New England wide receiver Josh Gordon holds during practice on Sept. 19. The gifted, but troubled wide receiver has yet to take the field for the Patriots. ▲

FOXBORO — The biggest mystery in Foxboro comes in the form of a 6-foot-3, 225-pound athletic freak. He is as legendary as Big Foot and as mythical as the Loch Ness Monster. He's a player with Hall-of-Fame ability, someone who comes along every so often — or so we think.

Unlike those folklore monsters, Josh Gordon actually exists. But talk to people at Gillette Stadium about the newly acquired receiver's development and when he'll take the field, and the picture is about as clear as those grainy photos of Sasquatch.

How does he look in practice?

"You've got to ask coach about that one," Rob Gronkowski said.

Gordon is an enigma. He has been in New England for two weeks. He hasn't spoken to the media. Attempt to contact his former coaches or teammates and most refuse to comment — even his former quarterback, Brian Hoyer, who's now the Patriots' back-up.

In 2013, Hoyer targeted Gordon 19 times in a win over Minnesota. The receiver caught 10 of those passes for 146 yards and a touchdown. The next year, Hoyer targeted Gordon 16 times in a win over Atlanta as the receiver finished with eight catches for 120 yards.

"I can't speak too much on Josh because we're trying to get ready for the Dolphins," Hoyer said. "Obviously, you can't deny it. You put on the film and see him make plays. That's for sure."

Gordon's on-field talents have never been the issue. He's a player who you talk about in hypotheticals: He could be great. He could've been a star. With the 27-year-old, there are more questions than answers.

Can he turn it around in Foxboro?

Amazing talent

Michael Lombardi was tasked with turning the Cleveland Browns around when he was named their general manager for the 2013 season. For a team that went through GMs, coaches and players like Halloween candy, it was no easy task.

Lombardi knew he had to clear the roster of some headaches and that season made news by trading away running back Trent Richardson, who the Browns selected third overall in 2012. The next player he almost dealt was Gordon, who was entering his second year in Cleveland.

"We traded Trent Richardson that year and really contemplated trading Gordon," said Lombardi, who has recently authored a book, "Gridiron Genius," about his NFL experience. "We just felt like his talent was so above and that maybe we just need to give this a little more time to understand what we're dealing with. That's what we decided to do. There were people in the organization that we had to help him that were really positive about his ability to turn the corner."

Gordon showed talent in college, but was kicked out of Baylor following a failed drug test in 2011. He transferred to Utah, but never played a game. In 2013, he was suspended for two games for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy. This came a year after the Browns selected him in the supplemental draft.

When Lombardi took over, Gordon ended up having one of the best seasons in NFL history — even after missing the first two games. Gordon was named to the Pro Bowl and was a first-team All-Pro that year, leading the league with 1,646 receiving yards. He also became the first receiver in NFL history to have back-to-back 200-yard receiving games.

Behind the scenes, the Browns tried to work with their star receiver and get him on the right path.

"There was always the, 'is this going to be able to stay its course?' 'Can he maintain this or is it always going to revert back?'" Lombardi said. "I think that was always the concern. Back in '13 though, there was a hope that with the right support system and the right infrastructure, it could get turned around, but that really wasn't the case."

Instead, he served suspension after suspension. Gordon played five games in 2014. He didn't suit up at all in 2015 or 2016.

Back in stride

Last year, Jason McCourty was in his first and only season in Cleveland. He'd heard the stories about Gordon. For a player who had been out of the NFL for two seasons, that 2013 season only added to his allure. The rare display of size, speed and strength made Browns fans giddy. It was those skills that made the Browns keep him for so long.

But how would he look when he returned to football?

McCourty found out pretty quickly. Last year, Gordon was reinstated for five games. Before he could play, he was eligible to practice. It didn't take long for McCourty to see that the hype was real.

"I just remember him coming back the first week. He couldn't play. He was scout team and we were playing Cincinnati. He was A.J. Green and I had to match him," McCourty said. "I just remember him coming back and I was like, '[expletive], this guy can still play football.' ... He was still a beast."

Gordon made his return in Week 13, catching four passes for 85 yards. He finished the season with a four-catch, 155-yard performance against Pittsburgh. For a winless Browns team, it was the type of energy that excited made fans and teammates.

"I just remember that he's a great player, man. Really. Honestly," said Danny Shelton, who played for the Browns last season. "I love watching him practice and I love watching him play. So, I'm excited to have him on the team... He's an awesome player."

"I think just from a human being standpoint, [I was] happy and excited," McCourty added. "Obviously no one was with him every step of his journey of his process, but you assume for him it was probably a long time coming. You know the talent's there."

New beginning

After leaving the Browns in 2013, Lombardi joined the Patriots as an assistant to the coaching staff. He worked with Bill Belichick in Cleveland in the '90s and the two have remained friends. When the Pats traded for Gordon, Lombardi wasn't surprised.

When he watches the current state of the offense, it's obvious they need some receiver help. Of course, in order for Gordon to work out with the Patriots, he'll need to stay focused and the team will need to work with him.

"Every day is the first day. He's got to take it as the first day. He can't get caught up in the volume of the work," Lombardi said. "He's got to keep on working to improve. I mean, this is a talented kid. I think they've got to get him in shape and get him to the point where he can do the things that he has to do effectively through the whole game. On the field, he will be a factor because you're going to have to go out and over him. He's going to allow them to stretch the width of the field."

Gordon played one game this season with the Browns. He caught one pass, a 17-yard touchdown, in Week 1. On the play, Gordon simply ran straight after faking to the inside. Pittsburgh cornerback Cameron Sutton was there with him stride-for-stride, but the receiver was too big and leaped over the Steelers for the score.

Once again, a flash of brilliance.

When Gordon suffered a hamstring injury in a promotional shoot and then showed up late to the Browns facility, the team dealt him to the Patriots for pennies on the dollar. After sitting out last weekend's game, in Detroit, it's still a mystery as to how this receiver will do when he takes the field.

And don't count on his teammates to provide the answers.

"He's doing a lot of learning," Phillip Dorsett said. "He sits right next to me. He always has questions and he's trying to learn and that's great. He's a pretty smart guy. I know it's going to come along to him."

"He's just studying his playbook every time I see him," Gronkowski added. "He's in the playbook, just studying and just trying to get better."

Added Hoyer: "There's always lot of excitement around Josh because he's very talented. Obviously, Josh is going to work hard. That's what we do here."

"Very good receiver," replied McCourty when asked for a scouting report. "I don't want to give any competitive advantage. Teams will just have to see when he gets out there."

Who knows, maybe the legend will continue to grow.