The Cleveland Browns made a bold move to upgrade their wide receiver corps by expending a 2013 second-round pick on Baylor and Utah product Josh Gordon in Thursday's supplemental draft.
Gordon promised that the Brownswill not regret that decision, reported Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer.
"Despite everything I've been through, despite being a kid with a spotty background, the Cleveland Browns stuck their neck out and risked taking me and put their faith and belief in me, and I won't let them down," Gordon said on Thursday night. "I'm grateful, and I know I can't go back to being the person I used to be."
From a talent standpoint, adding Gordon makes sense. The Cleveland Browns have had some disappointments at the receiver position the last few seasons -- Brian Robiskie and, to some extent, Mohamed Massaquoi -- which put them in the market for a player to pair opposite Greg Little. The 6-foot-3, 224-pound Gordon will give the team two big, physical receivers. However, because Gordon missed the 2011 college season after transferring from Baylor to Utah, and because he also missed the Browns' offseason program, he might not contribute much in 2012.
Thursday's move was not without risk. The Browns were the only AFC North team not to make the playoffs in 2011, and they likely won't be much better this season. That means the second-round pick the Browns gave up Thursday would likely have been slotted at a relatively high spot in 2013. It's possible they'll end up watching another team pick a talented prospect at that spot next April.
For what it's worth, the Houston Texans burned a 2004 second-round pick -- acquired from the Oakland Raiders -- to select running back Tony Hollings in the 2003 supplemental draft. That pick ended up being No. 33 overall. Hollings, meanwhile, produced 149 yards rushing in 23 career games. Two players the Texans would have had a chance to draft in 2004 were Karlos Dansby and Chris Snee, who have combined to play in 242 regular-season games, three Super Bowls and three Pro Bowls (all by Snee).
Do you think the Texans wish they had one of those guys over the last nine seasons?