Getty The Falcons will host a five-time Pro Bowl WR during free agency.
Wide receiver is a position of need for the Atlanta Falcons, that’s no secret. Developments the last two years have picked the cupboard clean of quality pass-catchers.
It’s a problem the Falcons may be able to solve in free agency. That wouldn’t have seemed possible until recently, with the Falcons having limited cap space and the market at the position being inflated by some pretty hefty contracts being handed out early doors.
Fortunately, a recently released former Pro Bowler could be the remedy Atlanta’s passing game needs. This two-time 1,000-yard receiver, who has spent his entire pro career to date in the AFC, will visit with the Falcons, according to one NFL reporter.
ALL the latest Falcons news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Falcons newsletter here!
Ex-Browns WR to Visit Falcons
The receiver in question is former Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns’ wideout Jarvis Landry, per ESPN’s Dianna Russini:
WR Jarvis Landry will visit the Atlanta Falcons, per sources.
Landry was released by the Browns on Monday, March 14, per Anthony Poisal of the team’s official website. The decision ended a productive tenure for both franchise and player.
Landry’s stint in Cleveland saw him lead the team in receptions every season, according to Poisal. The receiver also earned Pro Bowl nods in 2018 and ’19.
Despite the accolades, Landry never topped 1,000 yards during his time with the Browns. Nor did he complete a full season’s worth of starts.
Instead, his best football came with the Dolphins, where he became a record-breaker:
Jarvis Landry: 344 career receptions (most in NFL history in a player’s 1st 4 seasons)
Landry posted back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns in 2015 and ’16, but was traded to the Browns in 2018 for a fourth- and seventh-round pick.
Even with a lack of gaudy numbers during his career, Landry has still established himself as a trusted target over the middle. He has a knack for getting open and can make the tough catches.
Those are qualities any team would welcome, but Landry’s initial list of post-Browns suitors is littered with Super Bowl contenders. They include two AFC powerhouses, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport:
The Falcons have more of a need than both those teams and a bigger incentive to get involved in the Landry sweepstakes.
Falcons Should Push to the Front of the Queue
Receiving options are almost non-existent in Atlanta. Calvin Ridley is suspended, Cordarrelle Patterson is a free agent, and Greg Auman of The Athletic reported Russell Gage will sign with the Tampa Bay Buccanneers.
The implication is clear. Falcons’ general manager Terry Fontenot must find wide receiver help during free agency and the 2022 NFL draft. Landry is an excellent fit as one of the best left on the veteran market.
He’s somebody who would be an asset for whoever is playing quarterback for the Falcons this season. At the moment, it still looks like being Matt Ryan, but the 36-year-old’s future is somewhat uncertain due to rumors the franchise is interested in trading for Houston Texans’ star Deshaun Watson.
The latter was set to visit with the Falcons on Wednesday, according to Rapoport:
Scheduling a visit with a Pro Bowl receiver could be the Falcons’ way of showing Watson what’s in store if he signs. It could also be a way to placate Ryan, who is unlikely to take kindly to overt attempts to recruit his replacement.
Either way, the Falcons know they need a new receiver. There aren’t many better than Landry.