Saints Jarvis Landry's Homecoming Could Turn Into a Featured Role
New Orleans Saints WR Jarvis Landry returned ‘‘home’’ this offseason. Landry attended high school in Lutcher, LA, where he was a standout in football, basketball, and track.
Landry then took his talents to LSU, where he was a contributor on the 2011 BCS runner-up before becoming a starter in 2012. As a junior, he had 77 catches for 1,193 yards and 10 touchdowns and teamed with fellow Louisiana native Odell Beckham to form the most productive receiving tandem in the country.
Oct 1, 2017; Miami Dolphins receiver Jarvis Landry (14) is defended by New Orleans Saints linebacker A.J. Klein (53). Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Landry was a second-round choice by the Miami Dolphins in the 2014 NFL Draft, the 63rd overall pick and the 12th receiver chosen. Beckham came off the board with the 12th overall pick to the Giants. His hometown Saints traded up in the first round to draft Oregon State WR Brandin Cooks with the 20th overall selection.
Like most of his fellow rookie draft mates at receiver, Landry had success in his first year. He had 758 yards and five scores on a team-high 84 receptions for the Dolphins in 2014. He’d earn his first of five straight Pro Bowls in 2015 by pulling in 110 receptions for 1,157 yards and four touchdowns.
Landry continued to be the focus of the Miami attack in 2016 and 2017. After 94 catches for 1,136 yards in 2016, he’d lead the NFL with 112 receptions in 2017. He averaged less than nine yards per catch on his way to 987 yards, but pulled in a career-high 9 scores.
Dec 14, 2020; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry (80) runs after a catch against the Baltimore Ravens. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
The Dolphins applied the franchise tag on Landry entering the 2018 offseason rather than letting him hit the free-agent market. Just a day after signing the tag, Miami traded Landry to the Cleveland Browns for a fourth and seventh round draft picks.
Landry earned his third straight Pro Bowl bid in his first year with Cleveland, leading the team with 81 receptions for 976 yards. Reunited with LSU teammate Beckham in 2019, Landry again led the Browns with 83 catches for a career-high 1,174 yards, scoring six touchdowns.
Covid caused Landry to miss his first career game in 2020, breaking a string of 106 consecutive outings. He still led a playoff-bound Cleveland team in receiving, but had just 72 catches for 840 yards. A knee injury that forced him to miss five games and issues at quarterback resulted in just 52 receptions for 570 yards and two touchdowns last season. All were the lowest marks of his career.
Landry was released by the Browns at the start of free agency this offseason.
Now back in New Orleans, is Jarvis Landry still a Number 1 wideout?
New Orleans Saints Jarvis Landry (80) during organized team activities at the Saints Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY
A normally proficient New Orleans passing attack plummeted to dead last in the league in 2021. A season-ending knee injury to QB Jameis Winston forced the Saints to use four quarterbacks. Season-ending ankle surgery to record-breaking WR Michael Thomas also exposed a lack of weapons at wideout.
Winston is back and looked sharp in last month's mini-camp. Thomas is still rehabbing his ankle, but is expected to be medically cleared early in training camp. The Saints also used a first-round choice on Ohio State WR Chris Olave in addition to signing Landry to a one-year contract.
A deeper New Orleans receiving corps may still look to the 29-year-old Landry to be their top threat early in the year. Thomas needs to prove that he can stay healthy and still be among the league's best wideouts before missing 26 of the last 33 games. Olave has the abilities of a top-tier receiver, but has yet to play a snap in the NFL.
At 5'11” and 196-Lbs., Landry is a physical wideout who expertly works the intermediate zones of a defense, similar to Thomas. His experience should make him one of Winston's favorite targets early on. Landry has had similar success throughout his career as an outside receiver or from the slot.
Landry comes to New Orleans with 688 receptions for 7,598 yards and 37 touchdowns over an eight-year career. That breaks down to an average of 86 catches and 950 yards per season. His numbers have dipped over the last two years, but that's partially a product of playing in a run-heavy system in Cleveland.
New Orleans will have a much more open attack, with Winston being the best quarterback Landry has had in his career. Still, there were some whispers that Landry was slowing down and on a decline. Remember that he was still available in free agency after the draft when the Saints signed him on May 16.
Jarvis Landry bet on himself by signing a one-year deal with a base salary of just $3 million to come back to play near his hometown. With the availability of Thomas in question and Olave unproven, it’s a homecoming that could turn into a starring role.
