Mike Pettine spent the majority of his Monday media session talking about a trio of highly touted Browns who failed to live up to their billing this season.
After labeling Johnny Manziel's lost weekend "unacceptable" and "disappointing," Cleveland's coach weighed in on the futures of Josh Gordon, the team's talented but troubled wideout, and first-round cornerback Justin Gilbert.
Pettine revealed that Gilbert -- like Gordon -- was essentially suspended for Sunday's loss to the Ravens after committing multiple team violations during his underwhelming rookie season, per the Akron Beacon Journal.
Gilbert's punishment capped a disappointing campaign that saw the rookie absorb a swarm of criticism from teammates in recent weeks. Veterans in the locker room have been hard on Gilbert because they all see how "talented" he is, according to Pettine. The young cornerback will get another offseason to clean up his act, but it's fair to wonder if Gordon's time in Cleveland is up.
"Clearly a disappointing way for him to end the year," Pettine said of Gordon. "But at the same time, Josh right now is a Cleveland Brown. We want to take care of our own, but at the same time, we're gonna hold our guys accountable. I think everybody recognizes the talent that's there, but this isn't an individual sport. You have to be accountable to your coaching staff, you have to be accountable to your teammates, more importantly.
"That's the thing that we have to get (right) with Josh. It's not the ability. At some point, you get tired of using the word potential. So this offseason for him puts him squarely at a crossroads for us."
In short? Gear up for another wild offseason in Cleveland.
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