Giants should just say no to Josh Gordon

On paper, the New York Giants would appear to have room on their roster for a quality veteran wide receiver. But, Josh Gordon? No, thanks!

CBS Sports recently listed the Giants as one of five potential landing spots for Gordon, who has once again applied to the league for reinstatement after last season’s fifth career suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs and substance abuse.

Cody Benjamin of CBS wrote:

New coach Joe Judge carries a no-nonsense attitude, but he was part of the Patriots team that welcomed Gordon to town in 2018. Fellow Giants staffers Jerry Schuplinski and Brett Bielema, a former Bill Belichick consultant, also witnessed Gordon's brief revival in New England. More importantly, the Giants could stand to improve their depth behind Golden Tate, Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton, especially with Daniel Jones entering a critical Year Two.

Would the G-Men want to invite Gordon and his history of availability issues to the New York market? Maybe not. But from a football perspective, the idea of adding another big body to that offense has merit.

Yes, I have said many times I was surprised the Giants did not add a wide receiver in the draft. Yes, the idea of adding a player with 247 catches for an average of 17.2 yards per catch over 63 games sounds appealing.

Until you realize we are talking about the 29-year-old Gordon.

Talented or not, this is a player who has been suspended five times, including missing two full seasons. How much more evidence does anyone need that this is a player with serious dependence issues who can’t follow rules or be relied upon? This is a guy whose dependence issues go all the way back to middle school.

Gordon has not played an uninterrupted NFL season since 2012.

Maybe if you are a team like the Seattle Seahawks, who took a chance on Gordon the second half of last season, in need of a short-term fix to help a playoff drive, you give Gordon a whirl.

Not if you are a building team like the Giants.

Yes, Giants head coach Joe Judge was in New England when the Patriots — thinking that with Bill Belichick and their established record of success they could help Gordon — gave him a chance.

Gordon played well, but also showed the Patriots the down side of relying on him by not finishing the 2018 season with the team when he violated the terms of his reinstatement under the league’s drug policy and was banned.

The Giants, with Judge, are trying to start over. Again. They are a young team looking to a hopefully brighter future. Judge is trying to build the type of team he wants.

Yes, the Giants are dealing with the legal problems of DeAndre Baker and Aldrick Rosas. Neither of those, though, were things anyone could have seen coming.

You know what’s going to happen if you take a chance on Gordon. He’s going to tease by making a few plays and having a few good games. Then, inevitably, he’s going to turn back to oen substance or another that will take him off the field again. He’s been doing that for nearly 20 years and while you root for him to get his demons under control there’s no evidence he will be able to do.

Bringing in Gordon would simply be asking for an eventual problem the Giants don’t need.

They should just say no.