The Unending Saga Of Jarvis Landry

Up until now, I’ve gone to great lengths to try and avoid having to weigh in on the seemingly on-again-off-again status of WR Jarvis Landry with the Dolphins, but now it’s just gotten too big for me to ignore it any longer. As just about everyone knows, Landry’s contract is up and Miami designated him as their franchise player on the very first day they were able to do so. Since he is also one of the best players on the team, his situation has been monitored on an almost daily basis by various news outlets around the country.

One of the most fashionable pastimes during the past week or so, by various GM’s of other NFL teams is, no sooner is it reported that team ‘X’ is interested in trading for Landry, that team immediately issues a statement assuring the world that they have no interest whatsoever in trading for the fifth year wideout. We saw this unfold with the New Orleans Saints, then the Carolina Panthers and most recently the Chicago Bears. And who can blame them? Unless you’re talking about a bona fide superstar, teams generally don’t trade for a player who figures to soon be on the open market, much less a guy whom everyone knows his team will have trouble coming up with the money to pay, anyway.

Although my original position was that I didn’t much care one way or the other, that I would be fine with whatever the Dolphins’ front office decides, I now just want this ongoing drama to be over with. In other words, I just want him out of here at this point. Miami could better use that money to pay an offensive lineman in free agency, or a wide receiver who actually scares defenses, perhaps Allen Robinson, etc. One thing that hasn’t really been talked about much is Landry’s rivalry with his former LSU teammate, Odell Beckham, Jr. I think, deep down, Landry knows he’ll never be quite as good as Beckham, but who is? I’d say Antonio Brown, but not too many other folks.

Unlike many folks, I really can’t criticize the team for their handling of the situation; they’ve had to manage a high wire balancing act that would make the Wallenda family proud. How do you diplomatically let it be known that you would prefer not to re-sign the most popular player on your team, due to more pressing needs elsewhere?

In sum, you can bet your last dollar at the OTB that Landry wants to be like ODB, but if the Dolphins don’t block better at the POA, they’ll be dominated at the LOS, resulting in far too many TFL’s, and therefore won’t have enough W’s to qualify for the postseason in the AFC.