise Goodwin and Trent Taylor, Shanahan appears to have a decent slate of offensive weapons. Yet Gordon is the kind of receiver other teams would truly fear -- an aspect none of the 49ers' other wideouts have right now.
But the 49ers would have to weigh the issues too. Gordon comes with plenty of baggage, including substance abuse, suspensions and a number of other character flags that could discourage Lynch and Co.
Looks like we have yet another massive "risk versus reward" scenario brewing in Santa Clara.
Written By:
Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
All articles by Peter Panacy
Peter Panacy
Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
All articles by Peter Panacy
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