Josh Gordon's Year-Long Suspension Should Be Last Straw for Cleveland Browns

Wide receiver Josh Gordon's Cleveland Browns career has been equal parts brilliant and frustrating, but following his latest slip-up it is time for the organization to cut ties with the gifted pass-catcher.

Gordon's issues are well-documented, as he has been suspended by the NFL on multiple occasions for violating the league's policy against substance abuse. He was supposed to miss the entire 2014 season, but he was reinstated after 10 games due to a change in policy.

Despite that new lease on life, Gordon squandered yet another opportunity when he tested positive for alcohol, which was in violation of the terms of his reinstatement. In the wake of his positive test, Gordon was subsequently suspended for the entire 2015 season, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter:

While Gordon has figuratively shot himself in the foot several times since entering the NFL in 2012, there seems to be a feeling of sympathy for him after the release of his open letter on Medium.com.

In that letter, Gordon accepted responsibility for his actions to some degree, but he was defiant at the same time.

"

What I do know is the following: I am not a drug addict; I am not an alcoholic; I am not someone who deserves to be dissected and analyzed like some tragic example of everything that can possibly go wrong for a professional athlete. And ... I am not going to die on account of the troubled state you wrongly believe my life to be in. I am a human being, with feelings and emotions and scars and flaws, just like anyone else. I make mistakes — I have made a lot of mistakes — but I am a good person, and I will persevere.

"

Gordon also explained the failed test for alcohol by chalking it up to a couple casual drinks, per Pro Football on ESPN:

Perhaps Gordon isn't an addict, but that simply isn't the point. Having a drink or smoking marijuana on occasion may not be terrible things in a vacuum; however, they are significant due to the fact that his NFL career is contingent upon him staying away from those things.

Even Browns teammate and fellow wide receiver Andrew Hawkins views Gordon as a troubled individual off the field, according to SiriusXM NFL Radio:

Hawkins may very well have Gordon's back, but his constant mistakes have to wear on his supporters and cause them to wonder if his talent is worth the distractions.

When Gordon is committed and on the field, there is no question that he is one of the best wideouts in football. That much was obvious in 2014 when he caught 87 passes for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns en route to an All-Pro selection.

The Browns eventually have to move on in order to move forward, though, and the time to do that is now.

Per Around The NFL, NFL Network's Albert Breer is of the opinion that Gordon will never play another snap for Cleveland:

Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com took that one step further by suggesting that Gordon's NFL career may be over:

While the notion that Gordon does or doesn't deserve another chance in the league is certainly debatable, it seems likely that someone will take a chance on the skilled receiver when he is reinstated 2016.

That team shouldn't be the Browns.

Cleveland already has enough to worry about, especially in the wake of quarterback Johnny Manziel entering himself into rehab. The Browns' quarterback situation is a major question mark, and the same can be said at wide receiver regardless of the team's future plans for Gordon.

With two selections in the first round, the Browns have a chance to move on and wash their hands of Gordon. They should be able to get either Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker or West Virginia wideout Kevin White to replace Gordon as the new No. 1 target in the offense.

Even if neither of them immediately become top-flight receivers as rookies, that shouldn't impact Cleveland's decision regarding Gordon. 

This situation transcends football, and it is time for the Browns to prove that they are a take-charge organization that is unwilling to be overrun by negativity.

Ultimately, there is no better way to do that than by pulling the plug on the Josh Gordon experiment.

Statistics are courtesy of NFL.com. Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter