Former Browns leader Jarvis Landry has huge debut for hometown team

Former Cleveland Browns receiver and team leader Jarvis Landry had quite a debut for his hometown New Orleans Saints on Sunday

The Cleveland Browns offense looked quite a bit different on Sunday afternoon. Former quarterback Baker Mayfield was on the opposite side of the field for the Carolina Panthers, and a new center was snapping the ball to new signal-caller Jacoby Brissett.

Perhaps the biggest face missing from the field and locker room, however, was Jarvis Landry, one of the primary leaders both on and off the field for the Browns since he was acquired via trade in 2018. While his leadership on the team was arguably unmatched, his production dropped each year in Cleveland, and with a price tag as high as his, general manager Andrew Berry decided to move on.

Landry wasn’t on the market for too long, however, as he had a workout with the New Orleans Saints soon after, and what appeared to be a match made in Heaven came to be. Landry signed with his hometown Saints in an attempt to help turn around the worst passing attack in the NFL in 2021.

Jarvis Landry come up big in Saints debut

On Sunday, Landry made his presence felt. After a slow start for the entire New Orleans offense, the veteran wideout helped quarterback Jameis Winston get comfortable by finding holes in the zone and securing a few catches to get the Saints within striking distance late.

With the Saints down two and the clock under a minute, Landry made a spectacular sideline catch over a defender, helping kick-start a drive that would eventually help get the Saints close enough to kick the game-winning field goal. He finished the game with seven catches for 114 yards.

Landry was a necessary cut for the Browns after last season because of his falling production and his large salary cap hit, but after his performance Sunday, it begs the question of whether they really did make the right choice. Surely if the team wished to keep him around, they could have come to a compromise on a restructured salary. Instead, they are now having to live with seeing him make spectacular plays elsewhere.

One thing is for sure though, Landry still has plenty in the tank, and playing in the proper role on offense while being able to remain a locker room leader is going to make him a vital part of the New Orleans Saints 2022 team.