There's a lot of promise this season for the Browns, with some talented young players on both offense and defense. But the announcement of a two-game suspension for Josh Gordon is just the latest bit of news that works against that promise.
This article talks about that suspension, while this column puts forth the harsh reality that whether Gordon's suspension is for, as he says, codeine cough medication or not, it's a dark shadow for his NFL future. If Gordon flunks another test of any kind, it will cost him at least half a season.
As the Plain Dealer points out, Gordon failed multiple drug tests in college despite being on probation after one. In other words, he didn't learn from his mistakes before. Will he learn this time?
Considering the other receivers the Browns have -- Greg Little, Davone Bess -- Gordon's presence is critical to the offense, and his absence significant. The other players aren't the kind of downfield threat that Gordon is.
Everybody makes mistakes when they're young, and perhaps Gordon was just unlucky with this latest misstep. Whatever the case, Gordon now needs to be extra-careful. The Browns' hopes of finally getting back to the playoffs are counting on it.
--Andy Richardson