The New England Patriots have been mostly mum about receiver Josh Gordon since his arrival last week. They’ve tried to hush one of the biggest stories of the season. Gordon hasn’t spoken with the media since he arrived, and his teammates and coach Bill Belichick have avoided speaking in depth about the receiver.

Still, a few positive signs have trickled through the Patriots’ informational steel curtain.

“He’s just studying his playbook every time I see him,” Rob Gronkowski said of Gordon on Wednesday during a press conference. “He’s in the playbook, just studying and just trying to get better.”

As Gordon has a history of substance abuse and addiction, which resulted in an indefinite suspension that lasted almost three years, the receiver’s dedication to learning the playbook is a big win. Hard work is fundamental to gaining respect in New England.

What might also help: His locker is right next to Tom Brady’s.

“Really been eager to get in there and learn everything we’re doing and you know, just try to acclimate himself to what the program is,” Brady said of Gordon last week.

That eagerness to learn may also keep Gordon’s mind on football. It’s not like he is avoiding his problems, however. Gordon has been open about his disease and spoke at length about it in a recent documentary on Bleacher Report. Gordon has said he wants to get better, he wants to get healthy. The Patriots have already begun surrounding him with people that can help. Before the Patriots’ loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Gordon spent time on the field with Patriots character development coach Jack Easterby.

Josh Gordon is hanging out and catching passes from Jack Easterby. He’s the Patriots character development coach. pic.twitter.com/rDzQqbtl3f — Mark Daniels (@MarkDanielsPJ) September 23, 2018

Easterby is a part of the Patriots’ culture — he is key in helping players, particularly troubled ones, acclimate to that culture. Gordon’s apparent openness in building that relationship seems like a positive step.

What’s more, the Patriots deemed it important to have Gordon on the field during their game on Sunday. They included him in huddles when receivers coach Chad O’Shea addressed the group, likely discussing technique, route assignments and in-game adjustments. Even though Gordon has been limited with a hamstring injury, the Patriots are doing whatever they can to keep him involved and engaged. This in-game exposure, which is abnormal for an inactive player, should help him learn New England’s methodology even faster. Gordon may also begin to build camaraderie with his position-mates.

Josh Gordon is part of the wide receivers huddle on the sideline going over plays. Part of the integration process. — Ryan Hannable (@RyanHannable) September 24, 2018

Gordon admitted in the B/R documentary that he missed a game because he’d gotten blackout drunk the night before. When he showed up late for the team plane in Cleveland, his general manager told him he wouldn’t be traveling with the team, so Gordon then turned around and partied that night. By including him on the field on Sunday night, the Patriots are eliminating that possibility of a relapse.

Finally, it’s a good sign that he’s still in New England after one week. It wasn’t a given he’d last this long, considering the Patriots have moved on from receivers after just 24 hours during the course of this season.

As the Patriots offense continues to flail through the first three weeks, Tom Brady badly needs more offensive firepower — and Gordon would certainly qualify. New England just needs to get his mind right, a task which the Browns couldn’t accomplish over the last five years.

So far, so good.