Josh Gordon would probably be the best WR in football today if he was still playing, he's even better than Sheldon Richardson, but what good does that do for the Cleveland Browns?Has nothing to do with Richardson being clean as a whistle....
There isn't a GM in the NFL that would make this trade.. Richardson is a proven Star... Mettenberger is not even considered to have franchise QB upside, maybe slightly above avg upside... Character issues are nto a reason to trade away a talent like Richardson.. you live and die with that kind of talent.... Trading him now for Mettenberger is just so in hingsight you can say you knew he would fizzle out with the law again.... Negative thoughts. How about getting the kid the right help, counseling, rehab etc... to make sure it doen't happen again... and grow him as a player and a person.
They have the best WR in football, who watches their games on TV. And now, at 24, his career is essentially over.
Not too long ago Aldon Smith was the best young pass rusher in the game, coming off a 20 sacks season. The following year he got suspended for four games and dipped to 8.5, the next year (last year) he got popped again, ten games, and dipped to 2 Sacks, and now, at 25 Years Old, his career is essentially over.
We have an immensely talented knucklehead who is self-destructing before our eyes and headed in the exact same direction. Sure he can have an epiphany and avoid becoming the next casualty, but I see no evidence of it, I see a guy who got arrested 12 days after his four game suspension for weed and the cop said he smelled weed in the car. IMO this guy has Josh Gordon and Aldon Smith written all over him.
If I can get a serviceable young QB for him who has great size and a strong arm, which is to say, who has some upside to his game, its something I at least have to consider. You may decide its a bad idea and I might agree, but its not the dumbest trade idea ever as you suggested. IT WOULD BE if Sheldon Richardson was in no danger of sabotaging his own career, but he is, and Mettenberger has a chance to become a pretty good starting QB, something we don't have right now.