Browns Claim Chase Ford
- The Browns have claimed tight end Chase Ford off waivers from the Ravens, as Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun tweets. Ford inked his restricted free agent tender with Baltimore a few weeks ago but his $1.671MM salary was non-guaranteed.
La Canfora: Browns Prefer Goff To Wentz
Earlier this week, we learned that a high-ranking official told Peter King of TheMMQB.com that he believes the Browns have their sights set on Jared Goff at the No. 2 overall pick, rather than fellow quarterback Carson Wentz. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com thinks the same thing, writing today that Cleveland offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton favors Goff.
According to La Canfora, many Browns scouts prefer Wentz to Goff, so the Browns’ front office and personnel department isn’t unanimous when it comes to a QB preference. But there’s some concern about Wentz’s lack of experience against high-level opposition, and a belief that the analytics favor Goff. So if the Browns do select a signal-caller with the second overall pick, which isn’t guaranteed, La Canfora believes it will be Goff.
Browns Willing To Trade No. 2 Pick?
The idea of the Browns dealing away the second overall pick is gaining steam, according to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com (Twitter link), who reports that there is “more and more smoke” around the concept of Cleveland trading down in the draft. The club’s intention would be to select a quarterback in the second round, per Zierlein, who adds that “something big” is likely to happen involving the top five picks.
The Browns, of course, have already added Robert Griffin III this offseason, signing the reclamation project to a two-year deal, and also have veteran Josh McCown under contract. The overwhelming majority of mock drafts have Cleveland selecting either Jared Goff or Carson Wentz second overall, but the Browns have a lot of holes elsewhere on the roster, and trading back could give the team the extra ammunition it needs to fill out their squad. Just this March, the Browns saw a ton of talent walk out the door via free agency, as Mitchell Schwartz, Alex Mack, Travis Benjamin, and Tashaun Gipson all found contracts elsewhere.
Depending on how far back the Browns trade in the first round, they could still have a shot at someone like Paxton Lynch, but Zierlein’s report indicates that Cleveland would instead target a quarterback in Round 2, where it currently holds pick no. 32, the first selection of Day 2. Lynch (possibly), Connor Cook, Christian Hackenberg, and Cardale Jones are among the signal-callers that could be available at that juncture, or even later.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Josh Gordon Denied Reinstatement
4:16pm: Gordon can apply for reinstatement on August 1st, a source tells NFL.com’s Albert Breer (on Twitter). Gordon must show the league he is clean in all areas (drug tests, off-the-field behavior, etc.) if he hopes to be reinstated, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
3:57pm: Josh Gordon‘s petition for reinstatement has been denied by the NFL, as Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer writes. Gordon can apply for reinstatement later in the year. 
[RELATED: Josh Gordon Fails Drug Test]
On Monday we learned that Gordon failed a drug test administered by the NFL in March. Gordon was due to hear back about his application for reinstatement by March 20th but the failed test threw a wrench into things. Now, Gordon’s career will continue to remain in limbo until further notice.
Since his entry into the league in 2012, Gordon’s NFL career has been tumultuous to say the least. He missed the first two games of the 2013 season following a drug suspension, but then went on to lead the NFL in receiving yards, finishing with 87 receptions for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns. Gordon will celebrate his 25th birthday tomorrow.
Hopes were high for the 2014 season, but Gordon’s off-the-field issues resurfaced, as he was first arrested for DUI, and then suspended for one year after again violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. He was eventually reinstated after only 10 games as part of the NFL and the players’ union agreeing to a new drug policy, which reduced the sentences for some players-in-limbo. The Browns subsequently suspended Gordon for the final contest of the season after he reportedly violated team rules, and then a failed alcohol test resulted in the wideout’s ban of at least a year last February.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Browns Work Out Darrell Greene
- San Diego State offensive lineman Darrell Greene has worked out – or will work out – for the Texans, Browns, Eagles, Colts, and 49ers, and has visited the Vikings and Chargers (link).
Josh Gordon Fails Drug Test
TUESDAY, 8:14am: Gordon’s possible reinstatement will be delayed for the time being, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. According to Schefter, the NFL would like to see 60 to 90 days of no red-flag tests before the league will feel comfortable considering reinstatement.
