Wide receiver Josh Gordon and quarterback Nick Foles both entered the NFL in 2012. Gordon was a second round pick in the supplemental draft and Foles was selected in the third round of the standard draft. Imagine if they switched places?
According to a report from ESPN's Phil Sheridan, the Philadelphia Eagles rejected a Josh Gordon-for-Nick Foles trade prior to the 2013 season. At the time, Gordon was facing a two-game ban for violating the NFL substance abuse policy while Foles lost the starting quarterback job to Michael Vick in Philly.
However, despite not being starters at the very beginning of the season, Gordon ended up leading the NFL in receiving yards (1,646) on 87 receptions while Foles started 10 games, helped the Eagles to the playoffs with an 8-2 record and led the league in passer rating (119.2). They were both selected to the 2013 Pro Bowl.
Sheridan noted that the Eagles were concerned about Gordon's suspension and they were high on Foles heading into that season. In Cleveland, the Browns had Jason Campbell and Brandon Weeden as their quarterbacks, but wanted Foles as their starter. The Browns CEO at the time, Joe Banner, was with president of the Eagles when they drafted Foles, which explains why Cleveland had interest in making the deal.
Interestingly enough, both of these players' futures with their respective teams are now in doubt. Foles was having a poor season (186-of-311 for 2,163 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions) before he broke his collarbone and missed the final eight games of 2014. His status for 2015 is now in doubt because it was reported last month that the Eagles "are plotting several draft moves to grab Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota." Eagles' head coach Chip Kelly spent one season with Mariota in 2012 when he was head coach at the University of Oregon.
On the other hand, Gordon was suspended for the first 10 games in 2014 for again violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, and the Browns suspended him for the final game of the year for "violating team rules." The 23-year-old then reportedly tested positive for alcohol last month and will now face a one-year suspension, which puts his future with Cleveland in serious question. Gordon was on probation with the NFL for his previous violations and was subjected to random drug tests for alcohol and other substances.
So I guess the million-dollar question we gather from this report is - where would Johnny Manziel be right now? The only answer we can come up with is "most likely not rehab."
