Jarvis Landry - Pro Football Rumors

AFC East Rumors: Landry, Suh, Solder, Jets

March 4th, 2018 at 11:39am CST by Rory Parks

Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry is expected to sign his franchise tender shortly, and once that happens, he and the team will continue to work together to facilitate a trade. However, Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports tweets that Miami’s asking price in a Landry trade is still unclear, and he says the earlier rumor that the Bears could trade Jordan Howard to the Dolphins in exchange for Landry — a rumor that was subsequently shot down — sounded like a report that Miami planted in order to generate offers. If that was the case, the strategy did not work, as the trade market remains at a standstill. Robinson suggests (via Twitter) that Landry could return to Miami in 2018, but the team will continue to look for the right trade offer.

Here’s more from the AFC East, starting with another item out of South Beach:

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that the Dolphins‘ recent agreement to trade for Robert Quinn is further evidence of his belief that the team is looking to move on from Ndamukong Suh (even though the two play different positions on the defensive line). Other reports have indicated that Miami wants Suh back in 2018, but the club could approach the mercurial DT about a restructure to help reduce his massive cap number.
Nate Solder is easily the best left tackle set to hit the open market, and as Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reports, the Patriots have yet to make an offer to him (although the later-than-usual start to free agency means that there is still time to get something done). Solder’s preference is to remain in New England, but if the Pats cannot lock him up within the next week, Howe says Solder will seek the best offer on the open market and will not accept a hometown discount. Sources suggest he could receive upwards of $12MM annually, and if he does find a new home, the Pats will be left with plenty of uncertainty at LT.
Former Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema attended the scouting combine as a representative of the Patriots, per Doug Kyed of NESN.com. However, it is unclear whether Bielema will be joining the team’s coaching staff. He and New England head coach Bill Belichick are close, and Belichick may have just been doing Bielema a favor by bringing him to the combine.
As Mike Reiss of ESPN.com observes, the Patriots could be looking closely at running backs in this year’s draft, as Rex Burkhead and Dion Lewis are both set to hit the open market. Former Patriots executive and current Lions GM Bob Quinn recently stated that this year’s crop of collegiate backs is generally strong in pass protection, which is an asset that New England values as much as anything when it comes to its RBs. As such, Reiss suggests need could align perfectly with opportunity when the draft rolls around. Likewise, this year’s draft contains more than usual off-the-line linebackers with first-round abilities, which could also suit New England quite nicely.
Just like Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News sees Teddy Bridgewater as a potential target for the Jets if they cannot land Kirk Cousins. If the Jets somehow do end up with Cousins, it would open up a world of possibilities for New York vis-a-vis its first-round draft choice, and Notre Dame guard Quinton Nelson could be a perfect fit.

Jarvis Landry To Accept Franchise Tag

March 3rd, 2018 at 9:38pm CST by Ben Levine

Jarvis Landry is about to become one of the highest-paid wideouts in the league. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Dolphins wide receiver will accept the franchise tag, and he described the impending signing as imminent. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets that Landry is expected to sign next week, and he adds that both sides are working toward a trade.

We heard back in February that the Dolphins were going to franchise their top receiver. The deal will lock the wideout into a $16.23MM contract in 2018. The corresponding cap hit would rank fourth among wide receivers, behind only Antonio Brown, Larry Fitzgerald, and Dez Bryant.

Of course, it’s unlikely that Landry will be on Miami’s books in 2018. There were previous reports that the team could be shopping the receiver, and we learned this week that the Dolphins have allowed Landry to “seek and facilitate” a trade. Landry and his agent would presumably be seeking a long-term contract from any interested team, as few teams would have interest in the wideout on his one-year deal. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald previously projected that the Dolphins should expect to receive a third-round pick, a late second-round pick, or a player in return for Landry. We heard that the Bears could be a potential suitor, and there was some buzz around a Landry-for-Jordan Howard swap earlier today (those reports were quickly shot down). The Panthers and Saints reportedly don’t have interest.

After two straight 1,000-yard campaigns, Landry finished the 2017 season with 987 receiving yards. The 25-year-old did compile a league-leading 112 receptions and a career-high nine receiving touchdowns, earning him his third-straight Pro Bowl nod.

NFC Notes: Saints, Mathieu, 49ers, Packers

March 3rd, 2018 at 11:19am CST by Ben Levine

The Saints may be in the market for some offensive skill players, but it sounds like they’re going to avoid one of the top trade options. Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com writes that the team will not make a trade for Dolphins wideout Jarvis Landry.

