Getty Images Former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry waves as he comes off the field during a September 2020 game.
Momentum is building towards a major addition to the Baltimore Ravens‘ wide receiver room, with former Cleveland Browns wideout Jarvis Landry being tabbed as the most likely signing.
The Ravens “have expressed interest in Landry since the draft ended,” according to Brad Stainbrook of the Orange and Brown Report, with Baltimore’s sudden need for help at wide receiver arising out of the Hollywood Brown trade.
The Ravens’ interest in Landry dates back to 2018, when he was franchise-tagged by the Dolphins after his third-straight Pro Bowl season.
Then-general manager Ozzie Newsome attempted to trade for Landry, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, but the Browns landed him instead.
Now, as one of many casualties of Cleveland’s full-scale offensive overhaul this offseason, Landry is a free agent for the first time in his career.
The 29-year-old is likely looking for a chance to compete for a Super Bowl after playing just three postseason games in the first eight years of his career. He’d find that in Baltimore, as several impact signings in free agency and a widely-praised draft class have bolstered a roster that’s already getting multiple All-Pro players back from major injuries.
Landry is coming off a knee sprain of his own, but he’s been very durable in his career otherwise. If his medicals check out, the Ravens would be wise to make a call to his agent. Landry’s ability to line up out wide or in the slot, and his potential to mentor Baltimore’s young wide receiving corps, would be well worth signing the veteran receiver.
The Ravens appear to have pole position on signing Landry for now. His main other suitor was rumored to be the New Orleans Saints, as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on April 20. But after drafting wide receiver Chris Olave out of Ohio State and signing All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu, the Saints may not longer have the need or the money to pursue Landry.
Landry Fuels Baltimore Rumors
Landry even responded to a tweet from Ravens offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James, fanning the flames of mutual interest between him and the Ravens. James and Landry were the Dolphins’ first- and second- round picks in the 2014 NFL Draft and played together in Miami until 2018 when Landry was traded to the Browns.
James clarified that his tweet was “just wishful thinking,” not any inside information about Landry putting pen to paper in Baltimore.
Ex-Broncos WR Endorses Signing
Former Denver Broncos wide receiver Eddie Royal took to Twitter on May 6 to endorse Landry signing with the Ravens, saying that it “makes too much sense.”
Royal then compared Landry’s potential impact to retired All-Pro receiver Steve Smith Sr., who racked up more than 1,000 yards in his first season in Baltimore.
Jarvis Landry to the Ravens makes too much sense…remember Steve Smith to the Ravens. Tough competitive veteran player with a proven track record who would provide much needed leadership for that WR room
“Remember Steve Smith to the Ravens,” Royal continued, “Tough competitive veteran player with a proven track record who would provide much needed leadership for that WR room.”
The Ravens are hoping that their four young receivers drafted in 2020 and 2021 – Devin Duvernay, James Proche, Rashod Bateman and Tylan Wallace – will step up this season, but having a veteran like Landry as a reliable target for Jackson and mentor for his teammates could help offset the loss of Hollywood Brown.