Josh Gordon a worthy endeavor for Buccaneers to pursue

Given the struggles of any wide receiver not named Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, the pursuit of Josh Gordon would be a worthy one for the Buccaneers.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a problem on their offense right now: outside of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, they do not have a solid third option to throw the ball to. Given that only two touchdown catches on the season have come from someone other than Evans and Godwin, adding a talented receiver for an inexpensive price tag like Josh Gordon would be well worth the pursuit for the Bucs.

Gordon, released from the New England Patriots yesterday from injured reserve, now finds himself in search of his third team after getting traded to New England from the Cleveland Browns last year. While Gordon has a long and well-documented battle with mental health and substance abuse, all indications point that he has been moving in the right direction over the past two years.

When Gordon is on the field, he is undoubtedly one of the most explosive receivers in the league; the problem is whether or not he can remain on the field on a consistent basis. In fact, in his eighth season in the NFL, Gordon is still playing out his rookie contract as he has had a handful of years not count as a full year.

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So far this season, the 6-3 and 225 pound Gordon has recorded 20 catches for 287 yards and a touchdown in six games with the Patriots. In 12 games a year ago, the most he has played in four seasons, Gordon finished with 41 catches for 737 yards and four touchdowns, showing the ability to still be able to produce when he is on the field.

As the Bucs continue to seek the answer to filling the void left by Adam Humphries this offseason, they have already released Bobo Wilson, Breshad Perriman may not be far behind, and Justin Watson and Scotty Miller have not given the pewter and red offense any sort of production. If Gordon were to be added to this Bucs’ offense, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich would be able to put him outside the numbers opposite Evans and let the dependable Godwin take over the middle of the field.

Making just over $2 million this year on the last year of his contract, Gordon is well within the Buccaneers’ budget as well. While they would more than likely need to put a waiver claim, sitting eighth in waiver priority at this point in the season, to acquire the services of Josh Gordon, adding a third proven receiver could make a world of difference for quarterback Jameis Winston.