The writer notes that the team expressed interest in the wideout during the combine this past week. Considering the Saints would have to give up assets in a trade and tolerate his franchise tag ($16MM), the team ultimately decided that it would cost too much to add a “luxury” piece to their core. The team is already rostering offensive playmakers like Michael Thomas, Mark Ingram, Alvin Kamara and Ted Ginn Jr.. However, Katzenstein believes the Saints will ultimately be in the market for a free agent wide receiver or tight end.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFC…

CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora tweets that he’d be surprised if safety Tyrann Mathieu was back with the Cardinals next season. The 25-year-old had a tongue-in-cheek reply to the tweet, asking “anybody gonna tell me anything?” Mathieu started all 16 games for the first time in his career in 2017, finishing with 78 tackles, seven passes defended, and two interceptions. The safety’s cap hit in 2018 will exceed $14MM.
ESPN’s Nick Wagoner has some additional details (via Twitter) on Garry Gilliam‘s new contract with the 49ers. In 2018, the offensive lineman will earn a $1.75MM base salary, along with a $400K roster bonus. Gilliam can also earn up to $500K in per-game bonuses and another $50K via a workout bonus, all leading to a $2.45MM cap hit. In 2019, the cap number jumps to $5.05MM, but only $1.5MM of his $4.5MM base salary is guaranteed for injury only.
Earlier this week, we learned that an arbitrator had ruled against the Packers in their effort to recoup a portion of Martellus Bennett‘s $6.3MM signing bonus. Writing for the team’s website, CEO Mark Murphy said the team plans on appealing the decision. “We think the decision was flawed and plan to appeal,” Murphy wrote. “The appeals go to a panel of three arbitrators.” The CEO told ESPN’s Rob Demovsky that the team “lost their bid to recoup signing bonus money in part because the Patriots claimed Bennett off waivers and therefore picked up his contract.”

Panthers Not Interested In Jarvis Landry

March 2nd, 2018 at 2:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Jarvis Landry is on the block, but the Panthers won’t be among the teams to pursue the Dolphins wide receiver. Carolina is not interested, Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter) hears. Instead, the Panthers are looking for a wide receiver with more speed.

Landry has done well for himself in the NFL, but he isn’t exactly a track star. At the draft combine four years ago, he ran the 40-yard-dash in 4.77 seconds, which is one reason why he slid to the Dolphins in the backend of the second round. Since then, Landry has tallied 400 receptions for 4,038 yards and 22 touchdowns. That’s not too shabby for a receiver without top-end speed.

The Panthers are out on Landry, but plenty of other teams are expected to explore trading for him. We learned earlier today that the Bears have interest in Landry and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald suggests that the Niners are another team that would make sense. Salguero would also “not discount” the Titans. All three teams have needs at wide receiver and all of those clubs rank in the top ten in available cap space.

The Dolphins applied the franchise tag to Landry in October, holding him in place with a one-year, $16MM+ tender. Any team acquiring Landry is expected to hammer out a cap smoothing multi-year extension with him, but that number will factor heavily in negotiations.

Bears Interested In Jarvis Landry

March 2nd, 2018 at 9:18am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins are working in concert with Jarvis Landry to find a suitable trade and already one potential suitor has emerged. The Bears have interest in acquiring the slot receiver, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

The Bears have a clear need at wide receiver this offseason and they also have the cap space to take on Landry’s one-year, $16.2MM tender. Presumably, the Bears would reach agreement on a long-term extension before acquiring Landry, giving them true value rather than a one-year rental.

Recently, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald‘s reported that the return for Landry will likely be a third-round pick, a late second-round pick, or a player. For what it’s worth, the Bears have seven picks in this year’s draft, but do not own a third-round choice. Their second-round pick is rather high (No. 39 overall) and their next pick doesn’t come until the fourth round (No. 105). Of course, that’s only a minor obstacle for a trade and there are other ways for the Bears to convey the value of a third rounder if that is the mutually agreed upon valuation.

Over the last four years, Landry has hauled in 400 passes for 4,038 yards and 22 touchdowns for Miami.

Dolphins Allow Jarvis Landry To Seek Trade

March 1st, 2018 at 8:12pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Reports had already indicated the Dolphins are shopping franchise-tagged wide receiver Jarvis Landry, but they’re now involving the slot weapon in the process. Miami has given Landry and his agent permission to “seek and facilitate” a trade, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Landry has already spoken with two unidentified teams, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com, and he’s expected to sign his tender soon to further move discussions along, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

The Dolphins always seemed likely to allow Landry to speak with other clubs, if for no other reason than to work out a new contract that would be amendable to both him and his new team. Landry is set to earn $16.228MM salary thanks to the franchise tender, which Miami assigned last week. An acquiring club likely wouldn’t want Landry at that expensive one-year cost, and will be expected to negotiate a fresh contract.

