Josh Gordon Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Browns WR Josh Gordon (hamstring) will practice on Monday, HC Hue Jackson said. Gordon has been sidelined for the past week with hamstring tightness. He'll be "a little more than limited" when he returns on Monday, according to Jackson. It sounds like Gordon still isn't a lock to play against the Steelers in Week 1. And if he does, it'll be with precious few reps with QB Tyrod Taylor.

Browns WR Josh Gordon did take part in Saturday morning's walkthrough after being reinstated, but he sat out afternoon work "largely because of tightness in his hamstring that occurred while conditioning at the Browns' facility over the past week," according to Cleveland.com. Just another thing to watch with Gordon over the coming 2 weeks.

Updating a previous item, the Browns have activated WR Josh Gordon from the non-football injury list, and he's cleared to participate in any team activities -- including full practices and games. We'll see if he can make it into real action before the regular season begins, but know that drafting Gordon likely won't give you a Week 1 starting option in fantasy -- at least not a guy you can count on.

Update: Gordon tweaked his hamstring shortly after returning to the team. Any extra missed time only adds risk to an already volatile fantasy pick.

Browns WR Josh Gordon has been cleared to participate in walkthroughs, HC Hue Jackson said Friday. "Josh Gordon will be at practice every day, but you are asking if he will be practicing. Probably - again he is into the second phase of where I want him to be,'' said Jackson. "He'll definitely be involved in walk-throughs now. How much he does will be in proportion of what I see and where he is." Jackson added that he'd be open to playing Gordon in the preseason finale, presuming he's allowed. This situation remains murky -- and we're just about 2 weeks away from the start of the season. Gordon remains an extremely risky pick at his late-4th-round ADP.

Browns HC Hue Jackson said there's "a chance" WR Josh Gordon plays in the opener against the Steelers. "Obviously, we're just going to take it one step at a time," Jackson added. "His focus is going to be on meetings and conditioning, and then we'll just kind of go from there. Hopefully, we can get him up and running by the first game." Gordon rejoined the team on Saturday but isn't yet allowed to practice -- and there's "no timetable" for when that will chance, according to NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy. Throw in a new QB and a new offense, and there are still at least a few hurdles to clear before Gordon is a fantasy factor again.

Browns WR Josh Gordon tweeted Saturday just after noon that he's ready to "humbly return to being a member" of the Browns. The announcement comes a day after Cleveland's 2nd preseason game against the Bills. We have to assume he'll rejoin the team for practice in the coming week. We'll see if Gordon's ready to play in the "dress rehearsal" 3rd exhibition Thursday against Philadelphia. We'll also have to see what his extended absence means for his depth-chart standing. Of course, Gordon's return is obviously good news for both the Browns offense and the fantasy outlook for 1 of the league's most physically gifted receivers. His ADP has remained a bit high for our tastes, but Gordon's draft-day evaluation comes down more to where (if at any point) you feel comfy taking the risk.

Update: According to NFL PR guy Brian McCarthy, Gordon is allowed to attend practices and meetings but cannot yet participate in practice. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that Gordon is still in the league's "jointly negotiated substance abuse program." Gordon remains a risky pick in fantasy football drafts.

Browns GM John Dorsey admitted before Thursday night's preseason opener that he has no timetable for WR Josh Gordon's return to the team. Asked if he's still confident Gordon will be back soon, Dorsey gave a non-answer: "We’ll see when he gets there." Insider Mary Kay Cabot reported earlier this week that Gordon was "getting closer to returning," but Dorsey seems much less optimistic. Gordon becomes a riskier and riskier fantasy pick the longer he's away from the team. His recent ADP is still sitting in the early 5th round.

Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot hears that WR Josh Gordon is "getting closer to returning" to the team. He's now missed about 2 weeks of camp as he continues to train and work on his mental health in Gainesville, Florida. Cabot's report adds that the Browns are "confident" that Gordon "will be back soon." There's still no concrete timetable here, though, and we're now about a month from the start of the season. Gordon remains a high-risk pick in fantasy drafts right now -- albeit one with plenty of upside. His ADP has dropped from 42nd overall pre-suspension to 50th overall since the start of August. That's still too rich for our tastes.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Browns WR Josh Gordon is staying away from training camp right now as he deals with "mental health and anxiety" issues. He's reportedly struggled with anxiety for a while and previously turned to drugs and alcohol to help cope. Schefter hears that the Browns do expect Gordon to report, but that there's no exact timetable for that to happen. Already a risky fantasy pick at his 4th-round ADP, Gordon should be hands-off at that price tag right now.

Browns WR Josh Gordon announced on Monday that he'll miss the start of training camp as "part of [his] overall health and treatment plan." Gordon, of course, has long battled substance-abuse issues. He added, "I am not only doing great physically but mentally as well ... I am excited to start the season and I have every intention of being ready and available to join my teammates soon to help bring winning football to our fans." Gordon didn't reveal when he'll report to the team, though. This will obviously be a situation to monitor closely. And it's a reminder that Gordon carries tons of risk at his 4th-round ADP.

