FOXBORO -- If a change of scenery might help get Josh Gordon's career back on track, then that's what the Patriots are giving him. All Gordon has to do in the Patriots locker room is look to his left and know he's a long way from Cleveland.
The Patriots issued Gordon the open locker immediately to the right of Tom Brady's. They are neighbors, and that's not by chance.
That particular locker stall, to Brady's right, has been empty since the summer. Even when there were 90 players on the roster. It seemingly served as extra storage space for the quarterback.
Now it's home base for the receiver with the other-worldly gifts on what might be his last shot at an NFL gig.
To Gordon's right is the locker for Cordarrelle Patterson. Down the line are the lockers for Brian Hoyer, Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett and Rob Gronkowski.
New England Patriots
There are plenty of other open stalls in the Patriots locker room. Gordon could've been given Kenjon Barner's old stall, for instance, which is across the room from Gordon's new post.
Instead, Gordon is shacked up next to the most accomplished football player in the NFL's modern age.
If Gordon needed a nudge in the right direction, a wakeup call, or just a change of scenery to get on track and tap into the level that made him a 1,600-yard receiver in 2013, the placement of his locker won't do the trick all its own. But, if it might help, if it might lead to conversations with Brady that will help him acclimate to the Patriots system, then why not?