TAMPA, FLA.: The Browns flaunted their twin towers at wide receiver Tuesday in a joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they’re not interested in breaking Josh Gordon and Terrelle Pryor apart.
A Browns source confirmed the franchise has no interest in trading Gordon, an All-Pro selection in 2013 who’s been suspended for 27 of the past 32 games because of recurring violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
ESPN reported multiple teams have reached out to the Browns to inquire about the availability of Gordon, only to be told the organization isn’t looking to deal him.
“I think it works out perfectly then for me,” Gordon said of the Browns letting everyone know they don’t intend to trade him. “[Owner Jimmy] Haslam, the organization, coach [Hue] Jackson, I think the world of those guys, this city, this organization. Apparently they’re showing the love and respect back to me by allowing me to stay here up to this point. I expect to move forward with that, and I’m excited about it. This is where I want to be, and I’m happy to be with Cleveland.”
The Browns stuck with Gordon throughout his 2015 banishment and welcomed him back when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reinstated him July 25. They hope to reap the rewards of their patience after Gordon serves a four-game suspension to begin the regular season.
“We see a bright future,” Gordon said. “We envision a lot of downfield passing. ... We’ve got the ability and the talent to stretch the field in every direction.”
Furthermore, the new regime believes it has the proper support system in place to help Gordon stay on the right path. Part of the belief stems from the presence of his friends in the locker room, including Pryor, starting quarterback and former Baylor University teammate Robert Griffin III, cornerback Joe Haden and rookie wide receiver Corey Coleman.
Gordon and Pryor bonded last summer while training together at the Randy Moss Academy in Charlotte, N.C.
“We talked about [playing together for the Browns], thought about it, didn’t know how long he was going to stay in Cleveland or what-not,” Gordon said. “But it ended up working out, him staying and developing into such a great receiver, and I think he can only get better.
“I’m excited, he’s excited, and it really is a dream come true because we never thought that that would happen. So [I’m] very grateful, very blessed, and I think we’re going to have a lot of fun and make the most out of it and give something the Browns fans can look forward to and make a lot of big plays.”
The Browns gave the Bucs a sampling of the headaches Gordon, who’s listed as 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, and Pryor, a 6-4, 223-pound former quarterback, can give defenses. They repeatedly appeared together with the starting offense during 11-on-11 drills.
“You don’t see too many DBs over 6-2,” Gordon said. “So it’s definitely a size advantage.”
Added Pryor: “If you look at just the size and the speed of what me and Josh have, of course, it’s somewhat of a disadvantage [for the defense].”
Gordon caught Griffin’s first pass in team drills, and Pryor added a few other receptions. Pryor made at least two plays against four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Brent Grimes.
“They’re just really big dudes that can go vertical,” Haden said of the Gordon-Pryor tandem. “If you have vertical threats, guys that can take the top off, it takes a safety out of the box. You can’t lean the safety over to JG ’cause then TP’s running the fade to the other side. So it just puts a lot of pressure on the defense to not be able to lean to a side and not be able to stack the box because when you’ve got guys 6-4, running 4.3s on the outside, you’ve kind of got to pay attention to them.”
Added Browns cornerback Jamar Taylor: “[Gordon’s] been back for the past couple of days, and he’s been dominant. But he’s going to be a terrorizer. Being out for a couple of years, I think he has that chip on his shoulder, and then Terrelle kind of coming into that new role, he’s been doing a great, great job.”
Jackson conceded Gordon and Pryor “provide us with some opportunities to do some things that we like to do.” He said their presence on the field together wouldn’t necessarily limit first-round draft pick Coleman to slot receiver. Coleman wasn’t paired with Gordon or Pryor much, if at all, against the Bucs.
“He could be [in the slot]. They could be all over the place. I think you guys know me. I come up with all these crazy dreams, and I’ll put these guys all over the place,” Jackson said. “They might be playing tackle someday. You never know.
“Those guys afford us an opportunity to do a lot of different things. We are just scratching the surface, because we have to keep them all out there. Sometimes you have to make amends if one is not out there, two of them are not out there. We will just keep working through it, but they are talented. They are a talented trio.”
Gordon (quadriceps) and Coleman (hamstring) returned from injuries and began practicing again last week. They’ll meet the Buccaneers in another joint practice Wednesday morning, and they’re expected to make their preseason debuts when the Browns face the Bucs beginning at 8 p.m. Friday at Raymond James Stadium.
“It’d be great,” Gordon said. “I’m working the kinks out here at practice and back at home in Cleveland as much as possible to get ready for Friday and for next week and going into the season. So hopefully I can pick up where we left off in practice out here and things will go smoothly on Friday.”
Gordon is still trying to work himself into shape and lose weight gained during his banishment. He said he thought everyone shed some pounds while practicing in 90-degree-plus temperatures in Tampa.
“He is a talented player as we all know, but he has just got to keep taking the next step,” Jackson said. “I think this was different for him. It’s been awhile since he has been real sweaty, real hot in that mode. He has just got to keep fighting it, and we have to get him there. Obviously, he is a ways away from getting an opportunity to truly play a game, but it was good for him to get out here and do this.”
Gordon will need to wait until Week 5 when the New England Patriots visit the Browns on Oct. 9 to play in a real game. But he’s not frustrated by the situation.
“Happy just to be back,” he said. “All things considered, I’m grateful to be back at practice. I get to wake up with the team. Play or not, I’m glad just to be here.”
And both Gordon and the team want him to stay put.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Browns blog at www.ohio.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NateUlrichABJ and on Facebook www.facebook.com/abj.sports.