Josh Gordon's Reported Failed Drug Test Leaves Browns Even More Desperate at WR

There may not have been a team with a shakier corps of wide receivers in the NFL last year than the Cleveland Browns. There was speedster Travis Benjamin, veteran Brian Hartline, Dwayne Bowe's corpse and a motley crew of "who?"

It was the type of situation that leads one to shrug their shoulders and say, "Well, at least things can't get any worse."

But this is Cleveland, so of course things got worse, and now the Browns are left in straits so dire at wideout that it may not matter who the team drafts as its quarterback of the future...

Because he isn't going to have anyone to throw the ball to.

Benjamin, who led all Cleveland wide receivers in receptions (68), yardage (966) and touchdowns (five) last year, is gone, part of a free-agent strategy by the new brain trust in Cleveland that appeared to be "just watch everyone leave."

However, while the doubters groused and sportswriters blasted the Browns for allowing the little talent they had to walk out the door, there was a silver lining at wideout. A saving grace. There was hope.

That hope appears to have been dashed Monday.

Josh Gordon, who exploded for an NFL-leading 1,646 receiving yards two years ago, had applied for reinstatement from the indefinite drug suspension that cost him all of 2015. If the Browns got Gordon back for the upcoming campaign, it was a whole different story.

Except it isn't. It's the same, tired old story all over again. According to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports, Gordon failed yet another drug test last month:

"

Gordon's sample, which was collected in early March, tested positive for marijuana and dilute, according to a source informed of the results of the test. The source added that both the "A" and "B" samples collected were positive for marijuana and dilute. Though the level of marijuana was below the 35 nanograms per milliliter required for a positive test, the diluted sample is considered a positive test.

"

Mind you, this is the same day ESPN.com reported Gordon had a new roommate in California:

You can't make this stuff up.

When Gordon was suspended last year, the 24-year-old penned a defiant open letter at The Cauldron in which he both admitted his failures and stated his intention to overcome them.

"

First, words cannot express the remorse and regret I feel over this latest incident. I acknowledge that the repeated transgressions that have led up to this point have damaged my credibility, and for that, the only person to blame is me.

I have let down many in Cleveland — my Browns teammates, our hard-working coaching staff, the team’s ownership, and the loyal fan base that wants nothing more than to win. Playing there is different than in many other cities. We feel the fans’ pain. We know how important this is to them.

Also, I have disappointed the family and close friends who have always stood by me — no matter how tough things have been at certain points in my life. Believe me, there have been more dark days than I care to remember.

Most importantly, I have failed myself. Again.

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.

"

Well, he was half-right, anyway.

Now, at this point it's important to point out that a failed test doesn't necessarily mean another suspension for Gordon. After all, he would have to be reinstated by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in order to be suspended again. Call it the "Daryl Washington effect."

The thing is, it's called an "indefinite suspension" for a reason. As Garafolo points out, the league had already made it clear they were in no hurry to make a ruling on Gordon's application for reinstatement.

They aren't apt to suddenly rush now, unless it's to drop the hammer. Because as FanDuel's Will Carroll tweeted, in some ways a diluted sample may hurt Gordon more than just a positive test would have:

The appearance is that not only did Gordon get high, but he also then tried to game the system. That's not going to go over well in the NFL offices.

Once again, nothing is certain. But it's hardly a leap to surmise that Monday's news just cost Gordon the 2016 season. At least.

And that leaves the Browns in a truly sorry state at wide receiver.

Pos.	1st String	2nd String	3rd String	4th String
LWR	Andrew Hawkins	Taylor Gabriel	Rannell Hall	Darius Jennings
RWR	Brian Hartline	Marlon Moore	Terrelle Pryor

Go ahead. Bask in the awful that is their depth chart. The team's "starters" at wideout as things stand today combined for 799 yards and two touchdowns last year.

Combined!

Youngsters Taylor Gabriel and Darius Jennings both averaged less than nine yards a catch. Marlon Moore tallied all of 81 yards for the season. Pryor is a converted quarterback who was out of the NFL altogether most of last season.

And good luck addressing the problem with what's left on the open market. There are aging veterans like Anquan Boldin and Andre Johnson, because signing Bowe last year worked so well. A pile of players with resumes no better than what the Browns already have.

And Percy Harvin, because the Browns could use another headache.

That leaves the draft later this month. But even then there are problems.

For starters, this isn't 2015. Or 2014. This year's crop at the position isn't considered nearly as deep or talented as the classes that brought us the likes of Amari Cooper and Odell Beckham.

OVR Rank	Player	School	Height	Weight
11	L. Treadwell	Ole Miss	6'2"	221
23	C. Coleman	Baylor	5'11"	194
28	W. Fuller	Notre Dame	6'0"	186
31	J. Doctson	TCU	6'2"	202
44	T. Boyd	Pitt	6'1"	197
46	M. Thomas	Ohio State	6'3"	212
58	P. Cooper	S. Carolina	5'11"	203
69	S. Shepard	Oklahoma	5'10"	194
71	B. Miller	Ohio State	6'1"	201
77	R. Higgins	Colorado State	6'1"	196

Granted, this isn't to say there isn't talent on the board. But guess what? More problems!

Conventional wisdom has the Browns taking a quarterback at No. 2, whether it's Jared Goff of Cal or North Dakota State's Carson Wentz. There's good reason for that, even after the Browns signed Robert Griffin.

Using the player rankings from Dane Brugler of CBS Sports as a jumping-off point, the top four receiver prospects in this year's class will be gone by the time the Browns make their next pick at 32. This isn't to say that a player like Ohio State's Mike Thomas couldn't step in and make a Day 1 impact.

But the odds aren't in the Browns' favor, and when's the last time you remember this team catching a break?

That assumes the Browns even go wide receiver at No. 32. In a similar boat last year, the team completely ignored the position in the draft.

Given how that worked out, the new regime can't afford to repeat the old one's mistake.

Mind you, this isn't to say the Browns should use the second overall pick on a receiver. By the measurement of any draftnik in the business, that would be a substantial reach, especially in a season when there don't appear any sure bets a la Cooper a year ago.

But the Browns have three more picks (32, 65, 99) in the top 100. At this point, at least one (and possibly two) of those picks almost have to be wideouts.

That itself will create problems. In addition to losing Benjamin, the Browns lost a pair of starters on the offensive line this spring. That pick at No. 32 could have been used on a player like Alabama center Ryan Kelly. Every pick spent on a receiver is one the Browns can't use to fill the void at right tackle. Or free safety. Or inside linebacker.

The team has no choice though. The reality is this: Gordon isn't coming back any time soon. He might not ever. And if the team really is going quarterback at No. 2, then offensive line and wide receiver have to top the wish list.

After all, having a shiny new quarterback doesn't help much if he has no weapons or protection.

Being hamstrung in the draft is far from an ideal situation. Nothing about what's going on in Cleveland right now is.

But desperate times call for desperate measures. And when it comes to the wide receiver spot, make no mistake...

The Cleveland Browns are desperate.

Gary Davenport is an NFL analyst at Bleacher Report and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and the Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow Gary on Twitter @IDPSharks.