It's been widely assumed that the Patriots' move of receiver Josh Gordon to injured reserve this week would end his time in New England.
Gordon expects to be ready to come off IR in one to two weeks, according to ESPN's Josina Anderson. That would clear the way for his release from New England. Gordon's IR move was made with a minor designation, meaning the Pats have to release him once he's healthy.
As our Phil Perry pointed out, the IR move and subsequent release can keep Gordon off the free-agent market and likely keep him from signing with a contender. If he's released off of IR after the Tuesday trade deadline, which the ESPN report says is likely, Gordon would have to go through the waiver process and he wouldn't be free to sign with a team of his choosing. The waiver priority list is based on teams' won-lost records, meaning teams at the bottom of the standings and out of contention would first have a crack at Gordon.
MORE ON GORDON IN PATRIOTS TALK PODCAST HERE:
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