All Dolphins

Should the Dolphins Consider Josh Gordon?

The Miami Dolphins have added a lot of players since the end of last season, so it's fair to ask whether they would think about signing free agent Josh Gordon after reports surfaced that the wide receiver Josh Gordon has applied for reinstatement into the NFL

Alain Poupart

Jeremy Brevard-USA Today Sports

Josh Gordon on one side and DeVante Parker on the other?

Certainly sounds appealing, but what are the chances that the Miami Dolphins would try to make that happen if they had the opportunity?

Gordon ended the 2019 season serving a fifth league suspension, but now reportedly has applied for reinstatement.

Gordon is an unrestricted free agent and therefore free to sign with any team. He made $2.025 million last year on a one-year contract, according to spotrac.com.

Given his history, however, it's not likely there'll be much of a bidding war for his services. As a gauge, the Seahawks claimed off waivers last year after he was released by the Patriots when they had the 27th priority claim, meaning 26 teams passed on him.

The Dolphins were one of those teams, though he certainly wouldn't have been a good fit on a team that clearly was rebuilding.

But the Dolphins are a different now after all the offseason additions and maybe they would look at Gordon in a different light.

As a receiver, there's never been any question about Gordon's ability. He was an All-Pro selection with the Cleveland Browns in 2013 when he had 86 catches for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns — despite missing two games because of his first NFL suspension.

The one stat that stands out about Gordon is his 17.2-yard average, which is tied with DeSean Jackson for best over the past eight seasons among all NFL receivers with at least 100 catches.

The idea of having Gordon opposite Parker truly is appealing, no question.

But it's difficult to get past the reliability factor, especially considering Gordon's 2018 and 2019 seasons each ended with an NFL suspension.

The Dolphins do have a lot of options at wide receiver alongside Parker, starting with second-year player Preston Williams, but there question there is whether he can regain his rookie form after sustaining a torn ACL in November.

Another factor that could be at play for the Dolphins is the Dion Jordan factor.

The organization was burned badly by Jordan, and his off-the-field issues, after they traded up to pick him third overall in 2013, ironically the same year Gordon tore it up but also had his first suspension.

Head Coach Brian Flores was with New England at that time, but General Manager Chris Grier was with the franchise as the director of college scouting.

While it was a different issue, the Dolphins also were burned last year when they took a gamble on running back Mark Walton after his off-the-field issues with the Cincinnati Bengals and they ended up releasing him after he was arrested (the charges eventually were dropped).

So let's just say the first reaction just might be to steer clear of Gordon, no matter how talented he is.

By all accounts, his time in Seattle went well last year and Seahawk Maven Publisher Corbin Smith thinks the Seahawks would be smart to bring him back if he does get reinstated.

If they don't, the Dolphins should investigate the possibility at the very least. It could be an interesting twist to have Gordon come to Miami after playing for Seattle, given that Jordan went to Seattle after playing in Miami.

But the reality is that Gordon coming to Miami is a highly unlikely scenario.

Published
Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

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