Since the season doesn’t get underway for another five months or so, that still leaves a window for the wideout to be reinstated in time to play in 2016, if he’s able to stay clean.
MONDAY, 5:44pm: Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon has failed yet another drug test, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Gordon, of course, has been awaiting reinstatement into the NFL and this latest failed drug test has apparently gotten in the way of that. 
[RELATED: Gordon Living With Ex-Browns QB Johnny Manziel]
The NFL collected a sample from the suspended Browns receiver in March. Both the “A” and “B” samples of Gordon’s urine were flagged as diluted and came up positive for marijuana. While the actual level of marijuana was below the 35 nanograms per milliliter required for a positive test, the diluted sample is considered a positive test.
Gordon applied for reinstatement on January 20th and the league’s policy states that a verdict must be reached within 60 days. We haven’t heard much on the former supplemental draft pick in the last few weeks and today’s news probably explains why he has been in limbo. Goodell has yet to rule on Gordon’s reinstatement request, according to a source who spoke with Garafolo.
Since his entry into the league in 2012, Gordon’s NFL career has been tumultuous to say the least. He missed the first two games of the 2013 season following a drug suspension, but then went on to lead the NFL in receiving yards, finishing with 87 receptions for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns. Gordon will celebrate his 25th birthday on Wednesday.
Hopes were high for the 2014 season, but Gordon’s off-the-field issues resurfaced, as he was first arrested for DUI, and then suspended for one year after again violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. He was eventually reinstated after only 10 games as part of the NFL and the players’ union agreeing to a new drug policy, which reduced the sentences for some players-in-limbo. The Browns subsequently suspended Gordon for the final contest of the season after he reportedly violated team rules, and then a failed alcohol test resulted in the wideout’s ban of at least a year last February.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Browns Meet With Lee, Greene
Myles Jack told SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that he has only worked out for the Dolphins and Saints so far. The UCLA linebacker, widely considered to be one of the top talents in the 2016 draft, is pegged to go No. 2 overall to the Browns in PFR’s (v. 1.0) mock draft. The Saints (No. 12 overall) and the Dolphins (No. 13 overall) may have to move up in the draft order if they want to land the athletic prospect.
- Baylor wide receiver Jay Lee has visits lined up with the Ravens, Browns, and Seahawks plus private workouts for the Patriots, Cowboys, Lions, Seahawks, and Jaguars, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- San Diego State offensive tackle Darrell Greene visited the Vikings and Chargers and he’ll have private workouts with the Texans, Browns, Eagles, Colts, and 49ers, Wilson tweets.
Browns Were Not Optimistic About Josh Gordon
Earlier today, the football world was rocked by the news that embattled Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon has apparently failed another drug test, putting his NFL future in jeopardy. However, top execs in the Cleveland front office probably weren’t all that shocked. The Browns were getting the sense for weeks that Gordon wasn’t going to be reinstated anytime soon and felt that it was possible that he might not get reinstated at all, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. The league office had concerns about who Gordon was continuing to associate with (link) and, after some initial optimism, the Browns started to fear the worst.
Connor Cook Visited Browns
Cook will have a busy schedule this week, according to La Canfora, who writes that the QB is visiting the Cowboys, Dolphins, Broncos, and 49ers. Cook will also visit the Jets and Bears, and work out for the Rams. He has previously visited the Ravens and Bills, and met with the Browns.
- Although Johnny Manziel told TMZ over the weekend that he’s living with Von Miller in Los Angeles, sources tell ESPN that Manziel is actually living with Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon. While it’s entirely possible that Manziel and Gordon are helping one another to stay out of trouble and get back on the field, the arrangement may not look great to potential Manziel suitors, or – in Gordon’s case – to the league office. It probably also didn’t improve Manziel’s odds of landing a job that he told TMZ that he had been out in West Hollywood five or six nights in a row, adding that he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with “partying.”
King: Do Browns Prefer Goff To Wentz?
- King spoke to 10 high-ranking team officials around the league about the draft, and one of them is convinced that the Browns prefer Jared Goff to Carson Wentz, despite the fact that most chatter up until this point has the team favoring Wentz. “It’s definitely Goff. Believe it,” King’s source said.
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