CLEVELAND -- When the Cleveland Browns underwent a youth movement two years ago, they struggled to find leadership at the quarterback and wide receiver positions, especially during the 2017 season, and new general manager John Dorsey wasted little time addressing that situation during the offseason.
In the first few hours of the new league year back in March, Dorsey traded for quarterback Tyrod Taylor and wide receiver Jarvis Landry, and since their introductory press conference, the two have formed a unique bond that has led to success on the field.
“Those guys have been spending a lot of time together all throughout OTAs, the offseason and training camp,” Browns coach Hue Jackson said. “That chemistry is important. I have seen him hit Darren Fells and hit some other guys.”'
Over his four-year career with the Dolphins, Landry turned 400 catches into 4,038 yards and 22 touchdowns. He averaged 10.1 yards per catch and 63.1 yards per game to go along with 38 catches of at least 20 yards, seven 40-yard plays and 220 first downs.
The 5-foot-11, 208-pound Landry has two 110-catch seasons (2015, 2017) and two 1,100-yard years (2015, 2016) on his resume.
“You have a guy that you know that in crunch time, you can get the ball to and there is a good chance that he is going to come up with it,” Jackson said. “You have to have that guy on your football team.
“He does it every day. He works at it. The guy will stay after and go to the JUGGS machine and catch anywhere from 200-300 balls. That is just how important it is to him. As you see, if the ball is anywhere around him, there is a good chance that he is going to come up with it.”
In 2015, Landry set a then-career high with 110 catches, which he turned into 1,157 yards and four touchdowns and averaged a personal-best 72.3 yards per game. He followed that up with a 94-catch, 1,136-yard, four-touchdown showing in 2016.
Last season, the Metairie, Louisiana native and Louisiana State product caught a career-high 112 passes for 987 yards and a personal-best nine touchdown receptions.
“If I have a comparison to Landry. it would probably be Steve Smith because he’s aggressive,” defensive lineman Myles Garrett said. “He’ll attack you. He’s not afraid of anybody on the field. He’s going to make that catch no matter what it’s going to take. He’s not afraid of going up with anybody. So I like that — that kind of confidence and that demeanor he brings to the field. He definitely brings a kind of swagger to the offensive side.”
Fellow wide receiver Rashard Higgins added, “Jarvis has been where we want to be. Him going to Pro Bowls, Him having the yards, the catches, the TDs, as young guys coming in, that is where we want to establish ourselves. Have to make the catches and be a big playmaker. I feel like Jarvis is the leader in the group. We are all looking at what he does, and we go about it in our own manner. It is nice to have a leader like that in the receiver room.”
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