NFL Free Agency: Falcons Should Sign Saints Ex Jarvis Landry?
The Atlanta Falcons could be an excellent destination for 30-year-old veteran free agent wide receiver Jarvis Landry, especially since he’d be coming from their NFC South divisional rival, New Orleans Saints.
Atlanta has a young quarterback in Desmond Ridder and a skill position group headlined by players on rookie contracts, such as second-year wide receiver Drake London and third-year tight end Kyle Pitts.
While both Pitts and London have shown flashes of the extreme upside that made them top 10 picks in their respective draft classes, going for over 850 yards in their respective rookie seasons, Pro Football Focus believes the five-time prowler would be a fantastic addition to the team and could help them develop.
“Landry is also known to be a good veteran leader, which could be a positive addition to a team with a lot of young offensive weapons,” PFF writes. “He’s coming off the two worst seasons of his career, but he was arguably the best slot receiver in the NFL from 2015 to 2020; his 3,938 receiving yards, 1,748 yards after the catch, 1,166 yards after contact and 91 explosive receptions of 15 or more yards all ranked first among qualifying slot receivers over that span. The Falcons buying low on a potential bounce-back could age nicely in the right setting.”
Despite the lack of production from Landry over the past two seasons, he still has shown flashes of what once made him a top-end target in the league. In 2022 during his first game with Atlanta’s rivals, the Saints, he had seven catches for 114 yards. His reliability as a pass catcher is something that Ridder would likely covet in his first year as the team’s official starter.
Although Landry might not be able to produce another 1,174-yard season as he did with the Cleveland Browns back in 2019, his experience could pay dividends in developing the Falcons’ young core as it looks to dominate not only as individuals but as a team attempting to make the playoffs.
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