NFL Notebook: What sort of support system is in place for Josh Gordon in New England?

In this week’s edition of the NFL Notebook, we look at maybe the most positive stat for the Patriots through the first two games, how some notable in-season pickups did in their first game with New England, and revisit an amazing story involving former Patriots wide receiver Kenbrell Tompkins. But first, we take a look at some of the constructs that are in place to help a guy like Josh Gordon in Foxborough.

1. A few more notes from our conversation earlier this week with an NFC scout, including some thoughts on the pickup of Josh Gordon and locker room construction.


On Gordon: “When he’s on the field, he’s one of the best in the league. He’s got amazing talent. Right now, I’d just put him out there and have him run slants all day long, because he can catch the ball in traffic and no one can catch up to him. The off-the-field stuff is what trips him up.

“The good thing for him is that every team has people who help players with off-field stuff, and I know the Patriots have a set up to help out guys like that. A lot of teams use former players. Some use women, but a lot of teams have former players as basically ambassadors to help get them straight when it comes to off-field stuff and just general life skills. The thing is, when you’re dealing with some of these guys, there’s ego involved — ‘I can figure it out.’ A guy like Gordon, he’s failed enough to recognize he needs help. He should be smart enough to lean on whoever is in that role with the Patriots to help him get his shit together.”

The scout also referenced some of the lessons Bill Belichick learned from Al Davis when it came to roster construction and finding a balance on your roster between high-character guys and players you take a risk with. The biggest one? You can take a chance on someone like Gordon if you have enough positive guys in that locker room.

“I see him doing that more and more the last couple of years, taking chances with guys like Gordon and (Kenny) Britt. The risk? It (expletive) up the locker room if that balance starts to tilt.”

2. With the arrival of Gordon in Foxborough this week and landing the locker spot next to the quarterback, there was a lot of locker talk this week. From 2002 through 2006, the layout of the New England locker room was fairly straightforward in that it was a numerical stretch around the room, clockwise. That meant, for example, that Brady was in between whoever was wearing No. 11 and No. 13 at any given moment. That all changed in 2007, as Randy Moss (No. 81) was plunked down next to Brady. Over the years, the quarterback has had a variety of different players dress next to him, including Deion Branch (when he returned in 2010) and Jacoby Brissett (until he was dealt before the start of last season). He’s also had notable offensive skill position players locker near him, but not necessarily next to him. (Chad Ochocinco was one locker away when he was on the roster in 2011.) On Friday, I asked Brady if that’s something he coordinates — does he request to have guys locker next to him? “Coach decides on all those things, so we just kind of show up,” he said. “Those things happen.”

3. With Gordon showing up this week -- and maybe to create a realistic level of expectation if he is active this weekend -- here’s a look at how some notable in-season acquisitions for the Patriots over the last few years did in their first games for New England.

Cornerback Aqib Talib: Acquired from Tampa Bay midway through the 2012 season, he sat for the first week because of a PED suspension, but had five tackles and an interception the following week in his first game with the Patriots.

Wide receiver Phillip Dorsett: While not technically an in-season pickup, he was acquired via trade last Sept. 2. Five days later, he was in the lineup and played 18 snaps against the Chiefs for the regular-season opener.

Wide receiver Kenny Britt: Signed on a Tuesday last December, he was in the lineup the following Sunday for a key contest against the Steelers and played two snaps and caught one pass for seven yards in the win over Pittsburgh.

Wide receiver Deion Branch: In his second stint with the Patriots in 2010, he was dealt to New England on Oct. 11. On Oct. 17, he was in the lineup for 53 snaps and caught nine passes for 98 yards and a touchdown.

Running back LeGarrette Blount: Like Branch, Blount was able to jump right back in when it came to his second act in New England. He was signed by the Patriots on Nov. 20, 2014, and two days later, he ran for 78 yards on 12 carries in a win over the Lions on 16 snaps.