The NFL upheld the year- (or maybe season-) long suspension for Josh Gordon, which means he can’t be around the Browns for the duration of his punishment. But Gordon wants to play some football, so he approached the team about playing for the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL. The Browns don’t plan to let him play, but it’s just another chapter in a saga that won’t seem to die. Seemingly rational people are still throwing a late-round pick at Gordon or hanging on to him just in case. Unless Johnny Manziel makes some news soon, this might be the beat-it-to-death story du jour.
Gordon is following the example set by former Colts wideout LaVon Brazill, who was cut after the league slapped him with a one-year suspension. Brazill signed on with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts and will begin on the practice squad. No team holds Brazill’s NFL rights so it’s a different situation than Gordon’s, but if the Canadian League becomes a haven for suspended players… well, for one thing they’re going to field some pretty good teams.
- Be sure to check out today’s “Don’t Take These Fantasy Players Too Soon In Your Draft.“
Final preseason games are tonight, and you won’t see many regulars as the teams rest their starters and try to figure out the bottom end of their respective rosters. There are, however, exceptions—such as Patriots WR Aaron Dobson, who has missed the first three games while recovering from offseason foot surgery. Dobson won’t play long, but he’ll get to test his wheel and see what he can contribute to New England’s rag-tag band of receivers, perhaps as early as Week 1.
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr isn’t a starter (yet), but he’ll receive extensive playing time in Oakland’s exhibition finale against the Seahawks. Even the Seattle backups should provide a good test, and with Matt Schaub sporting an ailing elbow an overwhelmingly positive performance by Carr could up Oakland’s timetable for their rookie signal caller.
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And finally, one of the myriad reasons you don’t chase a kicker early (or maybe snagging a sure thing is the reason to go early on a kicker) is the positional carousel that will spin over the next week. The Titans are riding the merry-go-round harder than most, bringing in yet another kicker Wednesday when they worked out former Saint Garrett Hartley. Hey, Rob Bironas was drafted for many years; no reason the big-legged Hartley couldn’t be the last kicker off your draft board and an asset to a fantasy team.
