Oakland Raiders: Josh Gordon is the ultimate white tiger

The Oakland Raiders need a vertical threat and Josh Gordon just became available. But Raiders be wary, Gordon is the ultimate white tiger.

The Oakland Raiders need a vertical threat. Against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1, it became painfully apparent that without a speed receiver posing a deep threat, the offense will struggle.

To resolve this issue, the Raiders re-signed the white tiger. That is right, the Raiders needed a deep threat so bad that they would rather take than their chances with Martavis Bryant than play another game without a deep threat.

Head coach Jon Gruden made the famous statement about Bryant:

"I used to go to Busch Gardens in Tampa. We call (former Buccaneers receiver Joey Galloway) the white tiger in Tampa. You go to Busch Gardens and they’ve got a white tiger. You go 12 times or 13 times, the white tiger was always in his cage.But the white tiger came out today. Bryant came out. I don’t know if you get that analogy but sometimes he comes out to play and sometimes he doesn’t. It’s good to see him because he’s really special, like the white tiger. It’s late in the day here. – Jon Gruden via NFL.com"

Bryant is the white tiger because he never plays. But now a new option is in front of the Raiders. The Raiders could conceivably get into the mix to trade for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon. 

Gordon is just like Bryant except Gordon is astronomically better. It’s not even close. If Gordon can get himself straight, he could realistically become the greatest receiver in NFL history. I know that sounds outrageous, but anyone who saw Gordon in his prime knows that greatest of all time is realistic.

Gordon is just like Bryant except Gordon is astronomically worse. It’s not even close. Josh Gordon is far worse about getting on the field than Bryant. Browns offensive coordinator Todd Haley referred to Josh Gordon a “space shuttle” during HBO’s Hard Knocks.

"One tile missing and the launch is delayed for three months. – Todd Haley"

Josh Gordon is the ultimate white tiger. He is the definition of a space shuttle. When he comes out to play, there is nothing like it. The ground shakes and defenses cower in fear. The thing is, he never comes out to play. He is continually suspended. Yet the Browns hung on to the dream of seeing the space shuttle in flight. They saw Gordon’s work in 2013, then spent the next five seasons trying to get him back on the field.

Gruden and the Raiders need to steer clear of the fool’s gold that is Gordon. Yes, the offense desperately needs a vertical threat and Gordon could be phenomenal. The key words is “could be”. The Browns have lived off could be for half a decade.

Raiders need to leave the shuttle on the launch pad. Gordon’s failure to launch should not become the Raiders concern. As bad as the white tiger can be, he is no space shuttle. It’s not even close.