After a disappointing season in which they fell short of the playoffs despite having true Super Bowl aspirations, the Cleveland Browns are heading back to the drawing board. Their offseason could bring about a lot of change, which could include parting ways with Jarvis Landry.
They have several roster questions to answer in the short term, but perhaps the biggest, most important factor will be providing Baker Mayfield with the weapons needed to excel, even if that means getting rid of his longest-tenured wide receiver to do so. One step back, hopefully, two steps forward.
Speaking of the offseason, one task on the to-do list is likely re-evaluating the contract of Landry. Despite the five-time Pro Bowl receiver being the most established wide receiver the Browns have left, he’s also set to earn big bucks next season on his contract.
- Jarvis Landry contract (2022): $16.5 million cap hit, dead cap of $1.5 million if cut or traded before June 1
Staring down the barrel at a $16 million cap hit, the Browns simply won’t allocate that much of their cap to Landry to be the 12th highest-paid WR next season. Not when he hasn’t had a 1,000-yard year since 2019.
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Are the Cleveland Browns done with Jarvis Landry?
The Browns are much more likely to approach a contract extension with their top receiver, who’s entering his age-30 season.
If Landry isn’t interested in hearing about a pay cut from the Browns, he could very likely call their bluff and wait for the organization to cut him instead. This gives him the option to choose from any of the other 31 teams in the NFL. Although his play may not match his current cap number for next season, there will be plenty of franchises lining up to add a slot mercenary such as Landry to their offense.
ESPN’s Jake Trotter suggests “it feels like Landry has played his last snap with the Browns”. And he’s likely right.
Unlikely to command top dollar in a market that also is expected to feature Davante Adams, Chris Godwin and more, Landry can easily find a home as a team’s No. 2 receiver on a contender. The Green Bay Packers are always looking for more options, but Landry could very well be intrigued by the idea of playing back in his home state, for the New Orleans Saints as well. We also can’t ignore the possibility of him heading back to Miami, where he started his career, to play with Tua Tagovailoa.
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But until something happens with his contract, Landry is a Brown. We just don’t expect him to remain there by Week 1 of the 2022 season.
If the Browns decide Landry wants too much money on an extension, Donovan Peoples-Jones immediately becomes their top option. You can bet the Browns would be ultra-aggressive this offseason in pursuit of a new No. 1 receiver after Odell Beckham could never produce with Mayfield. One could argue OBJ hasn’t been the same without Eli Manning throwing him pinpoint passes. But he seems to have tapped into his playmaking ability with the Rams, scoring six touchdowns in nine games. That to sting for fans at the Dawg Pound.
Maybe this offseason can help turn things around, providing Mayfield with a top target and they can forget about the whole OBJ fiasco that distracted the team this season.
