Josh Gordon, Marijuana, and another NFL Lawsuit

Josh Gordon will be out for this entire NFL season for having marijuana in his system at some point last season.

Now, he broke a rule, and rules are rules. When you break one, you suffer the consequences. On the other hand, is it a smart rule any longer, given the fact that marijuana is legal in the two states whose teams played in last February’s Super Bowl and an increasing body of research that suggests it is safe or, put differently, has positive effects in certain circumstances?

Last spring, I went to a Sports Law Symposium at the New York School of Law. An ESPN reporter was one of the panelists on a discussion of PEDs and steroids in sports. During the Q&A session I asked something along the lines of: what do you think about the studies that have shown the potential of using marijuana and/or hormones to prevent and treat traumatic brain injuries?

I’m reading the book Think Like A Freak from the Freakonomics guys and one thing they discuss is our society’s inability to say: “I don’t know.” If we’re unwilling to understand that we don’t know everything, we’ll be unwilling to look for more information, different solutions and ideas.

Recently I heard Dr. Mark Gordon on the Joe Rogan Experience, who has done studies on hormone therapy and treating traumatic brain injuries and has seen positive results. Obviously, there is still more research to be done, but here is something I found on his studies in a quick Google search.

Now, attached here is an ABC News link to a report on a study done at Hebrew University in Israel. The study “shows that a cannabinoid, similar to the active ingredient found in marijuana and produced in the brains of many animals, protects mice from brain injury.” I can find a variety of other articles, but you get the point, there is real research being done on marijuana or THC to treat traumatic brain injuries.

Our media is filled with people who just don’t know what they’re talking about, but are really good at spouting the conventional wisdom or the “settled science”. But science doesn’t always settle like we would like it. Take, for instance, the almost 60 year ban on salt intake and eating meats. Many new studies—and resulting books—from credible sources have suggested that such prohibition may be doing more damage than eating salt and eating meat (not to immoderation, as with all things) Or what to make of the global cooling temperatures since 1997 which were not predicted by the global warming models?

I would have applauded the ESPN reporter  if he said: I don’t know  But he chose to respond  sarcastically instead. Due to the fact that he hadn’t done his research, he thought I was a crazy person for even asking that question.  But why not have a discussion on this?

The NFL is in the middle of a new lawsuit: “about 1300 NFL retirees filed a lawsuit accusing the league of illegally handing out painkillers, sleeping pills and other drugs without informing the players of the risks of health problems and addiction.”

Over the last 30 years or so, the NFL has allegedly been distributing performance enhancers to get their players on the field, Toradal, Percocet, Vicodin, anything that would allow them to keep playing while injured. Now players are suffering from addiction, health problems and a variety of issues stemming from drug use during their playing days.

According to the CDC, 55% of all drug overdoses in 2011 were related to pharmaceuticals; of that number, 74% of those deaths were from opiates like Percocet and Vicodin. Just yesterday, CNN published a story stating that medical marijuana laws may reduce painkiller overdoses. Dr. Marcus Bachhuber said, “there was about 25% lower rate of prescription painkiller overdose deaths on average after implementation of a medical marijuana law.”

The study shows that in 2010 alone, states with medical marijuana laws had approximately 1,700 fewer overdose deaths than would have been expected based on the numbers before the medical laws were passed.

Let me rephrase that, marijuana saved 1,700 lives from overdoses.  Maybe a smallish sample, but a meaningful enough sample to take notice of.  And, gee, one could argue that marijuana is safer than the drugs the NFL and its teams allegedly handed out, no? .

Who knows, in a few years, we all might look back and conclude that the NFL had better things than marijuana use to monitor and worry about. Maybe we won’t. But, at the very least, we and the NFL should be discussing the potential benefits researchers ascribe to certain usages of marijuana rather than simply spouting the conventional wisdom and punishing according to it.

Zack Moore

@ZackMooreNFL

www.AllAmericanHustle.com

Supplements: Onnit

Nicks, Britt, and Gordon- Should they be Traded?

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With trade rumors swirling in the NFL, I thought it would make sense to look at three of the big names mentioned at Wide Receiver and the reasons why the teams might or might not pull the trigger on trading their players.  The big names in question are the Giants’ Hakeem Nicks, Browns’ Josh Gordon, and Titans’ Kenny Britt. All three would seem to be on the block for various reasons and we’ll try to look at some comparables to determine what the players may gain in a trade.

Kenny Britt

Of the three names Britt is likely the least appealing. Britt is a former 1st round draft pick whose best seasons came in 2009 and 2010 when he looked poised to break out as one of the next great receivers in the game. Britt suffered a serious knee injury in 2011 that seemed to de-rail his career. Prior to his injury Britt averaged 17.5 YPC and was looked to be at a minimum a 55 catch/900 yard type player. Since then his numbers have plummeted to under 13 YPC and he has basically been benched by the Titans for general ineffectiveness. Britt’s off the field problems are well documented and I think there are some who question whether Britt is simply not recovered from injury or just unhappy in Tennessee.

