2017 Miami Dolphins Preview – Jarvis Landry
The big talk surrounding Miami’s #1 receiver Jarvis Landry this offseason is whether or not a new contract will get done before the start of the season.
Jarvis Landry has been the Miami Dolphins primary offensive target since he entered the league in 2014. Much of the talk surrounding Landry this offseason has been whether or not he and the Dolphins could mutually agree on a new contract. The Dolphins have already extended contracts to other players like Reshad Jones and Kenny Stills. Now it’s Landry’s turn.
It’s a bit of a surprise that a deal hasn’t been reached yet. The Dolphins veterans will join the rookies this week when they report to training camp on July 26th. Surely, both sides would have liked to have reached a deal by now, but Landry isn’t getting upset about it.
Landry has made it clear that he would be a true professional over the situation, and he’s been true to his word to this point. Unlike many other premier players across the league, Landry did not hold out for a new contract. In an interview on Friday with ESPN, Landry explained why he still reported to OTAs and minicamp.
He made it clear that he and his agent would continue negotiations up until Miami’s first regular season game against Tampa Bay on September 10th. During the regular season, however, Landry does not want to be a distraction, and therefore, does not want to have any talks again until the season has ended. As it stands, the Dolphins will pay Landry $893,850 this coming season as the final year of his rookie contract.
Landry has been the impact player for the Dolphins ever since he stepped foot onto the football field. Although it felt like some of the spotlight was taken away from him last season because of the breakout play of Jay Ajayi, Landry is easily Ryan Tannehill‘s favorite target by a wide margin. The Dolphins have added some weapons on offense like Julius Thomas, but that’s not going to change.
In 2015, Landry recorded a franchise record of 110 receptions. Even though he fell just short of repeating the 100-catch milestone again in 2016, he well surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the second consecutive season. As Miami’s top receiver in a contract year, early predictions point to him doing it for a third straight season.
In addition to being Miami’s outstanding receiver, Landry is also one of the team’s most vocal leaders. Landry played alongside Odell Beckham Jr. in college at LSU so he is used to trash talking. Sometimes in games it can get out of hand and result in unnecessary penalties, but it shows his passion and love for the game. More importantly, he backs it up with results. Landry started his trash talking early this year when in April he predicted that the Dolphins would sweep the Patriots in 2017. Landry made the bold prediction while in London speaking to a group of fans.
"“If you’re a competitor, that’s the way you should feel, and I don’t mind saying it.” It’s time for a change. I have all the respect in the world for the Patriots, and I respect Tom Brady tremendously. But they’re not our big brother anymore.”"
Some may argue that he shouldn’t have said it, and that it would just rile the Patriots even more. The Dolphins need this kind of leader, however, and one who has confidence in the team going further. The Patriots are sure to be favorites in both of their matchups this season so it’s not as if Landry has anything to lose with the remarks. What he’s trying to do here is fire up his own team. Miami can’t just be happy that they made the playoffs last year. They need to build off of it, and Landry understands that.
The only knock on Landry’s game you could argue would be a lack of touchdowns throughout his career. He’s had just four in each of the last two seasons, despite going for over 1,000 yards in each of them, and as a rookie he totaled five. While other players may be reaping the benefits when the offense gets inside the red zone, Landry is almost always a major reason why they got there in the first place.
Fans may be concerned, and rightfully so, that a contract deal hasn’t been reached yet. However, the time to panic is still a ways away. The good news is that Landry really wants to remain in Miami, and they really want to keep him. That is key because if either side was on the fence then there would be more cause for concern.
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I point to the Stills re-signing as a boat of confidence that a deal with Landry is imminent. I have a hard time believing that the Dolphins would keep Stills, but let Landry walk even though he will, obviously, demand more money.
In the meantime, Landry will continue to go about his business as he has done since day 1. Miami may have a plethora of offensive weapons now, but we can expect bigger and better things from number 14. Receivers may seem like a dime a dozen in the NFL at times, but guys like Landry are a rare breed, and hard to replace. His season looks bright for 2017 in hopes to lead the Dolphins to contention.