Browns Digest

With an Eye on Present and Future, Jarvis Landry Uses Social Media to Negotiate with Browns

The Cleveland Browns were always going to have make a decision on what to do with wide receiver Jarvis Landry entering the final year of his contract. Landry took to social media with the intent of moving up that schedule and get clarity, so he can proceed with his career accordingly.
Pete Smith|
With an Eye on Present and Future, Jarvis Landry Uses Social Media to Negotiate with Browns
With an Eye on Present and Future, Jarvis Landry Uses Social Media to Negotiate with Browns

Jarvis Landry may be coming to grips with the fact he's not likely to be back with the Cleveland Browns in 2022 with understandably mixed emotions, but his social media postings have everything to do with his career going forward.

2021 was supposed to be a special season for him. Not only was the team primed to contend, he was healthy entering the season for the first time in two years, putting a ton of work into changing his body to make himself quicker. His good friend Odell Beckham Jr. had put in so much work to recover from the ACL tear he suffered in 2020, so both were to be healthy at the same time, which would've been a first in their time in Cleveland.

Unfortunately, Landry suffered a significant knee injury week two of the season, which reduced him to a shell of himself. He notes he came back too early, but doesn't make it clear who pushed that decision. Did the team push him to come back too early or did he?

Landry missed three games on injured reserve and he only ended up playing one game with Beckham the entire year; the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football. A rainy, windy game that saw Landry come back and reinjure the same knee.

Along with injuries to quarterback Baker Mayfield, Kareem Hunt and just about every offensive tackle on the roster, the team regressed in the standings and Landry had the worst year of his career. Even when Landry scored a touchdown in the final game of the season, there seemed to be a level of frustration in how he chucked the ball in the back of the end zone - the culmination of what was likely the most difficult season of his football career, mentally and emotionally.

Landry knew 2021 was likely to be his last season because of the $16.3 million salary he was scheduled to have in 2022. Cutting him would save the Browns $14.8 million in salary cap space at a time when they could really use it. With a productive year, he would've positioned himself to get a good contract on the open market upon his release even if it wasn't quite as much as he was slated to get with Cleveland.

Two years in a row marred by injury, it could impact his bargaining power, even as he says he can help a team win a championship. Landry definitely can help a team contend, but it likely will not be at the salary he wants or in the role he wants. 

Landry's no fool. The timing here is deliberate with an eye on the calendar. If the two sides cannot come together on a restructured deal, Landry wants to be released in March rather than April or later.

March 16th is the first day of free agency and Landry's agency will meet with the Browns at the NFL scouting combine almost two weeks beforehand. Landry wants to have a decision made one way or the other. Either he's going to be with the Browns in 2022 or he's not.

Last year, the Browns held onto defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson until they were sure they were going to be able to sign Jadeveon Clowney, who needed to fully recover from meniscus surgery to pass a physical. Richardson was released in the middle of April when most of the free agent decisions had already been made. Richardson went on to settle for a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings at a quarter of the salary he was scheduled to earn in Cleveland.

Landry does not want the same thing to happen to him. If he's going to be released, he wants to be out on the open market for the first time in his career with the ability to maximize his value and the most choices available to him.

Whether or not Landry's tweets cause the Browns to move at his pace remains to be seen. The organization will act in its own interest, but if they cannot get restructure Landry's contract, they will probably release him before the start of free agency in accordance with his wishes, focusing on what's in front of them.

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Pete Smith
PETE SMITH

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