Britt will be a free agent in 2014 and there is no chance that the Titans would designate him a franchise player. For Tennessee they first need to weigh what they would receive in draft compensation in 2015 if they let him walk next season. I don’t believe it would be much anything because there are so many questions surrounding him that it would seem hard to imagine a team signing him to anything more than a two year low base value but incentive laden contract.

There are rumors that the Titans are looking for at least a 3rd round pick for Britt. That number is insane and I’m not sure what justification there would be to that price tag other than management preferring to have him suffer through the rest of the year on the bench. The best high end comparison I could come up with for Britt was Santonio Holmes. Holmes was 26 years old when traded to the New York Jets prior to the 2010 NFL draft. Holmes was in the final year of his deal and had well documented off the field issues. He has just finished a season in which he went off for more than 1200 yards and was two seasons removed from being named Super Bowl MVP. Holmes only fetched a 5th round pick.

Another possible player to look at would be Ted Ginn, Jr, who was just 25 when he was traded from Miami to San Francisco. Ginn’s productivity was nowhere near that of Holmes and like Britt had seemingly regressed, though he was never at as high of a level as Britt. Ginn did not have the off the field issues and also had tremendous value as a kick returner. Ginn also only cost a 5th round pick and was set to enter free agency one year following the trade.

The final possible look would be Davone Bess. Bess was a bit older than Britt and never had the upside or cache of Britt, but maybe one could make an argument that a motivated post-injury Britt could be productive as a shorter field threat capable of gaining maybe 500-650 low impact yards a season. The trade for Bess amounted to a 5th rounder in return for Bess and a 7th. Bess was set to be a free agent when traded.

At the most the Titans could expect to receive a 5th round pick for Britt and even that could be pushing it due to his lack of use this season. He was never as good as Holmes and may not be as varied a threat as Ginn especially post-injury. My gut feeling is that they should be happy with receiving a 5th for him and giving up a 7th in return, similar to the Bess trade. Even a 6th rounder might be worth doing. I don’t see the compensatory pick being very large in this case, if it happens at all. It seems to be a trade that should happen if anyone is really interested.

Josh Gordon

Gordon is a very interesting prospect because he still has two years remaining on his rookie contract and will thus be an extremely low cost option for a team that acquires him. As a rookie Gordon had over 800 yards and this season would be on pace for 1700 yards if he played 16 games. So the upside with Gordon is tremendous. So why are the Browns looking to trade him?

In this case I think this is the Browns trying to strike before the clock strikes 12. Gordon has had many drug issues in the past and is one strike away from being out of the NFL for a full year. I doubt the Browns trust him to stay clean and he missed two games for a failed test this season. If he was to slip up again next year he goes from high value to no value.

The Browns are said to be seeking a first round pick for Gordon. It is pretty much impossible to find a comparable player because players this young never get traded.  In terms of off the field trouble Holmes would be a comparison, but contractually they were in very different spots. Godson would give a team 2 ½ low cost years while Holmes was only going to give one.

That said the only receivers in the last few years to get a 1st round pick in return were Percy Harvin and Roy Williams, both of whom were entering their contract years and received extensions following the trade. Williams was a colossal bust and Harvin has yet to play a game for Minnesota. Prior to that would be Deion Branch in 2006 and Randy Moss in 2005. Considering Gordon’s history I think a first rounder would be out of reach, though a 2nd rounder from a playoff contender could be in play.  Even a second, though, could be high. Brandon Marshall is the only recent trade (the one that sent him from Denver to Miami) to include a 2nd round pick. Beyond Marshall the only other trade I can recall is the 2007 in-season trade of Chris Chambers from the Dolphins to the Chargers.

Whatever decision is made with Gordon will take a great deal of guts on both sides. If the Browns think he can be clean then they should hold on to him. If they feel he is going to fail another drug test they should take a 2nd or 3rd for him.

Hakeem Nicks

Of the three names Nicks is the most intriguing. Nicks has had monster years in the past and has been treated as a true number 1 target. But injuries in 2012 seemed to move him to second fiddle behind Victor Cruz and it’s clear that he never regained his chemistry with QB Eli Manning. Nicks is on pace for nearly 1200 yards this year but it seems like a quiet 1,200 yards as he has battled drops and gaining the attention of his QB. Some seem to perceive a rift between Nicks and Manning that most will blame on Nicks going through the motions and not putting in the work.

Nicks is in the final year of his contract, but unlike Britt is going to be a Franchise player. I get the feeling that Nicks is not too thrilled to stay with the Giants but he is going to get that tag which will allow the Giants to control his rights for next season as well. While nobody expects the young wideout to really sign a contract with another team as a Franchise player it does set a bar even now as to his worth. The other two teams can dream and ask for whatever they want but the Giants are the only team that can truly block Nicks with the price they want.

