Getty Wide receiver Odell Beckham #13 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates with wide receiver Jarvis Landry #80 after Landry scored a touchdown during the first half against the Miami Dolphins at FirstEnergy Stadium on November 24, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Browns still need to fill out their depth chart at wide receiver, and a familiar name is appearing more and more likely to get the nod for one of those jobs.
Wideout Jarvis Landry parted ways with Cleveland less than four weeks ago, but one analyst is now predicting he’ll be back in orange and brown before the regular season begins in September.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report wrote on Tuesday, April 5 that a reunion between Landry and the team for which he has played the last four years makes more sense than any other outcome for the wide receiver.
Jarvis Landry will turn 30 in November and is coming off an injury-impacted season. However, he’s still a dangerous slot specialist who will help an offense wherever he lands.
The Browns released Landry in a cap-saving move, but a return to Cleveland is possible.
Landry has been Cleveland’s most dependable pass-catcher over the past four seasons, and the Browns still have plenty of cap space available at $21 million.
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Browns Split With Landry After Four Seasons For Financial Reasons
GettyWide receiver Jarvis Landry, formerly of the Cleveland Browns, celebrates after the Browns defeat the Denver Broncos at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 21, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Landry signed a five-year deal worth $75.5 million with Cleveland in 2018. He played on that contract for four seasons, earning trips to the Pro Bowl his first two years with the Browns. However, Landry’s fourth year was marred by injury and proved the worst of his Cleveland tenure.
Landry injured his knee in the early going last season, which allowed him to play in just 12 games but hampered him during many of those appearances. He amassed career-low totals of just 570 yards and two touchdowns as a result, per Pro Football Reference.
The Browns traded with the Dallas Cowboys for wide receiver Amari Cooper on March 12, after which Landry sought, and was granted, permission to seek a trade. Two days later, however, the Browns released Landry in the interest of clearing $15 million in cap space.
It’s what happened in the days after Landry’s release that changed things for both sides.
Catalyst For Quick Turnaround Between Landry, Browns
GettyWide receiver Jarvis Landry, formerly of the Cleveland Browns, warms up during a game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on November 28, 2021 in Baltimore, Maryland.
One day after Cleveland cut Landry loose, the team held its first meeting with former Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson. Just a few days later, the three-time Pro-Bowler was a member of the Browns’ roster.
The obvious shift away from Baker Mayfield as the team’s quarterback of the future was enough on its own to catch Landry’s attention. However, his return remained in question after reports that he was seeking $20 million annually — a higher total than he would have earned if the Browns had simply kept him for the final year of his deal.
Landry ultimately fired his former representation and hired new agent Roosevelt Barnes to negotiate his next contract. Barnes spoke with Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com on March 28, noting that there was interest on both sides in Landry’s potential return to the Browns but adding that it was not yet a done deal.
“[Cleveland is] his home and he loves it there,” Barnes said in an interview with Cabot. “There’s mutual interest in him being back there, but Jarvis also has interest from some other teams, as well.”
“When you’re a receiver, you always want to play with a great quarterback like Deshaun [Watson],” Barnes added. “Jarvis has always had a special place in his heart for Cleveland, but Deshaun being there makes it more intriguing.”