Getty New Orleans wide receiver Jarvis Landry.
One of the youngest positions on the Kansas City Chiefs roster entering the 2023 season is wide receiver. Though that position is not devoid of talent, the team could add a veteran to that room to help make an immediate impact while also mentoring young players such as Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, and rookie Rashee Rice, among others.
That’s why ClutchPoints’ Guilherme Hiray Leal believes veteran free agent Jarvis Landry is a solid option for the youthful Chiefs receiver room.
“Although his numbers are not as great as they once were, Landry could still provide some valuable deep catches and be a leader for such as young, unproven receiving unit,” Leal wrote on May 5.
Jarvis Landry a Savvy NFL Veteran
Jarvis Landry, 30, entered the NFL as a second-round pick by the Miami Dolphins in 2014. During his four seasons in Miami, Landry excelled in the short and intermediate parts of the field as a route runner and accumulated 400 receptions for 4,038 yards — 10.1 yards per route run — and 22 touchdowns according to Pro Football Reference.
Once his rookie contract expired in 2018, Landry took to free agency and received a five-year, $75.5 million contract from the Cleveland Browns. The following season, Landry had a 81-976-4 stat line in his first season with the Browns. During the 2022 season, he had a career-high 1,174 receiving yards and 6 receiving touchdowns on 83 receptions.
Inconsistent play from the quarterback position in Cleveland led to underwhelming performances for Landy during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, as he accumulated just 1,410 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns during that timeframe.
At 29 years old, Landry took to free agency once again in 2022 and signed with the New Orleans Saints on May 16. During his lone season in New Orleans, Landry played in just nine regular seasons games and registered career lows in targets (39), receptions (25), receiving yards (272), and touchdowns (1).
During his nine-year NFL career, Landry has been named a Pro Bowler five times.
Due to Landry still being a free agent after the draft, Kansas City could sign Landry without him counting against the compensatory formula. The unknowns that remain are if the Chiefs are interested in signing Landry and what his asking price is.
According to Over the Cap’s effective cap space (the cap space a team will have after signing at least 51 players and its projected rookie class to its roster), Kansas City currently has $1.35 million in available cap space.
As it stands, the Chiefs receiver room consists of Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, Rashee Rice, Richie James, Justin Watson, Justyn Ross, John Ross, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Cornell Powell, Jerrion Ealy, Ty Fryfogle, Sean Coyne, Te’Vailance Hunt, James Letcher, Zane Pope, Nikko Remigio, and Ty Scott.
Chiefs 2023 Free Agency Tracker
Here is a list of the players the Chiefs have signed during free agency thus far (excluding undrafted rookies), along with their contracts, according to Over The Cap:
- OT Jawaan Taylor (4 years, $80 million)
- DE Charles Omenihu (2 years, $20 million)
- S Mike Edwards (1 year, $3 million)
- LB Drue Tranquill (1 year, $5 million)
- DT Tershawn Wharton (1 year, $2 million)
- OL Nick Allegretti (1 year, $2.5 million)
- OL Prince Tea Wanogho (tendered)
- TE Jody Fortson (tendered)
- QB Shane Buechele (tendered)
- DT Derrick Nnadi (1 year, $1.2 million)
- TE Blake Bell (1 year, $1.1 million)
- DT Byron Cowart (1 year, $1.08 million)
- DT Phil Hoskins (1 year, $940,000)
- S Deon Bush (1 year, $1.3 million)
- WR Richie James (1 year, $1.2 million)
- WR Justin Watson (2 years, $3.5 million)
- QB Blaine Gabbert (1-year, $1.1 million)
- RB Jerick McKinnon (1-year, $1.16 million)
- OT Donovan Smith (1-year deal)
Here are the former Chiefs players that remain free agents:
- DE Frank Clark
- DE Carlos Dunlap
- DT Brandon Williams
- LB Darius Harris