Cleveland Browns: Why Jarvis Landry might remain with team in 2022
Does Landry want to stay with Cleveland Browns?
If you want to see wide receivers compile stats, go watch American Underdog when it comes out in the theaters on Christmas. Wide receivers put up monster numbers for Mike Martz in the run-n-shoot offense.
Wide receivers are never going to compile super stats in the Kevin Stefanski offense. So if stats supersedes winning, let’s just be honest and cut ties, like dearly departed Odell Beckham, Jr. But this is very likely not the case with Landry.
Landry has been frustrated this season with his own injuries and lack of performance as well as quarterback Baker Mayfield’s inability to get the ball to him consistently. He seems to see the same problems that the rest of us see, though the coaching staff seems to not be able to.
No question there has been some friction between Landry and the team this season, although, unlike OBJ, Landry has stated the belief that the problems should be worked out rather than seeking to abandon the team.
Landry answered questions from Mary Kay Cabot about the departure of his best friend. Many writers interpreted his remarks as complaining about not getting the ball. However, in this writer’s opinion, what Landry seems to be saying is that while problems exist, he is able to work them out and make the most of his opportunities, whereas his friend was not able to, for whatever reason.
"“(OBJ’s departure) definitely was something that hurt. It stung. It still does. I haven’t been able to get the ball so much, either. But at the end of the day, I’ve been able to make the most with the opportunities I’m given. Yeah, I’m battling some things, but on Sundays, I always give everything I have. And that will never change.” — Jarvis Landry interview by Mary Kay Cabot, Nov 18, 2021."
That is the central point, that Landry is not giving up on the Browns even though there are problems, nor did he offer public criticism of his team, coach, or quarterback when asked point-blank by MKC what is wrong with the passing game, responding simply and politely, “I don’t know.”
He’s saying he’s facing similar problems to OBJ but Landry says he will make the most of his opportunities and battle. Landry is not blaming others, in contrast to his friend’s extraordinary propensity for assigning blame.
Trust me, Landry does have some idea about what’s wrong with the Browns passing offense. He knows 10-times more about the problems than you or I, but he’s simply not going public with that information. He is polite, soft-spoken, and simply answered the reporter’s question and doesn’t deserve to be bashed for it.
However, two real issues that need to be thought through are age and health. He will be 30 next season. That’s old in football terms but not too old to play football. Andrew Berry, Kevin Stefanski, and wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea need to sit down with their not-very-competent trainers and strength and conditioning staff (Browns wide receivers seem to lead the NFL in pulled hamstrings every season and changes may need to be made) and ask whether they believe Landry’s mind and body can still get through a 17-game season plus four playoff games.
In other words, is he going to be chronically injured for the rest of his career with nagging injuries, or will his 2021 injuries heal? If they think that he is still a 900-yard receiver, he’s worthy of consideration for fulfilling his remaining year on his contract, rather than cutting him and losing the compensatory draft pick and trying to sign a replacement free agent in a terrible market.
The next page looks back at 2018 and asks how much Landry “changed the culture” of the 2018 Browns. Most fans seem to think it was easy to break out of a 19 game winless streak, and the team could have easily won with Baker Mayfield from the very beginning of the season. But if you consider that the next best wide receiver was Antonio Callaway, it’s not quite clear who was going to catch all of Mayfield’s wonderful passes without Landry that year.