Getty The Cowboys are being warned against signing WR Jarvis Landry.
The Dallas Cowboys are being warned to avoid signing a notable name.
As the Cowboys enter the 2023 offseason, their biggest position of need is arguably at wide receiver. Behind CeeDee Lamb, Dallas is simply lacking depth at the position. During the Cowboys’ playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Lamb posted 10 receptions for 117 yards. By comparison, Dallas’ other receivers combined for four receptions for 44 yards, with No. 2 receiver Michael Gallup failing to post a single reception.
According to Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, one of the top players that Dallas should avoid signing in free agency is five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Jarvis Landry. The 30-year-old receiver spent the 2022 season with the New Orleans Saints, struggling through an injury-plagued campaign where he was limited to just nine games. Landry produced a career-worst 25 receptions for 272 yards and one touchdown and was largely a non-factor this season.
“The 30-year-old isn’t the same dominant slot receiver he was early in his career,” said Knox. “He’s struggled to stay healthy in each of the past two seasons and was a flat-out flop with the New Orleans Saints in 2022. Landry appeared in nine games and caught 25 passes for 272 yards and one touchdown. When targeted, he provided a passer rating of only 71.7.”
Jarvis Landry Has Been on Steep Decline in Recent Years
At his peak, Landry was arguably the top slot receiver in the league. The former LSU product averaged 96 receptions and 1,086 receiving yards between 2015 and 2019 as a member of the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns. However, in the years since, Landry hasn’t come close to matching those averages. When taking out his injury-plagued 2022 campaign, Landry averaged just 62 receptions and 705 receiving yards during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
The Cowboys will obviously look to add another veteran receiver to pair up with Lamb and Gallup. Team owner Jerry Jones has already revealed that Dallas will revisit talks with Odell Beckham Jr. after teasing the idea of signing him late in the 2022 season. Knox warns that that the Cowboys should not show interest in Landry as a way of enticing Beckham to Dallas. Landry was a teammate of Beckham’s in college at LSU and they also spent time together as teammates with the Browns.
“If the price is reasonable, OBJ could wind up back on Dallas’ radar,” says Knox. “With both Hilton and Brown headed to free agency, the Cowboys will likely look at other receivers, too. They could be tempted to add Beckham’s former LSU and Cleveland Browns teammate, Jarvis Landry, perhaps in a bid to lure the three-time Pro Bowler to Dallas—but they shouldn’t.”
Cowboys Desperate to Add Another Veteran WR
The Cowboys will have a couple of notable free agents at wide receiver, with T.Y. Hilton and Noah Brown entering free agency. Brown actually served as Dallas’ No. 2 receiver at the beginning of the season while Gallup was still recovering from an ACL injury and showed more consistency in the role than Gallup. The longtime special teams ace produced a career-high 43 receptions for 555 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 13 starts.
It’s very plausible Hilton isn’t brought back and that Brown tests the free agency market now that he has some value after a career season. But even with that being the case, Dallas should avoid signing an over-the-hill veteran in Landry.