Hey, if you can’t beat them, why not sign them to a lucrative free agent contract? That’s the proposal Pro Football Focus has for the Atlanta Falcons, suggesting the Falcons put their finishing touches on their offense by signing former Saints slot receiver Jarivs Landry.
But haven’t they taken enough from the Saints this offseason? Atlanta poached Saints free agents like defensive tackle David Onyemata and linebacker Kaden Elliss while promoting longtime defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen to the full-time coordinator gig. Landry has a lot of former teammates in that building.
Here’s why he should go turncoat and sign with the Falcons, from PFF’s Brad Spielberger:
Landry is an underneath slot receiver who could be a safety valve over the middle for quarterback Desmond Ridder, and the Falcons are still thin at pass catcher beyond Kyle Pitts and Drake London. After missing most of the 2022 season with an injury, Landry is likely looking at one-year flier contract offers once again in 2023.
Landry is also known to be a good veteran leader, which could be a positive addition to a team with a lot of young offensive weapons. He’s coming off the two worst seasons of his career, but he was arguably the best slot receiver in the NFL from 2015 to 2020; his 3,938 receiving yards, 1,748 yards after the catch, 1,166 yards after contact and 91 explosive receptions of 15 or more yards all ranked first among qualifying slot receivers over that span. The Falcons buying low on a potential bounce-back could age nicely in the right setting.
Landry certainly played well inside Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium — he gained 114 of his 272 total receiving yards last year in the Saints’ season-opening win on the Falcons’ home turf, so he’d probably do well on that fast track. And he wouldn’t have great competition for targets. Atlanta’s primary slot specialist, Olamide Zaccheaus, left in free agency.
Beyond second-year wideout Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts, Atlanta’s pass-catching options include Scotty Miller (just 157 snaps from the slot last year) and Mack Hollins (92). Landry would have a clearly-defined role in their offense. He visited with Atlanta last offseason before ultimately signing with the Saints so he could catch passes from Jameis Winston.
But Landry might be cooked. He alligator-armed some passes from Andy Dalton late last season and struggled to draw targets after returning from injury, with youngsters Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed carving out larger roles in the passing attack. Another change of scenery might be good for him but if he’s playing outside New Orleans in 2023 it’ll mean he’s on his third team in three years.
