The Patriots acquired wide receiver Josh Gordon from the Cleveland Browns this afternoon for a conditional 5th round pick in the 2019 draft. The Browns made Gordon available this past weekend after the team decided to move on from the talented but troubled receiver.

The Patriots were clearly in need of an upgrade at the receiver position. The team only dressed four receivers Sunday in their 31-20 loss to the Jaguars. Gordon is the most talented receiver on the roster. In fact, he is the most talented receiver the Patriots have had since Randy Moss.

Keeping Gordon out of trouble off the field and accountable will be Bill Belichick’s first order of business. Sure, it helps that the Patriots have a culture of winning in place and that there are high expectations but the reality is, Gordon is a troubled soul and needs to be kept in line at all times.

On the field, Gordon is a rare specimen of size and speed. He can win one on one in all three levels of the passing game. He has a wide catch radius and is strong with the ball in his hands. As long as he has no issue picking up the offense and the route adjustments, Gordon will be fine.

The Patriots needed to upgrade at wide receivers and Gordon was the best available solution. Acquiring Gordon is a low cost, high reward move. If he is motivated and mature, he will have great success here. Similar to the success that Corey Dillon and Randy Moss had. If is a big word however when it comes to Gordon. He has let a lot of people down in his career and the Patriots could also be let down by him eventually.

Either way, Gordon is a clear upgrade over what the Patriots currently have at receiver and he will help the team right away.