Getty Images Jarvis Landry of the Cleveland Browns.
There is mutual interest between Jarvis Landry and the Cleveland Browns in a reunion, per his agent.
Rumors have swirled since Landry’s release that he’d be interested in heading back to Cleveland, with that sentiment heating up once the team acquired Deshaun Watson via blockbuster trade. Landry’s new agent Roosevelt Barnes told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com on Monday that there is indeed some talk between the sides on reuniting.
“That’s his home and he loves it there,” Barnes told Cabot. “There’s mutual interest in him being back there, but Jarvis also has interest from some other teams as well.”
The Browns parted ways with Landry earlier this offseason, a move that saved the team $15 million on the salary cap. While they would have loved to keep him on board, it just didn’t make sense monetarily for where the team was at the time.
The change of heart from Landry comes with Baker Mayfield on his way out of town. That appeared to be a significant catalyst in his desire to come back, now being able to play with Watson, who led the league in passing yards in 2020.
“When you’re a receiver, you always want to play with a great quarterback like Deshaun,” Barnes said. “Jarvis has always had a special place in his heart for Cleveland, but Deshaun being there makes it more intriguing.”
Browns Letting Things Play Out With Landry
The Browns have yet to rule out bringing back Landry as well, with Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry speaking highly of the 29-year-old wide receiver.
“I think we’ve got to let the process play out for all those players,” Stefanski said on Monday, March 28. “As I’ve mentioned before and you guys know, I love Jarvis the player, I love Jarvis the person, but we’ve got to let all that play out.”
Berry credited Landry with helping turnaround the franchise following a trade to Cleveland in 2018.
“The trade for Jarvis Landry in 2018 was a key moment for our organization,” Berry said in a statement following the transaction. “Jarvis’ on-field production and fiery competitiveness speaks for itself, but his leadership and team-oriented attitude impacted our culture in a way that will last in time even beyond his release. These decisions are always difficult, but we wish Jarvis well and we look forward to the day when he returns as a storied Browns alumnus.”
Browns Rebuilding Wide Receiver Corps
The Browns needed to rebuild their wide receiver corps after last season, with the team finishing 8-9, limping to the finish line and seeing former pass-catcher Odell Beckham Jr. win a Super Bowl with the Rams. The Browns struck a deal with the Cowboys this offseason to trade for Amari Cooper, giving the team a true No. 1 wide receiver.
Cooper is coming off a down year by his standards but will be quite the dancing partner for Watson. He notched a pair of 1,000-yard seasons while in Dallas and was a top 10 receiver in just about every major category.
According to ESPN Stats & Information data, he ranked eighth in targets (428) among receivers, seventh in receptions (292), ninth in receiving yards (3,893) and ninth in receiving touchdowns (27).
There is also scuttlebutt about Beckham making a return to Cleveland, especially if Landry signs on for another stint. However, that seems like something down the line, with Beckham needing time to recover from a torn ACL and his timeline uncertain.