Though the 2022 NFL free agency period is mostly behind us, several top players remain unsigned. Among those are a pair of former LSU standouts.
Three-time First-Team All-Pro safety [autotag]Tyrann Mathieu[/autotag] is surprisingly still on the board, and so is five-time Pro Bowl receiver [autotag]Jarvis Landry[/autotag]. It’s still unclear where the former will land next, but some rumors are starting to swirl about the latter.
And they feature Landry returning to the team that released him just over two weeks ago. His agent, Roosevelt Barnes, told Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot that there is mutual interest in Landry returning to the Cleveland Browns.
“That’s his home and he loves it there,’’ Barnes said. “There’s mutual interest in him being back there, but Jarvis also has interest from some other teams as well.”
A lot has changed for the Browns in that time. The team acquired quarterback [autotag]Deshaun Watson[/autotag] in a blockbuster trade — despite the fact that he’s currently facing 22 active civil lawsuits for sexual misconduct — from the Houston Texans.
It certainly wasn’t cheap, either. It cost Cleveland three first-round picks, a third-round pick and two fourth-round picks. The Browns also subsequently gave Watson a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract, the most guaranteed money in NFL history.
The team’s investment at the quarterback spot could draw Landry back into the fold.
“When you’re a receiver, you always want to play with a great quarterback like Deshaun,” Barnes said. “Jarvis has always had a special place in his heart for Cleveland, but Deshaun being there makes it more intriguing.’’
Landry had two 1,000-yard seasons in the first four years of his career with the Miami Dolphins. In the four seasons since he was signed by the Browns, however, he’s reached that threshold just once. Injuries limited him to 12 games in 2021, and he finished with 570 yards and two touchdowns — both career lows.
At 29 years old, Landry may be approaching the back half of his prime. Still, he’s a talented receiver. With [autotag]Amari Cooper[/autotag] now on board, a homecoming for Landry would certainly give Cleveland a formidable offense, at least on paper.
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