Andre Johnson, the Cleveland Browns, and the Gordion Not

Late Note: Johnson isn't a Jaguar.  Or a Jagwire.  I'm not going to bother correcting it.

Ross Tucker sees the Cleveland Browns as a realistic landing spot for Andre Johnson.

Initially, the Browns were being ruled out by MM's because they were percieved not to be very good this coming season.  I've gone point-by-point using logic and facts to explain why this is a stupid assumption.  It's largely based on mysticism, superstition, and emotion.

But I digress: Johnson's situation has changed.  He had reconsidered his unreasonable stance with his team, but, after missing offseason workouts, now wants to get his one million dollar workout bonus to report.

The Jags are understandably refusing.

Johnson's options have diminished now, and the Browns are one of the few teams with the cap space to take on his huge contract.

One fool suggested trading Josh Gordon and a sixth round pick.  Not gonna happen.  Gordon is young, and a once-in-a-generation kind of talent.  At his salary, even it you regard the odds as against his getting his head out and resuming his career, Ray simply can't throw him away.

Imagine his making any such trade, or releasing him, and Gordon in 2015 setting all sorts of new NFL records for another team.  Ray's not going to do it.

The Jags think they have leverage, but not really.  They'll want a first round pick and stuff, but they won't get it.  The Browns et al need a wide reciever, but Johnson is 33 years old and overpriced for that age.

Many point to his performance just last season.  I have to remind them that he was 32 then.  Now he's 33, and next season he'll be 34.  The Browns can't just "rent" him for one season and dump him without eating the guaranteed money.

Johnson may well have another great season in him, and even at 34 remain a viable reciever, but even at that, Ray has to wonder if he's worth that commitment-especially if he believes that Gordon will come back next season.

Especially not when he has to re-sign Jordon Cameron, who's changed his twitter account to read "pass-catcher", and already has his gun, ski mask, and Brinks truck ready.

However, if he and the coaches think that Johnson could make the difference between 8-8 and 10-6, they've got to look at it, and at least talk to the parties to see if something can be worked out.

Andre Johnson has been a quiet and solid guy for his whole career, but right now is being a butthead.  The Jags were more than fair with him with his contract, and it is a contract.  There is no language in there promising him a Pro Bowl quarterback or a winning record.  A deal is a deal, and he's reneged.

Many fans ignore all this stuff, but Ray Farmer can't.

Most likely, he'll see if he can modify Johnson's contract to front-load his cap hit, pay him less in the out-years, and reduce those guarantees.

This might work, since greedy players really like getting overpaid up front.

He might start with a 4th and 6th round offer to the Jags.  They might laugh at him and hang up.  Then sit there staring at the phone waiting for him to call back.  Not laughing anymore.  Then call him back.

But most likely, he'll cave on the workout bonus and return to the Jags, which is ok.

The Browns don't have bad recievers.  They've just got old, and young unproven ones.  They're neck deep in home-run-hitting slot guys, and have one of the best tight ends on the NFL.

Nobody here can replace Josh Gordon, and the offense can't be as good without him as it is with him.  But it's not all black and white, and a West Coast scheme doesn't require a stud like him to work.

As for Josh Gordon, MADD and other groups have made society a little insane.  While sticking the kid in rehab is a good idea on general principles, we're getting irrational about how bad this is.  He's not addicted to crack or heroin.  He had grounds for appeal.

We don't know what this suspension is about, and he blew .09.  Whether you admit it or not, nearly all of you would have blown that many times, had you been pulled over.  This might have been two light beers in an hour or so.

No, I'm not making excuses.  He's stupid for hanging around with hoods, and the local cops probably had the plates of that car on a watch-list.  They probably thought they were pulling over the vehicle's owner.

But he's just a kid, and hasn't yet done anything that the vast majority of us haven't done.

I understand that these guys are role models, and the commissioner has to take a hard line on these things.  That's fine--it's business.  But fans are getting hysterical about Josh Gordon the person.  I repeat: It's not crack or heroine.

He has to stay clean and stop hanging around with shady characters.  Appearances aside, Gordon is actually a pretty smart young guy, and as most of us know from experience, it doesn't take a lot of discipline to avoid the heathen devil weed or call a cab.

D'Qwell Jackson is a great dude, and what he said about his friend was good stuff.  But this too is being misinterpreted.  He really just meant that Josh was losing a ton of money, and is now close to a lifetime ban.  What he said wasn't about drug addiction.  It was about the end of his career.

Ray Farmer won't cut or trade him.  He's just too damn good.

Now that LeBron James is coming back home, maybe Johnny Manziel will stick around.  After all, LeBron is really famous, so he's the perfect guy for Johnny and his cellphone to follow around and take selfies with.

LeBron, I know you have a family and stuff, but please be patient and inulge the kid as much as you can.  If you get sick of him and tell him to leave you alone, he'll be off to Las Vegas or Hollywood or something, because there aren't enough celebrities in Cleveland.