Miami’s decision to tag Landry has been widely viewed as a negotiating tactic, and few believe the Dolphins actually want him on their roster at that salary. Other clubs likely realize that lack of leverage on the part of Miami, which would help explain Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald‘s recent report that the return for Landry will likely be a third-round pick, a late second-round pick, or a player.

Landry, 25, is thought to be seeking a $14MM annual salary and $30MM in guarantees, but whether he’ll be able to reach that level of compensation while attempting to discuss both a contract and a trade is unclear. Although he led the league in receptions in 2017, Landry managed only 8.8 yards per catch, which is the lowest average for any 100-catch receiver in NFL history.

Free Agent Rumors: Landry, Hitchens, Bills

February 28th, 2018 at 7:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Dolphins are attempting to trade wide receiver Jarvis Landry after assigning him the franchise tag last week, but the club probably shouldn’t expect a first-round pick for their slot receiver, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes. Instead, fair compensation is likely to be a third-round pick, a low second-rounder, or perhaps a player, multiple sources tell Salguero. Landry can be an effective weapon, but any team that acquires him is either committing to carrying his $16MM+ salary in 2018, or inking him to a new deal, so Miami isn’t likely to get blown away in terms of trade offers. The Dolphins were expected to meet with Landry’s representatives at the combine on Wednesday, so a resolution could be coming soon.

Here’s more on 2018 free agency:

Cowboys free agent linebacker Anthony Hitchens is seeking $10MM per year on the open market, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Dallas ranks in the bottom-third of the league in available cap space, so that price point could force Hitchens out of the club’s range. Indeed, multiple beat writers don’t believe Hitchens will re-sign with the Cowboys, while the Colts — who now employ former Dallas linebackers coach Matt Eberflus — are expected to pursue the 25-year-old. A fourth-round pick out of Iowa in 2014, Hitchens appeared in 12 games a season ago and registered 55 tackles.
Although the Bills inked veteran defensive back Vontae Davis to a one-year deal earlier this week, they’re not giving up hope of re-signing free agent cornerback E.J. Gaines, general manager Brandon Beane told reporters, including Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (Twitter link). Buffalo acquired Gaines in 2017 as part of the return for wideout Sammy Watkins, and the 26-year-old went on to start 11 games, ranking 11th in the league in yards per pass. He’s expected to garner at least $6MM annually on the open market.
While new Lions head coach Matt Patricia has a clear working relationship with free agent cornerback Malcolm Butler, Detroit is more likely to fill its secondary needs internally, said general manager Bob Quinn (link via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). Given that they may need to replace both Nevin Lawson and D.J. Hayden (and find a new slot corner with Quandre Diggs moving to safety), the Lions will likely give opportunities to 2017 rookies Teez Tabor and Jamal Agnew. “We drafted those guys for a reason last year, and when we evaluated them in the postseason process, we liked what they did and their role,” said Quinn.
Veteran quarterback Mark Sanchez didn’t attempt a single pass for the Bears last season, but Chicago could nonetheless be open to a reunion. “You know, he did a good job this year,” Bears general manager Ryan Pace said, via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com. “All the things we value with him: his veteran leadership and his experiences. Again he’s a free agent; those are all evaluations that are ongoing.” Chicago doesn’t have a backup for Mitch Trubisky on its current roster after announcing its intent to release Mike Glennon earlier today.
If linebacker Derrick Johnson doesn’t land a new deal on the open market, he has a standing to return to the Chiefs as a coach, head coach Andy Reid told reporters, including Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). The Chiefs recently announced that they won’t re-sign the 35-year-old, but Johnson still wants to continue his career. Johnson is highly respected for his locker room presence, so it’s no surprise Reid would want the veteran defender on staff if his playing career is over.

Latest On Dolphins, Jarvis Landry

February 26th, 2018 at 6:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins are slated to meet with the agent for wide receiver Jarvis Landry on Wednesday in Indianapolis to discuss the wide receiver’s future, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Multiple sources believe the Dolphins are interested in trading Landry, Schefter writes, which is consistent with what we’ve been hearing in recent days.

The Dolphins surprised many last week when they opted to franchise tag Landry at a cost of more than $16.2MM. Soon after, we learned that the Dolphins are looking to trade Landry and quickly utilized the tag so that they could commence talks. What it boils down to is this – the Dolphins have limited cap space this offseason and Landry’s rumored request for $30MM in guaranteed money and more than $14MM/year does not fit into the budget. That’s also a remarkably steep price tag for a slot receiver, albeit a very good one.

