Josh Gordon‘s appeal hearing is scheduled to take place this Friday, and the Browns receiver appears to have a pretty decent case for having his suspension reduced from the looming one-year penalty, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. Florio goes into detail on Gordon’s failed test, which only constituted a failure by the narrowest of margins, and which the wideout would have passed had the “A” and “B” labels on his two urine samples been flipped.
It’ll be interesting to see what the NFL decides on Gordon, especially after Roger Goodell and the league came under so much scrutiny for what was viewed as a light punishment for Ray Rice. As we wait to see how the case plays out, let’s check in on a few items from across the AFC, including one more note out of Cleveland….
- The Browns and quarterback Brian Hoyer haven’t had any discussions about a contract extension since exchanging numbers earlier in the offseason, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). La Canfora adds (via Twitter) that perhaps if Cleveland were to include bonuses or incentives based on team or individual performance, something could get done, but that’s not all that likely. Hoyer’s agent suggested a month ago that he and his client would probably wait to see how the season played out, perhaps re-assessing the situation in November or later.
- While an incumbent option like Ronnie Hillman or C.J. Anderson might win the No. 2 running back job for the Broncos behind starter Montee Ball, that role could ultimately be assumed by a player plucked off waivers before the season starts, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post.
- Donald Trump will submit a bid in an attempt to purchase the Bills, but he doesn’t expect his bid to be the winner, as he tells Fox News. Meanwhile, Jon Bon Jovi isn’t making many friends in Buffalo by having aligned himself with Toronto-based investors, writes Eric Edelson of Yahoo! Sports.
- With this afternoon’s deadline for initial bids on the Bills approaching, New York Senator Charles E. Schumer said today in a statement that he has spoken to several prospective owners who would be committed to keeping the team in Western New York. Jerry Zremski of the Buffalo News has the details and quotes.
- Asked by Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe (TwitLonger link) about the pay cut he took this offseason, Patriots defensive lineman Tommy Kelly said he didn’t mind reworking his deal, since the changes weren’t too drastic. “Coach asked me for a favor and I obliged,” Kelly said. “I didn’t have no problem with it. At this point in my career, I’ve made a whole lot of money. Money ain’t the problem.”