Jarvis Landry can mitigate some of the issues at tight end

The Cleveland Browns find themselves in a bad spot when it comes to the tight end position due to a wrist injury to David Njoku. He's out for at least a month and the depth behind him in Demetrius Harris and Pharaoh Brown haven't shown well to this point. The team is hoping they can get some help in the form of Ricky Seals-Jones but that seems largely as a receiver. The blocking part, both in run blocking and pass protection is the main aspect of what the Browns need from the position. One option to help the issue is Jarvis Landry.

The Browns utilize a number of condensed formations in their offense. Bunch is a good example. Landry is often the wing in these formations. He is an effective run blocker, able to crack well on linebackers and the occasional defense end. Healthy Njoku or not, having Landry get a chip on a pass rusher from a condensed position before releasing into his route may be an effective way to get what they want to help pass protection while getting a viable receiver in the short and intermediate parts of the field.

So much of what Landry does as a receiver often resembles a tight end anyway. Obviously, if he's lined up out wide or in the slot, he operates as a traditional receiver, where he's at his best beating zone coverage.

This becomes particularly viable now if Rashard Higgins is going to play coming off an ankle issue and in two weeks when Antonio Callaway returns from suspension. hopefully at 100 percent. Landry is at his most effective in the slot anyway and the Browns really like what they can do offensively from condensed formations. Landry seems ideally suited to run some chip and release routes where he can find holes in the defense and get some cheap yards while players like Odell Beckham attack further down field.

The Browns need Demetrius Harris to simply play better, but so much of the issue with both he and Pharaoh Brown is they basically give the game away when they are on the field. They aren't terribly difficult to cover in passing routes, so teams can sort of sit on tendency and play more in the box expecting them to block, be it run or pass.

Landry just does more, offers more options and forces a defense to stay honest. The Browns have been trying to get screens going, both to backs and receivers, which this lends itself to as well as having Landry release off of a block into space for Mayfield to get him the ball underneath.

The Los Angeles Rams have smaller edge rushers in Dante Fowler and Clay Matthews, which is one more reason this could be a viable option this week. They are more predicated on speed, so if Landry can just get enough of a chip to slow them down and let the offensive tackles get hands on, they should be in good shape.

The Njoku injury hits the Browns in a particularly thin spot within their offense. They knew they weren't in the greatest shape once they got to their third tight end, but they couldn't have expected to get as little as they have to this point from their second. Landry is a smart, tough, physical player and this could allow him another avenue to help the team on offense, increase his role.