During the 2013 Cleveland Browns season, receiver Josh Gordon was on the sidelines tying his shoes when a 10:30 a.m. practice was supposed to begin.

Gordon took his time, so coach Rob Chudzinski called over Aaron Shea, the team's director of player engagement, and let Shea know he wasn't happy.

After practice, Shea went up to Gordon and thanked him "for me getting an ass chewing from the coach."

Gordon, perplexed, asked why Shea had been yelled at. When Shea explained listening to the coach is the job of the director of player engagement, Gordon apologized.

Josh Gordon can be funny and engaging once he believes he can trust someone. Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

"The rest of the year," Shea said this week, "he was not late one more time."

Shea worked closely with Gordon for two years. He was by Gordon's side during Gordon's rookie season and during his second season when Gordon led the league in receiving despite missing two games to a league suspension.

"Josh is a good kid," Shea said. "He really is. He's a good kid. He's a quiet kid. He's inconsistent with his work ethic. He had respect for me, but it took some time to get it."

How that happened and how Shea worked with Gordon illustrates what a team must do to work with players to gain trust and develop rapport — all geared toward making the player the best he can be. Shea's job entailed everything from going to a player's house to make sure he would be at work on time to hooking up players with Cavaliers tickets to holding seminars or talks about financial planning and away-from-the-facility behavior.

"I would show up at work early," Shea said. "When I pulled into work I would look for two cars: Josh's and T-Rich's [Trent Richardson]. If I saw those cars, it was a good day."

Shea played for the Browns from 2000-2005 then returned to work for them in 2009. He moved into the player engagement role in 2012 and earned the respect of almost every player on the team. He tried to run the job understanding the demands on the players (he was one) while also requiring them to be accountable.

He was replaced last May in one of those moves that have become so common to the Browns. A new general manager wanted his own guy, so Ray Farmer brought Jamil Northcutt, whom he knew in Kansas City.

To say that Gordon's most recent yearlong suspension for failing an alcohol test is the result of a change in the director of player engagement would be absurd. Gordon is responsible for his actions, and part of Farmer's statement when Gordon was suspended read: "Throughout his career, we have tried to assist him in getting support like we would with any member of our organization. Unfortunately our efforts have not resonated with him." But in replacing Shea, the Browns made a move not because of incompetence or problems. They made a move made as part of the constant cycle of change, and in doing so replaced a guy Gordon liked and trusted.

Shea's advice to Chudzinski and Pat Shurmur before him about Gordon: Be consistent, hold him accountable, fine him the maximum if he earned it.

"If you come in hard right away, you shut him down," Shea said. "But if you come in and gain his respect then after that you can come in hard on him."

Shea said he did that with private talks with Gordon about his future and his ability, and with blunt talks about being responsible and accountable.

Shea described Gordon as quiet, reserved, almost afraid to trust people initially. But once Gordon warms up to people he's funny, insightful and good to be around.

"He's misunderstood," Shea said. "I can see why people are down on him. Josh really needs to grow up because this is it. He's heard that enough, but I think this is really, really it."

Shea said if he were with the Browns he would do all he could to ensure Gordon comes back a more complete person by providing as much structure as possible. The problem: During this yearlong suspension Gordon is not allowed in the building or to have contact with the team, though he can be in touch with his treatment coordinator.

"I really hope for the best for Josh," Shea said. "But the way he played this year you could tell just by watching there was something clearly wrong with him."

As for the organization he cares about as a former player and employee, Shea admitted there was some dysfunction when he worked in Berea, with people trying to do too many jobs instead of their own. He also reads what is happening now and shakes his head, some of it is discussed publicly (Farmer being investigated for illegal texting) and some not as noticed. An example: Shea called excessive criticism of Brian Hoyer on the team's in-house radio show "classless."

It all makes him shake his head — and brings to mind what Bernie Kosar said in December about the organization flailing at trying to build a winning culture.

"The bottom line is Browns fans deserve better," Shea said. "Some of the stuff Bernie said was spot on. Hard-working people around here pay a lot of money to come watch an average team, at best."