Getty Images Free agent wide receiver Jarvis Landry.
There has been talk about Jarvis Landry returning to the Cleveland Browns next season, although there’s a chance he ends up with another AFC North squad in need of a veteran receiver in the Baltimore Ravens.
With the draft now in the rearview mirror, Landry can be a key piece for a team like the Ravens who need to add a weapon in the passing game after shipping Marquise Brown to the Cardinals in a draft day trade.
Landry linking up with the Ravens was one of the high-profile moves laid out by Bleacher Report’s Michelle Bruton in a post laying out moves to fill holes following the draft:
As the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Omar Kelly pointed out, Ravens executive vice president of player personnel Ozzie Newsome has “been a fan of Landry for a while and tried to trade for him when he was with the Dolphins.” Newsome may not be calling the shots in Baltimore anymore, but he remains a link to Landry within the organization.
The Ravens don’t have a ton of cap space to work with, but no one will meet the top end of Landry’s demands. If Baltimore can work some cap magic, Landry and his team should recognize it’s a good situation.
Browns Reunion Still Alive for Jarvis Landry
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 because of his leadership and locker room presence, it just didn’t make sense monetarily for where the team was at the time. On top of that, Landry is coming off his worst statistical season as a pro that was marred by injuries.
Landry injured his knee early on last season, which was the first serious injury of his career. He played in just 12 games, notching career-low totals of just 570 yards and two touchdowns as a result.
Landry’s agent, Roosevelt Barnes, expressed an interest in a return to Cleveland earlier this offseason.
“That’s his home and he loves it there,” Barnes told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “There’s mutual interest in him being back there, but Jarvis also has interest from some other teams as well.”
Landry’s interest in coming back was piqued when the Browns acquired quarterback Deshaun Watson in a franchise-shifting move.
“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.”
Landry Visited Saints, Falcons This Offseason
There hasn’t been a tremendous amount of movement for Landry this offseason since getting let go by the Browns, although he has visited in a pair of NFC South squads in the Falcons and Saints.
Landry visited with the Saints in April — just his second official visit since becoming a free agent. He also met up with the Falcons, although that was when they were the front-runner for Deshaun Watson, who ended up in Cleveland.
Landry is eager to get his career back on track and one more healthy year in Cleveland could be his best option at this point of free agency. Then the 29-year-old can cash in like he feels he deserves with the wide receiver market spiking this offseason.