Tennessee Titans: Making the case for Jarvis Landry
With the craziness of the off-season just around the corner, we take a look at Jarvis Landry and how he might fit with the Tennessee Titans.
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve seen the Tennessee Titans listed as a potential suitor for the services of WR Jarvis Landry. However it remains to be seen who is actually interested between Landry the Titans, but the possibility of adding a player like the former LSU Tiger has the potential to catapult QB Marcus Mariota and this offense into the top 10.
If GM Jon Robinson is able to come to an agreement with the Miami Dolphins that doesn’t result in the loss of too much draft capital while also coming to a somewhat reasonable contract (around $12 million annually) with Landry, there’s no way to see this situation as anything other than a win-win. Considering the Titans would essentially be the only team Landry would be negotiating with in this scenario, it makes a ‘lower’ cap number more feasible.
The very first thing many people like to criticize about Jarvis Landry’s game is his ability to gain yards after the catch. They’re quick to point to his 8.8 yards per catch average, but say so without looking at Miami’s offense and how they set Landry up for success.
“jarvis landry isn’t a playmak...” pic.twitter.com/UIiCQtVul5
— josh houtz (@houtz) February 9, 2018
The majority of Landry’s catches have been with a defensive back draped all over him with other defenders within striking distance. You put 95% of wide receivers in the same position as Landry and they would be lucky to even come close to the level of production we’ve become accustomed to seeing out of the 25-year-old.
Despite dealing with the rollercoaster career of Ryan Tannehill and the declining play of Jay Cutler, he’s never had a season with less than 85 catches and 750 yards. Landry has been the prominent focus of opposing defenses since entering the league due to the lack of sufficient talent around him on the Dolphins offense. Which only makes his level of consistency even more impressive.
Surround him with other playmakers such as Delanie Walker, Corey Davis, and an up-and-coming franchise signal caller in Marcus Mariota, and defensive coaches will have sleepless nights thinking about who to focus on in the passing game. If they want to cover Davis and Walker down the field, then Mariota can pick you apart underneath with Landry, and vice-versa. Factor in other complementary players like Rishard Matthews, Derrick Henry, Tajae Sharpe, and Taywan Taylor, and you’re now talking about a pretty explosive offense on paper.
On top of all of that, the Titans seem to finally have competent offensive coaches in the building. New OC Matt LaFleur will put together an offensive scheme to tailor to each player’s individual ability in an innovative way.
https://twitter.com/PFF/status/868259464746500096
As you can see in the tweet, Landry has been one of the more elusive wide receivers in the game since entering the league. Since this was tweeted last May, Landry forced 17 more missed tackles in 2017, second-most behind Detroit Lions WR Golden Tate. Even with the three-time Pro Bowler attracting the most attention from defenses, he has been amongst the elite in terms of pass-catchers in the open field.
What also seems to get put aside is the team-first mentality Landry displays every time he takes the field. Time and time again Landry puts his body on the line, throwing blocks for his teammates while displaying that same aggression when he runs with the ball. He just checks off all the boxes of a Jon Robinson guy, which doesn’t surprise me when it comes to the rumors linking Landry and the Titans.
The addition of Landry would not only energize the fan base, but the team as well. Robinson doesn’t make a move of this magnitude without believing it has the potential to elevate the team towards taking that next step towards a championship. The brand that Landry brings with being that popular household name can install a level of confidence in almost everybody, and deliver the juice for the home game experience that can result in a more significant home-field advantage.
In conclusion, it’s easy to just look at the box score, point to the 8.8 YPC average, and say Landry is an overrated slot receiver who isn’t worth the big contract he’s likely going to attain. That’s no different than the national ‘analysts’ looking at Mariota’s stats and uttering the word ‘decline’ regularly without mentioning the lack of support around him from players and coaches.
Titans fans have confidence that Mariota will explode in the right offense, and rightfully so. But why not have that same confidence in putting Landry, already one of the league’s most reliable pass-catchers, in that new offense alongside Mariota? The potential for a meteoric jump in production for Landry is something I believe may be too good to pass up.
Hopefully, Walker did his part as Landry’s personal recruiter during their time together in the 2018 Pro Bowl.