Cleveland Browns talked to 49ers about trading receiver Josh Gordon, deal unlikely, report says

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Josh Gordon bobbled but pulled in this 37-yard TD pass from Brandon Weeden in the third quarter Thursday night. It tied the Browns and the Bills at 24, and the home team pulled away from there.

(John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer)

BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns and 49ers have discussed a trade involving wide receiver Josh Gordon, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, but he reports the deal is unlikely because help is already on the way for last year's Super Bowl participants.

With receiver Mario Manningham (ACL and PCL) coming off the physically-unable-to-perform list and receiver Michael Crabtree (Achilles) due to return in November, the 49ers might not have a pressing need for Gordon, who's second on the team with 303 receiving yards on 18 catches.

Schefter reported on Sept. 22 that the Browns were fielding offers for both Gordon and Greg Little. Sources told cleveland.com at the time that it was unlikely Gordon would be dealt, and if he was, it would only be because he's one strike away from a year's suspension for violations of the NFL's substance abuse policy.

Gordon was suspended the first two games of the season for a positive codeine test and admitted recently he's reached the point of one more positive test and he's out. Gordon acknowledged that the possibility of getting dealt will be in the back of his mind until the trade deadline passes, Oct. 29th at 4 p.m.

Acquired in the 2012 supplemental draft, Gordon's second touchdown reception of the season came Thursday against the Bills, a 37-yarder that tied the game in the third quarter. The Browns went on to win 37-24. He also caught a 47-yard TD in Minnesota.

Gordon, who led the Browns in receiving yards (805) and TDs (5) in 2012, has seven career TD catches, all of which are for 20 yards or more. He averages more than 43 yards on those TDs.

"He's a legit No. 1 receiver,'' said cornerback Joe Haden.

The 49ers (3-2) have Anquan Boldin and little else until Crabtree and Manningham return. They're poised to end up with two second-round picks next season thanks to a conditional trade with Kansas City.

Third QB? Coach Rob Chudzinski said the club is exploring its options in regard to a third quarterback, but that it feels comfortable with Weeden and Jason Campbell. He said tight end MarQueis Gray, the former University of Minnesota quarterback, would serve as the emergency third QB.

“I’ve done it both ways, had two or three (QBs on the roster), so I’m comfortable either way,'' said Chudzinski. "It’s just a matter of us looking through our options and weighing those things, and then coming up with the best decision.”

Gray, who served as a fullback against the Bills when Chris Ogbonnaya left with a concussion, said coaches kept coming over to him and telling him to stay ready.

"I would've been a little rusty, but I'll do whatever they need to me to do,'' he said. "Any way I can get on the field, I'm happy to do it.''

Gray took two wildcat snaps the week before.

Hoyer's surgery: Chudzinski said doesn't think Brian Hoyer has scheduled his ACL reconstruction.

"I believe he has one more doctor looking at it,'' he said.

Gipson responds to criticism: Safety Tashaun Gipson, who pumped his fists several times while Bills quarterback EJ Manuel was on the ground with a knee injury from Gipson's open-field tackle, said he had no ill intent. Manuel is out several weeks with a knee injury.

"Everything was happening so fast,'' he said. "I was not celebrating this guy being hurt and things like that. I know me personally, suffering an injury last year, I definitely wouldn’t be able to celebrate that I hurt somebody because that wasn’t my intention when I made the tackle.

"I thought it was a good solid hit. Anytime you get to hit the quarterback, I mean that’s a good feeling but I definitely did not condone hitting him and injuring him in any shape, form or fashion. I can truly believe that people can interpret my actions after the hit but at the end of the day I know me personally as a person I’m not that type of guy so I’ll just kind of leave it at that.”

He said he hasn't heard from the league office, but that his Twitter account has blown up with criticisms. He was not penalized at the time.

"I've got a job to do as well as he's got a job to do and we’re going to go out there and may the best man win and at the end of the day that’s all I can truly try and do," he said. "I can leave everything else into the league’s hands and things like that. But no, to answer your question I haven’t got a fine.”

He admitted the gesture was a little out of line, but he didn't mean to be.

“I did not know that I was gonna injure this guy ... and have him out so that’s not what my intent (was) but ... my gestures at the end of the play probably didn’t suit me well. ... At the end of the day we all in here, we’re all brothers in some way because we're out here playing and giving the fans what they want to see and I would not try and hurt the quarterback of their team and I dang sure wouldn’t celebrate about it.”

Gipson also said fellow safety T.J. Ward never warned linebacker Kiko Alonso that the Browns were going to get Manuel, which is what Bills center Eric Wood said he heard Ward yelling. An NFL spokesman said the league is not looking into Wood's charges.

Injuries: Defensive end Billy Winn (quad) sat out practice. Linebackers Jabaal Sheard (knee) and Quentin Groves (ankle) ran outside with the trainers. Fullback Chris Ogbonnaya (concussion) ran outside but was held out of practice. … Receiver Josh Cooper was re-signed to the practice squad and linebacker Justin Staples, from Berea, was released. ... Lions receiver Calvin Johnson (knee) is improving, but no statement was made about his availability for the Browns.

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