Report: 49ers were among teams that expressed interest in Browns' Josh Gordon last season

Back in June, former Cleveland Browns CEO Joe Banner revealed that he and former general manager Michael Lombardi wanted to trade wide receiver Josh Gordon over fear he would fail a drug test and face a lengthy suspension from the NFL.

Those fears proved accurate, as Gordon was suspended for one year after violating the league's substance-abuse policy. Banner and Lombardi were let go at the completion of the 2013 season.

According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the San Francisco 49ers were among the teams inquiring about Gordon last season leading up to the trade deadline. Trade talks reportedly progressed to the point where the 49ers had a second-round draft pick and other players on the table.

The discussions were eventually put to rest by Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, who served as a "tie-breaker" between the front office and coaching staff, La Canfora reports.

Gordon won't be active for Sunday's regular-season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but multiple reports suggest his suspension could be overturned if the NFL reaches an agreement with the NFLPA on a revised drug policy.

NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith said Friday that the union will seek a reversal of suspensions that occurred in the current league year but saw players punished under the previous policy.