Pros, cons of making Jarvis Landry a 2021 salary cap casualty.
The way ESPN writer Dan Graziano makes it sounds, the Cleveland Browns may be without Jarvis Landry in 2021 in order to free up some of that all-so precious cap space.
Landry is slated to make $13.3 million next season and $15.1 million in 2022 on a deal given by former GM John Dorsey. Graziano points out, that none of money is guaranteed and perhaps Andrew Berry will want to forge his own path now that he’s in charge of Jimmy Haslam’s pocketbook.
It’s something to think about, considering the Browns drafted Donovan Peoples-Jones. Additionally, it won’t be all that surprising to see Cleveland take a receiver in the 2021, draft either, probably after the first round.
The said, Odell Beckham won’t be ready to start the season on time, and there’s no guarantee Rashard Higgins will be back.
Here’s the pros and cons of parting ways with Landry at the end of the season.
Pros of Browns cutting Landry
1. A Kevin Stefanski offense is one that is borne in the ground game behind the offensive line’s zone blocking scheme.
2. While Baker Mayfield’s been better than last season, he’s been just OK by NFL standards. The Browns are where they are because of their rushing attack and they don’t need to pay two receivers at $15 million per year to keep the ground game going.
3. Perhaps some of the money saved by moving on from Landry will be used to re-sign Nick Chubb who is eligible to sign an extension after the season.
4. Whether it’s Baker or the Browns offensive scheme, Landry is having a “meh” year by his standards. He’s been banged up with a rib injury and has just 36 catches for 448 yards and zero touchdowns.
5. Landry has never recorded fewer than 81 receptions in a season. Is it the offense? Is it decline? It’s something to think about when talking about his fit next season and in 2022.
Cons of cutting Landry
1. I don’t think the Browns want to cut Odell Beckham Jr., but if they did, they wouldn’t be able to do so until March–and that’s only if he passed a physical. OBJ has an injury guarantee and with Beckham’s recovery time just starting after surgery to repair his ACL, the Browns just aren’t going to eat that money.
2. In fact, $12.79 million of Beckham’s $14 million 2021 salary is guaranteed at that time, so yeah, he’s going to be a Brown unless Andrew Berry pulls off some kind of miracle trade.
3. If Beckham’s going to be here, there could be consequences to cutting OBJ’s lifelong best friend. Beckham gets visibility upset on the sideline when he doesn’t get the ball. How will his time play out if his frustrations are compounded by Landry no longer wearing an orange helmet.
4. It would be sad to see Landry go. He’s been a culture changer that’s been a breath of fresh air for Browns fans who’ve seen diva receivers come through town and fail to produce.
5. Remember back to 2018 when Landry was featured on “Hard Knocks.” He sat in the receivers room and talked about playing through injuries. Two years later, he’s leading by example, playing with an injured rib.
6. Ultimately, the owner gets the final say, and it was less than a year ago when owner Jimmy Haslam talked about Beckham and Landry still being part of the young “core “of this team. If that kind of language is being used, one would think Haslam had to be taking about more than just one more season.
Verdict
Despite what Graziano writes, look for Landry to be in a Browns uniform next season. I repeat, next season. The 2022 campaign is still too far away. The truth is the Browns already have loads of cap space, and that’s even after extending Myles Garrett.
The fact is that parting ways with him would be a chemistry altering move and there’s no need to gamble on it if the Browns don’t have to.
It all comes down to extending Baker Mayfield, in addition to Denzel Ward, who was taken three picks after Mayfield in the 2018 draft.
After nine games, the front office has to be in the same mindset as the fanbase when it comes to Mayfield. We simply don’t know if Mayfield is the quarterback who can lead Cleveland to the Super Bowl.
Berry and company will use the rest of this season trying to figure it out, and they’ll probably use next season, as well. That’s the perk of of having a fifth-year option on Mayfield.
While they can, they simply don’t have to extend him a multi-year offer if they’re not ready to commit.