Josh Gordon Reportedly Likely to Be Traded or Released by Browns If Reinstated

Josh Gordon's days with the Cleveland Browns may be numbered should NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell formally reinstate him, ESPN.com's Dan Graziano reported Friday (h/t Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot).

Shortly before he was set to return to the field, the NFL suspended Gordon indefinitely last October. Graziano spoke to a source who said the league could rule on Gordon's availability for 2017 by late April or early May.

According to Graziano, the Browns will likely look to move on from the 25-year-old, whether that means trading him or releasing him outright.

Parting ways with Gordon would be Cleveland's best move. The team has waited long enough for him to return to an NFL field, and there's no guarantee the wait will even be worth it.

Cabot noted Gordon has missed 43 of the Browns' last 48 games. His last appearance in a regular-season game was in Week 16 of the 2014 campaign.

Gordon remains relatively young, but he'll have to shake off a lot of rust after missing two entire seasons. Based on his last reinstatement, Gordon will almost certainly face another multi-game suspension once again as well.

It's doubtful the Browns could swing a worthwhile trade involving Gordon. Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reported last August the market for his services was cool, which was before his indefinite suspension:

Should Cleveland expect an even more negligible trade return now, releasing Gordon would give him and the Browns the clean break both parties need.