Browns HC Hue Jackson said Friday that he's giving OC Todd Haley "total autonomy" of the offense. He's "one of the best in the business," Jackson added of Haley. Consider this good news for all of Cleveland's skill-position guys. The Browns have ranked 31st and 32nd in points scored under Jackson the past 2 seasons. Haley arrives with 11 years of experience as a HC or OC. Eight of his squads have finished in the top half of the league in total points, including 6 top-10 finishes.

Browns WR Josh Gordon has signed his 1-year tender, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. The contract is reportedly worth the league minimum, $790,000. As an exclusive-rights free agent, though, Gordon didn't have much choice. We'll see if he can make it through the offseason without off-field issues. If he does, Gordon will have an opportunity to re-prove it in 2018 and hit the open in 2019.

Browns HC Hue Jackson is happy with WR Josh Gordon's offseason so far. “Josh has been great. Josh has been outstanding,” Jackson said from the Combine. “He’s having a really good offseason. Obviously, he’s got to continue to do so and continue to do the right things, but I truly believe that Josh Gordon is going to have a great year for us.” The goal for Gordon at this point in the year is to stay out of trouble off the field. He flashed in his 5-game cameo last season, posting lines of 4-85, 3-69-1 and 4-115. He'll be a high-upside fantasy pick in 2018 drafts if the next few months go smoothly.

The forecast for today's Packers-Browns game calls for temperatures in the low 30s with winds of 15-25 mph. That's enough wind to impact the passing games, although meteorologist Kevin Roth notes that it'll be a "with-the-field" wind, rather than a cross-wind. We'd still avoid both Ks in this game and give a slight bump down to the passing attacks.

Browns HC Hue Jackson said Monday that he has "big plans" for WR Josh Gordon, who's eligible to play this weekend. "Play him as much as he can handle," Jackson added. It makes plenty of sense for Cleveland to see what it has in Gordon for the rest of this lost season. From a fantasy perspective, we'd make him produce his way into your lineup. Gordon hasn't played in a meaningful NFL game since December 2014.

The Browns "hope" to have WR Josh Gordon ready to play when he's 1st eligible in Week 13 against the Chargers, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. He's allowed to re-join the team on Tuesday but can't practice until November 27. With just a week of practice before that Week 13 game, Gordon would likely play a limited role. It'd also be his first regular-season action since December of 2014 -- a nearly 3 year layoff. Gordon's return is an exciting story, but it's still tough to imagine being able to trust him in lineups during the fantasy playoffs. His Week 14 through 16 opponents rank 19th, 1st and 10th in Adjusted Fantasy Points Allowed to WRs.

The NFL on Wednesday conditionally reinstated Browns WR Josh Gordon. "Effective immediately, Gordon may join the Browns to attend meetings, engage in conditioning work and individual workouts," the league stated in a release. "Subject to compliance with clinical and other requirements, he will be placed on the Commissioner's Exempt list and be permitted to practice with the team beginning on Monday, November 20. Beginning Monday, November 27, Gordon will be eligible at the team's discretion to return to active status or to remain on the Commissioner's Exempt list for an additional week before returning to active status." The key date here is Nov. 27. We'll see if the Browns want to activate him after Thanksgiving. If they do, he'll be eligible to play the final 5 games -- final 4 of most fantasy seasons. That would return him for a tough run that includes road games at the Chargers (Week 13), Bears (Week 16 and Steelers (Week 17), plus a home date with Baltimore (Week 15). Gordon will be worth a shot in many leagues, but don't go nuts over him, especially in an offense with the league's worst QB situation.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that WR Josh Gordon is set to meet with the NFL on Wednesday and that "reinstatement could soon be near." Gordon last played in a regular-season game in December 2014. As we've seen with Martavis Bryant this year, it's impossible to know what kind of impact such a long layoff will have. Gordon is still only 26, though, and led the league with 1,646 receiving yards back in 2013. Don't go dropping anyone of value for him, but he's worth adding if you have an open roster space.

Per NFL Network and other outlets, suspended Browns WR Josh Gordon was denied reinstatement by the NFL. Out of football since 2014, Gordon can apply again in the fall. He remains a shaky bet to ever return to the NFL following several punishments under the league’s substance-abuse policy.

Browns HC Hue Jackson said Friday that the team is "moving on" from WR Josh Gordon. "We need to close that chapter right now," he added. "I'm not going to answer any more questions about Josh Gordon. I'm done with it." The Browns have given Gordon numerous chances, and he continues to let them down. We'll see what Cleveland decides to do with him, but he's a poor bet to play for anyone in 2016.