I tend to think the rumors of the Giants being open to offers for Nicks is more of a fishing expedition to hear what he is worth to teams next season. They could just be setting the groundwork for a trade next year rather than this one. Provided the Giants don’t go wild in free agency next year, which they likely won’t, at worst he is worth a compensatory 3. So they are the one team that can really set parameters of a 1 all the way down to a 3 and have reasons behind those parameters.

Finding the trade value for Nicks is difficult because the results are so varied. Nicks is a much more proven player than Harvin and the Seahawks gave up a fortune for him in both draft picks and money. Harvin is also injury prone. Going back to the Williams trade in 2008 the situations could be looked at as similar. Williams often had lingering injury issues, but he had shown tremendous talent when healthy. Dallas gave up a first rounder and other mid round picks to get the job done. I would think both would be the Giants ideal scenarios.

Other teams could use the Braylon Edwards in season Browns to Jets trade as some type of lowball offer. Edwards was an extremely high draft selection who never really lived up to expectations in Cleveland and had fallen out of favor with the new coaching staff. Edwards still was somewhat productive and the Jets traded a 3 and a 5 along with some spare piece players in order to acquire Edwards from the Browns. Edwards was in the final year of his contract at the time of the trade. Other deals involving third round picks include Marshall from Miami to Chicago and Anquan Boldin from Arizona to Baltimore. Both players were in different stages of their carriers than Nicks

Nicks has been t he better pro than Edwards and remains more productive even now. Edwards was almost like a firesale trade because he clashed with the coach. The least the Giants should settle for is the two second round picks that the Dolphins gave for Marshall in 2010. Marshall also signed an extension almost immediately upon being traded. Teams could make the deal at a 2 and a conditional 3, with the 3 becoming a 2 if Nicks is re-signed.

The Giants clearly have options here and with the Franchise power probably do not have any reason to trade him this year. Unless he gets injured his value should remain the same and teams have shown a willingness to spend on the position. The only reason to trade him now would be because they want to make certain they have additional draft selections in the 2014 draft, which may not occur if they have him on the tag.

If it was me I would not trade him, but Franchise him instead and let him more or less seek out his own trade next year. If they do that early enough they should grab two picks over the next two drafts. It allows the Giants to keep up a mirage that they think this season means something and probably will not compromise their position in the long run.

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Per Schefter: Browns Prepared to Move More Players

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According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter the Browns are fielding offers for WR Josh Gordon and WR Greg Little

This has been a big week for the Cleveland Browns who, after an 0-2 start, are looking to move a number of pieces to prepare for the 2014 season and beyond. This news comes on the heels of trading away Trent Richardson, the number 3 pick in the 2012 NFL draft, and effectively benching QB Brandon Weeden, the number 22 pick in the 2012 NFL draft.

In many ways this speaks volumes about the way the new Browns staff feels that former Browns President Mike Holmgren built this football team.  The team moved up in the draft to select Richardson and cost the Browns a 4th, 5th, and 7th round pick. The Browns have now received an unknown 1st round selection in return.

Holmgren had drafted two QB’s since taking over the team in 2010, Colt McCoy and Weeden. The Browns traded LB Kamerion Wimbley in return for a 3rd round draft pick  to select McCoy. The Browns traded McCoy in April while they would likely like to trade Weeden if possible. Weeden was acquired with a pick that was received from the Falcons as part of a trade in 2011 in which the Browns moved out of the 6th spot, a pick  that turned into WR Julio Jones.

Gordon was a supplemental draft selection in 2012 which required the Browns to forfeit a 2nd round draft selection in 2013. Gordon was suspended for the first two games of the 2013 season and would carry a dead money charge of $1,542,418 in 2014 if traded this season. In terms of cap space it would actually cost less to keep him on the team than to trade him.  Little was a second round pick in 2011. Little’s dead money in 2014 if cut or traded would be just $230,000.

A look back on the Holmgren run for the Browns really looks very poor. Of the eight selections made in 2010 only 4 remain with the team in 2013, one of whom, RB Montario Hardesty, is on injured reserve and never developed into a contributor. The Browns released two of eight selections from the 2011 draft and are prepared to trade a third.

Holmgren drafted 11 players in 2012 plus used the supplemental pick on Gordon, making this a 12 person draft for the Browns. Of those 12 the new regime has traded Richardson (1st rounder), released LB James-Michael Johnson (4th rounder), traded WR Emmanuel Acho (5th rounder), released G Ryan Miller (5th rounder), released CB Trevin Wade (7th rounder), and released TE Brad Smelley (7th rounder). So the Browns have already seen fit to replace 50% of the entire draft and with a trade of Gordon looming and a move on Weeden seeming inevitable the Browns will have replaced 2/3 of an entire draft class within one season.

Follow @Jason_OTC

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