Cleveland Browns would be reckless not to redo contract of Jarvis Landry
The Cleveland Browns won’t carry the $16.3 million cap number carried by Jarvis Landry. They can’t. Doing so would be irresponsible.
Jarvis Landry is a fan favorite, but the ones we put on pedestals are the one we often overlook when their careers starting trending in the wrong direction.
Landry is in the news a month before the new league starts, making headlines for his claim that he came back from injury too soon.
Either way, there’s no way you’ll convince me the Browns’ analytically driven front office is looking at Landry, 29, eager to pay him all that money in 2022.
He’s coming off his worst season–a 52-grab campaign that resulted in a career low 570 yards and two scores. He missed five games because of injuries and notably, had some crucial drops in the Halloween debacle against the Steelers.
Cleveland Browns: Landry’s tailspin is two seasons deep
If you want to look back a tad further, 2020 wasn’t exactly worth the $14.7 million he made. He played in 14 of the 16 games, compiling 72 receptions (his career low at the time). He tallied 840 yards and three touchdowns.
With the Browns probably looking at quarterback upgrades, while an extension for Denzel Ward is on the way, the front office will look at what makes sense. If Landry doesn’t re-do his deal, my guess is Andrew Berry and Paul DePodesta will cut him and absorb the $1.5 million in dead money.
Ideally, Landry agrees to a restructured deal and provides Cleveland with a veteran slot receiver–which is what he is at this point of his career.
Plus, losing him really puts the receiver room in peril, with inconsistent Donovan Peoples-Jones and still-project Anthony Schwartz as the only experienced players on the roster.
As for Landry’s claim that he returned too early, well, it’s concerning because everyone should be on the same page–doctors, coaches and the player–when an injury occurs. Obviously, it doesn’t happen that way in Cleveland, which sounds the alarm.
Next. Could trade price for Jimmy G be this low?. dark
Landry’s claim also conjures up memories of Jedrick Wills returning early from his ankle injury. Something never seemed right and the Alabama product had a terrible sophomore season.