Before the start of the 2018 NFL season, hype surrounding the Cleveland Browns was at an all-time high, including a possible Baker Mayfield-Josh Gordon connection.

New general manager John Dorsey made plenty of big moves in the offseason, most notably drafting Mayfield out of Oklahoma first overall. During training camp, the team was featured on HBO's Hard Knocks, which gave fans a glimpse into the inner workings of the organization. The offense was supposed to take a major step forward, primarily because of the passing game.

New quarterback Tyrod Taylor was to throw to one of the league's best wide receiver corps, which included 2017 receptions leader Jarvis Landry, dynamic rookie Antonio Callaway, third-year speedster Corey Coleman, and the incredibly talented yet extremely troubled Josh Gordon, who stepped away from the team during the preseason in order to focus on his personal issues.

While Coleman was traded away, the season started on a high note. In a monsoon, the Browns were able to tie the Pittsburgh Steelers thanks in large part to a fantastic touchdown catch by Gordon late in the fourth quarter. But, something was wrong.

What went wrong?

Josh Gordon, Browns

In a harbinger of dysfunction to come, Gordon started the game on the field for Cleveland's first offensive play, despite then-head coach Hue Jackson stating that Gordon would not get the start because he hadn't been with the team. It was then announced that Gordon would be inactive for the Browns' loss to the New Orleans Saints due to a hamstring injury. Shortly after that story broke, the entire Browns fanbase received some devastating news.

The team announced that Gordon would be released. He allegedly hurt his hamstring while shooting a promotional video for his personal brand at the Browns facility. Then, he showed up to a meeting late and was “not himself.” This report worried fans that Gordon had relapsed and would then be suspended permanently.

However, no suspension ever materialized, and there is no proof of Gordon using any drug recently. Regardless, whatever happened broke John Dorsey's trust in Gordon, and the general manager decided to move on. Trade offers would be considered over the weekend, and if a deal could not be made, Gordon would be waived on Monday, September 17th.

Who better than to take on a troubled star than the New England Patriots? Cleveland sent Gordon and a seventh-round pick to New England for a fifth and a seventh. The Browns clearly wanted to rid themselves of Gordon, so much so that they practically gave him away for nothing.

The Pats received arguably the most physically talented wide receiver since Randy Moss. If Gordon stayed clean and remained on the field, the trade had the potential to be one of the most lopsided in NFL history. If Gordon slipped up, he would be done for good and the Browns would have picked up another late-round pick for their troubles.

Advantage New England

Tom Brady, Patriots, Josh Gordon
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Thus far, Gordon has not had any issues, save for an interesting report that he would be benched for a few series against the Buffalo Bills for showing up late. However, Gordon was on the field for the first drive of the game, and head coach Bill Belichick did not confirm the rumor.

On the field, Gordon has been the big-play threat that New England has missed since, well, since Randy Moss left. In six games, all starts, Gordon has 22 catches for 396 yards and two touchdowns, including a game-breaking 55-yarder against Green Bay.

As he becomes more comfortable in the offense, he should continue to improve. Being immersed in the Patriots culture has no doubt helped him focus on football, and he seems to be in the best mental state of his career. Gordon seems happy and relaxed, which is good to see. While the deal is looking better and better from New England's standing, the opposite is true for Cleveland.

Even with Baker Mayfield replacing Tyrod Taylor under center, the Browns' offense has struggled immensely. Their offensive tackles have not been good, but another issue is their once-lauded receiver group. Jarvis Landry has been very good, but has been used incorrectly. Former offensive coordinator Todd Haley tried to use him like Antonio Brown; Landry would run deep streaks and fades, yet he was unable to create much separation on the outside.

Antonio Callaway has shown elite potential, but he is very inconsistent and has had plenty of bad drops. Fellow rookie Damion Ratley is playing more than he should, and is also inconsistent. In fact, Cleveland's best receiver right now outside of Landry appears to be former Ravens bust Breshad Perriman, who hasn't even been with the team for four weeks.

The Aftermath in Cleveland

Baker Mayfield
ClutchPoints

Dorsey has been a very good GM for the Browns, but he botched the Gordon situation. His first mistake was placing full trust in Gordon in the first place. Gordon's history of infractions placed him one step away from never playing in the league again. Gordon may be a changed man, but Dorsey needed to have a contingency plan in the event Gordon slipped up again.

During Hard Knocks, Todd Haley is shown saying that he “wasn't going to wait for a white knight,” implying that he wasn't depending on Gordon to make the offense work. This needed to be Dorsey's stance as well. If Gordon played fantastic, that's an All-Pro WR for your QB to throw to. If he didn't, the offense needed to be able to function without him.

And therein lies the problem. Outside of Landry, the Browns don't have a reliable pass-catcher. Gordon would certainly have helped in that regard. However, his impact goes beyond just what he is able to do. His presence on the field requires defenses to game plan to stop him because of how dangerous he is. This opens up opportunities for his teammates.

Even though Gordon caught only one pass against Pittsburgh in Week 1, he had an impact on his teammates. Landry caught seven passed for 106 yards, which remains his highest yardage output of the season. Now, defenses are treating Landry as the primary option, and his effectiveness has dropped because of it.

Another issue is how the team handled Gordon's injury. Is that situation really worth getting rid of him for? Why couldn't the team have just suspended him for a game? It's understandable that Dorsey didn't want the distraction and that he wanted to send a message to the team, yet that isn't very consistent with his personnel strategy.

He drafted Tyreek Hill in Kansas City, who pled guilty to extreme violence against his pregnant girlfriend. He drafted Callaway, who has a history of marijuana use and a sexual assault accusation to his name. The Browns have worked out linebacker Junior Galette, who has a history of domestic violence and assault.

Is what Gordon did worse than any of those instances? Clearly not. Why was that the last straw for Dorsey? No matter the reason, he will have to live with the consequences; Josh Gordon flourishing in New England, while Cleveland continues to struggle.