Browns: 5 best offensive players halfway through the season

#4 – WR Jarvis Landry

This is where the offense is showing it’s wear and tear. Jarvis Landry isn’t playing like he’s one of the five best players on the team right now. He’s eight games in and has yet to post a 90-yard game and not for a lack of opportunities. While Landry has never stretched the field, having only 11.1 yards per reception for his career and at his career-best ranking just 26th in 2019 for yards per reception (64th in 2018) among qualified receivers. He’s never been this ineffective before. With Baker Mayfield having a bounce-back year from 2019, the question turns to why? Part of the reason is that the team is running more, sure.

That doesn’t account for the constant drops or his declining athletism. That has to solely fall on his hip injury, which was something often talked about in the offseason that could linger and affect him more than people realize. He’s already been listed on the injury report as having hip issues again and whether that’s a flare-up of his surgically repaired hip or a new injury is frankly irrelevant; the fact that it’s still affecting him is all that truly matters.

Landry, if healthy, one could argue is a top 10 or even top-five receiver in the league. A more efficient and trustworthy option over his friend Odell Beckham Jr., but the injury has slowed him down. He’s still leading the team in yards, and receptions despite all this, but more and more you can see Mayfield working in the tight ends and not just because it’s Kevin Stefanski’s offensive preference either. Landry’s doing the best he can, but he clearly needs more rest and time to recover than he’s getting.