As the Browns await word on the fate of Josh Gordon, the world continues to turn and practice in Berea continues without him.
Gordon and his attorneys were in New York City on Aug. 1 pleading their case in front of league-appointed arbitrator Harold Henderson. No decision was expected before the end of the day.
Meanwhile, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was in Canton for the Hall of Fame festivities and inductions on Aug. 2. He had to answer questions about how Ravens running back Ray Rice could be suspended only two games for domestic violence while Gordon is facing a ban of possibly a year or more for testing positive for marijuana.
Goodell’s answer boiled down to Rice’s offense was a one-time out of character mistake. Gordon’s violation was his fourth.
‘You have to deal with the facts,’ Goodell told reporters. ‘We have a drug program that is collectively bargained and it has a step process. It takes four incidents before you actually reach a suspension in a drug-related case. You have to respond to facts here.
‘You have a lot of people voicing their opinions, but what you have to understand is that this is a young man (Rice) who made a terrible mistake – it’s inconsistent with what we’re all about. We have dealt with it in a serious manner, and we’re very confident that this young man understands where he is and what he needs to do going forward.’
Gordon could practice with the Browns on Aug. 2 at InfoCision Stadium in Akron if he is not suspended before the scrimmage begins at 11:30 a.m. He can remain with the team until a decision is reached.
Gordon’s teammates will talk about him as a receiver; they do not want to talk about his legal situation. They say they can succeed without him, but they are not delusional.
‘Josh is an extremely talented receiver and it’s going to be very difficult to replace 1,600 yards and the Pro Bowl season he put together,’ wide receiver Michael Armstrong said. ‘But we all know even if Josh is activated, we’re still one slip away from being in the game. If he’s here or not, we’re still going to have to step up and make plays.’
The wide receivers put on a show during practice on Aug. 1, as though trying to assure the capacity crowd they will survive without the 2013 NFL yards receiving (1,646) leader.
Nate Burleson celebrated a touchdown pass from Connor Shaw by tucking the football under the front of his jersey, making the jersey look like a maternity top.
‘Football is my baby,’ he explained.
Armstrong caught a touchdown pass from Johnny Manziel and heaved it into the top deck of the corporate grandstand. A fan dropped it, prompting cynics to tweet former Browns receiver Greg Little must have been in the stands.
‘They said they were going to clown me if it didn’t make it to the stands,’ Armstrong said. ‘Honestly, I didn’t have a target. Looking back at it, it would have been ideal to throw it over the grandstand and hit the zipline (behind the stands).’
Gordon could be lost for the season on the very year NFL officials are determined to enforce defensive holding rules to the letter of the law.
Referee Pete Morelli met with the Browns and separately with the media on Aug. 1 to discuss rule changes for this year. Defenders are still allowed to bump the receiver within five yards of the line of scrimmage, but no more than five yards. That has been the rule, but Morelli admitted some officials let the contact zone go longer.
‘I get held a lot in games,’ said 5-foot-7 Andrew Hawkins. ‘Hopefully it will be implemented the way they want it to be, but that remains to be seen.’
Morelli said calling the illegal contact foul – even a slight jersey tug will be a penalty – will have to be called early and often to break defenders from the habit of grabbing illegally.
