For all the wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth about how the Browns will cope without Josh Gordon, the fact is they won only four games in his record-setting 2013 season.
One year earlier, Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions set an all-time NFL mark with 1,964 receiving yards. The Lions’ record that season? 4-12.
One more example; Pierre Garcon of the Washington Redskins led the NFL with 113 catches last season. The Redskins finished 3-13.
No one would pin the blame on the Browns dismal 2013 season on Gordon, whose 1,646 receiving yards set a franchise record. But, maybe Browns’ general manager Ray Farmer was right not to panic when news broke on May 9 about Gordon failing a test for marijuana.
Gordon will appeal the finding on Aug. 1 in a meeting with NFL officials in New York. He will continue to practice until the league issues its decree.
In the meantime, the wide receivers catching training camp passes from Brian Hoyer, Johnny Manziel and the other Browns quarterbacks are Nate Burleson, Miles Austin, Andrew Hawkins, Anthony Armstrong, Taylor Gabriel, Charles Johnson, Chandler Jones, Jonathan Krause, Willie Snead and Travis Benjamin.
Of that group, excluding Gordon (taken in the 2012 supplemental draft with a 2013 second-round pick), the highest drafted player on the roster is Burleson, who was taken by the Vikings in the third round in 2003. Benjamin was a fourth-round pick by the Browns in 2012 and Johnson a seventh-round pick by the Packers in 2013. The others were not drafted.
‘Nobody knew Miles Austin until Miles Austin got his opportunity,’ Farmer said after practice on July 27. ‘So that’s what we’re looking for, guys to compete and push Miles.’
Austin, with 301 career catches in eight years with the Cowboys, looked smooth in the first two days of training camp. Burleson bounced back from dropping three passes on July 26 to practice with no drops on July 27. Armstrong is the deep threat. Hawkins catches everything and is fearless over the middle – although he knows he won’t have his head taken off by a teammate, even one that hits like safety Donte Whitner.
Burleson said skeptics who believe the Browns will founder without Gordon are in for a surprise.
‘I’ve got to be realistic,’ Burleson said,’ I mean, I played with Randy Moss (in Minnesota) and Calvin, but as a whole I think we’ve got some pieces to the puzzle that can be really powerful. We’ve got some guys that can go up and get it. Mile is a beast. He looks like a linebacker and he’s fast. He’s strong. He snatches everything.
‘Hawk is a guy that is a fantasy football guru’s dream. He can run any route. He’s so quick, he just gets open. I’ve made a few plays here and there in the league, so we’re good. Armstrong – that’s one fast, talented individual. He hasn’t really had his chance to shine in the league due to different reasons, but he’s making a big case for himself out here.
‘We’re all about putting guys in position to win, so it’s less about us and more about the play-calling. Kyle (Shanahan) is a monster with his offensive play-calling. He wants to take shots. We’re catching some deep balls. We’re not nickel and diming a lot. I think this is one of the better receiving corps I’ve played with.’
Farmer and head coach Mike Pettine are not only searching for a replacement for Gordon for however long that might be. Greg Little and Davone Bess were dismissed from last year’s team, so that means at least three new faces in the receiving corps for the season opener in Pittsburgh on Sept. 7.
No matter who wins the battle – Brian Hoyer or Johnny Manziel – the Browns will have a different quarterback starting the opener for the 12th time in 16 years.
Burleson refuses to debate which quarterback should win the starting job. He said both players have swagger and confidence and says both can win.
‘Johnny is for real,’ Burleson said. ‘I like confident quarterbacks. I like guys that are borderline cocky. Both of those guys have that. You can see it. Johnny makes a play. He walks back and he’s got a swag to him. His shoulders are bouncing. Same thing with ‘B.’ Hoyer would throw a ball and throw a little wink at you. That’s what I like.
‘I like getting in the huddle and seeing these quarterbacks basically saying, ‘I’m the captain of the ship. Let’s hit the seas and let’s go pillage and plunder what we want.’ That’s exactly what these two guys got. We’re going to follow their lead.
‘This is an intense sport. We’re not here to play around. We’re here to make the city proud. We’re working for that. We’ve got a long way to go, but we’ve got two guys competing for the same spot and we can’t go wrong either way.’
The Browns need fresh blood. They’ve won one season opener, in 2004, in 15 years since returning to the league.