Per league rules, the teams have until July 16 to agree on a long-term contract with franchise tagged players. If no deal is agreed upon by that date, then the tagged player plays out the coming season on the one-year tender. The Dolphins also reserve the right to revoke the tag from Landry once the free agent period begins on March 14.

Right now, the Dolphins seem intent on forgoing options A, B, and C, and going with option D: Dealing Landry elsewhere.

Dolphins Still Shopping WR Jarvis Landry?

February 20th, 2018 at 9:36pm CST by Ben Levine

When the Dolphins slapped Jarvis Landry with the franchise tag earlier this evening, it was assumed that the wideout would remain with the organization through at least the 2018 season. However, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com says the receiver could be shipped out in a trade as early as this offseason.

A league source told Florio that the “quick tag” can be attributed to the team’s desire to trade Landry. A deal couldn’t be completed until Landry signs his tender, and Florio believes a trade would be unlikely unless the wideout agrees to a long-term contract with his new squad. Either way, a trade wouldn’t be completely unexpected, as there were whispers that the Dolphins were shopping Landry prior to last season’s trade deadline.

After the two sides failed to make any progress following months of negotiations, the Dolphins surprisingly franchised Landry earlier this evening. The one-year tender is estimated to be worth approximately $16.23MM, which should satisfy the wideout for the time being. Landry’s camp was previously seeking $30MM in guaranteed money and an average salary of $14MM, a pair of numbers that would rank in the top-five among receivers.

As our own Zach Links noted earlier tonight, league rules indicate that the Dolphins have until July 16 to agree on a long-term contract with Landry. If there is no compromise, Landry will play under the one-year deal, and the two sides cannot resume negotiations until after the season.

After two straight 1,000-yard campaigns, Landry finished the 2017 season with 987 receiving yards. The 25-year-old did compile a league-leading 112 receptions and a career-high nine receiving touchdowns, earning him his third-straight Pro Bowl nod.

Dolphins To Franchise Tag WR Jarvis Landry

February 20th, 2018 at 7:12pm CST by Zachary Links

The top wide receiver in this year’s free agent class is off of the table. The Dolphins will place the franchise tag on Jarvis Landry, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The official numbers are not out yet, but it is believed that the one-year tender will be worth approximately $16.23MM. The Dolphins have since confirmed the transaction via press release.

It’s a surprising turn of events considering the lack of fruitful negotiations between the two sides. For months, all indications have been that the Dolphins would not tag Landry, preferring instead to negotiate with him up until March and potentially allow him to explore the open market.

In December, Landry’s agent Damarius Bilbo asked the Dolphins for a contract worth roughly $14MM per year with $30MM in guarantees. It’s expected that he’ll enter the coming round of negotiations with a similar ask. The Dolphins, who are looking to preserve what limited cap space they have, will push back and potentially open up talks with Kenny Britt‘s four-year, $32MM deal from last offseason as a starting point.

At one point, the Dolphins were wary of giving Landry a bloated multi-year deal because they wanted to preserve room for locking up DeVante Parker down the line. After a so-so injury-ladened season from the former first-round pick, they’re probably less concerned on that front. The Dolphins have Parker under contract through the 2018 season at a reasonable $3.46MM charge. If he breaks out in 2018, they can use the fifth-year option to control him through 2019.

Landry has topped 1,100 yards in two of his NFL seasons and nearly reached 1,000 yards in 2017. He also scored a career-high nine touchdowns and broke his own franchise record with 112 receptions. However, his yards per catch average dipped to a career low 8.8 per contest. At the end of the day, Landry presents a difficult conundrum for the Dolphins. There’s no denying that he is a lethal slot receiver, but is a slot receiver worth a potentially market shifting contract?

A $14MM/year deal would put Landry in line with Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant, putting him just outside of the league’s top five wide receivers in terms of average annual value. The request of $30MM in full guarantees would give him the fifth-highest total among WRs, behind only DeAndre Hopkins, Julio Jones, Thomas, and Bryant (If you’re wondering where Antonio Brown is in all of this – he has the highest AAV at $17MM, but trails the aforementioned players in those other categories).

Per league rules, the Dolphins have until July 16 to hammer out a long-term contract with Landry. Otherwise, Landry will play under the one-year deal and the two sides cannot resume negotiations until after the season.

With Landry off the board, Allen Robinson and Sammy Watkins are now positioned to be the best available wide receivers in free agency. Of course, the Jaguars and Rams could change that by also using the franchise tag on them. If Robinson and Watkins don’t reach the open market, then there will be a serious dearth of quality wide receivers available. In that scenario, Marqise Lee of the Jaguars could wind up as the belle of the ball.