Josh Gordon trade talks were shut down by Browns' Jimmy Haslam
The Browns' discussions to deal troubled wide receiver Josh Gordon last year were curtailed at the request of owner Jimmy Haslam, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation, serving in essence as a tie-breaker between the front office and coaching staff. Gordon, who the San Francisco 49ers in particular expressed continued interest in last season, was recently suspended for a year based off his latest failed drug tests this offseason.
Gordon's pattern of behavior and decision making dated back to his erratic college years, and, with him progressing through the NFL's drug program and subject to increasingly stiff penalties, Cleveland's former regime, led by ex-team president Joe Banner, was very open to dealing the youngsters even in the midst of 2013's breakout season.
Former Browns coach Rob Chudzinski worked diligently with Gordon, on a personal level, and was heavily invested in seeing him flourish, sources said, and he and his staff were not nearly as willing to entertain dealing Gordon. Ultimately, Haslam put an end to any lingering trade discussions leading up to last October's trade deadline, sources said.
The 49ers, who lost out to rival Seattle in trading for receiver Percy Harvin earlier in 2013, were most committed to landing Gordon (receiver Michael Crabtree was hurt at the time and San Francisco's offense was sputtering in what it hoped would be a Super Bowlseason), sources said, with ongoing inquiries. Other teams expressed interest as well but once things progressed to a point where the 49ers established a second-round pick, in addition to other players, on the table.
But when the Browns reached a point where they would have to engage in more than surface-level talks to complete a trade, Haslam's trepidation about dealing such a gifted player – on an offense generally bereft of talent – effectively ended the process.
The Browns attempted to incubate Gordon as best they could last season following his return from a drug suspension. They worked with the Cleveland Clinic, performed an exhaustive search to find young sports psychologists to work with their more troubled players on a daily basis and brought in specialists like Dr. James Bell, a performance specialist from England who had done extensive work with that country's cricket team, to also help oversee the process. Gordon flourished on the field, but struggled again with his issues when no longer in the facility, facing a DUI charge from the offseason as well as the latest failed drug test for marijuana.
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