Jarvis Landry should be a Dolphin for life
Jarvis Landry enters the final year in his rookie deal without a contract extension. Without the extension trade rumors have circled around Landry’s name this week, but Landry will not be traded and he should be in a Dolphins uniform for the rest of his career.
Despite the report from Michael Lombardi, NFL reporter for The Ringer, saying the Dolphins will listen to offers for Landry, the “Landry will not be traded” part of the sentence above, is a fact.
Yesterday Dolphins denied privately not trading Landry. Then told agent same. Then told player. Today said it publicly. Reputation on line. https://t.co/htt5FNXvQ8
— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) August 28, 2017
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald said it best in this tweet. Landry is not going anywhere this year.
However, when I say Landry should be in a Dolphins uniform for the rest of his career that is just my opinion, and very much in doubt.
Landry wants to get paid like a number one receiver in the National Football League. The Dolphins, as of now don’t want to give him that type of money.
And to make things worse for Landry the wide receiver market flopped this offseason. Just one example being Terrelle Pryor receiving a one-year, $6 million deal. Pryor was hoping to earn at least $13 million from a team, which he didn’t get.
But here’s the thing: for Pryor, the 2017 season is a ‘prove it’ year. Last season was his only good year as a receiver in the NFL and teams want to see if he can consistently be a top wide out in the league.
Jarvis Landry has already proved himself.
In his first three years in the league Landry has caught 288 passes for 3,051 yards and 13 touchdowns. That’s not just impressive, that is historical.
His 288 receptions are tied with Odell Beckham Jr. for the most catches by any player in NFL history over the first three years of their career.
People will talk about the touchdown number, and how he doesn’t get in the end zone enough. He scored five touchdowns his rookie season, and four in each of the last two.
Well to that I say, that’s not his main job. That is what Kenny Stills and DeVante Parker are for. Stills and Parker stretch the field and make big plays.
Jarvis Landry is built to work in the slot. At 5’11” it can be hard to get Landry the ball in the red zone, but without him Miami would have a much harder time getting there.
His job is to move the chains and keep drives alive, and he has done his job superbly.
He is also the best leader on the Miami Dolphins and it’s not even close. His attitude on the field, and his passion for winning brings energy to the team.
It’s not often you see a great player put the team before himself when it comes to his contract. That’s what Landry did this offseason by not holding out, and coming to everything going back to OTA’s.
No one in the league could give the Dolphins what Landry brings to the team right now.
So, Landry doesn’t need a ‘prove it’ contract, he’s past that. Whether it’s now or after this season, pay the man his money.
If not, I have a feeling Miami will regret that decision for a long time.