Getty Quarterback Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans warms up prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at NRG Stadium on December 27, 2020 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Browns are in the mix to bring wide receiver Jarvis Landry back into the fold alongside quarterback Deshaun Watson, but the two almost teamed up elsewhere.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Wednesday, March 23, that before Watson agreed to come to Cleveland, he reached out to the former Browns receiver about playing together with the Atlanta Falcons. It wasn’t just Landry who Watson contacted, but also Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette.
“Here’s an illustration of how close the Falcons were to getting quarterback Deshaun Watson: Several sources say Watson corresponded with free agents Jarvis Landry and Leonard Fournette about playing together in Atlanta, very possibly over FaceTime,” Fowler wrote. “As of Thursday night, the feeling was Watson expected to go to Atlanta. And Atlanta thought it had Watson, who was considering the pass-catching weapons who could join him there — until Cleveland came with a deal that would be nearly impossible to refuse.”
The deal Fowler referenced was a five-year agreement worth $230 million with the entire amount guaranteed.
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Landry Could Still Land With Watson in Return to Browns
GettyWide receiver Jarvis Landry, formerly of the Cleveland Browns, plays against the Detroit Lions at FirstEnergy Stadium on November 21, 2021.
Fournette has since re-signed in Tampa, where Tom Brady will return in 2022 after a brief retirement this offseason. And while Watson’s acceptance of the Cleveland offer ended his plans to pair with Landry in Atlanta, the two teaming up remains on the table.
The Browns traded for former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper on March 12. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported later that day that Landry was open to remaining with the Browns, though some negotiating was in order as Cleveland wasn’t interested in paying him the approximately $15 million he was owed on the fifth and final year of his contract.
Ultimately, the Browns granted Landry permission to seek a trade. However, after two days passed and no deal came through, the team released Landry to pursue other opportunities via free agency, saving $15 million in cap space in the process that helped foot the bill for Watson.
Since then, Landry has been linked to the Falcons via the Fowler report and to the Green Bay Packers via Garafolo, where the notion of pairing up with former teammate Odell Beckham Jr. has been floated.
But five days ago, on March 19, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported that the Browns had restructured Cooper’s contract and freed up another $15 million for 2022. She said the team hoped to redistribute that money in an effort to re-sign pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, who Cleveland offered a two-year deal worth $24 million total, and to help pay to bring back Landry.
“Landry wanted nothing more than to win a Super Bowl [in Cleveland], and he’s motivated to return now that … Watson and Cooper are here and the Browns have a bona fide chance,” Cabot reported.
Beckham Also Interested in Return to Cleveland
GettyJarvis Landry (far left) of the Cleveland Browns is congratulated by Odell Beckham Jr. #13 after scoring a touchdown during a game against the Miami Dolphins at FirstEnergy Stadium on November 24, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
If Landry does come full circle and ends up back in Cleveland, there’s a chance that Beckham joins him there instead of in Green Bay. Browns safety John Johnson III took to Instagram Live and said as much Wednesday, per a Twitter report from ESPN Cleveland.
John Johnson via IG live: “OBJ coming back. You ain’t hear it from me tho.”
“John Johnson via IG live: ‘OBJ coming back. You ain’t here it from me tho,'” the tweet said.
It wasn’t the first time a potential Beckham return was mentioned by a credible source, either. Cabot reported Tuesday that Beckham might be open to a reunion in Cleveland now that quarterback Baker Mayfield is on the way out and Watson is on the way in.
Beckham forced his way off the team mid-season after tumult between himself and Mayfield, ultimately landing with the Los Angeles Rams who he helped capture a Super Bowl. Beckham tore his ACL in the championship game and is not likely to start the season healthy, though the standard timeline for recovery from that injury puts the wideout back in the field at some point during the regular season.