The Atlanta Falcons are in a state of complete disarray after a disastrous 12 months surrounding star receiver Calvin Ridley. Few things in professional football are more depressing than taking a gander at the Falcons’ wide receiver depth chart. Even if Deshaun Watson eliminates the Falcons from contention, Atlanta shouldn’t let Jarvis Landry leave the facility without inking a deal in free agency.
Jarvis Landry needs to be an Atlanta Falcon
Austin Trammell, Chad Hansen, Christian Blake, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Frank Darby are the current crop of Falcons receivers. Those five players have a combined 109 receptions in their careers. Three receivers had more receptions than that in 2021 alone. Only two of those receivers were drafted. Hansen was the highest-drafted as a fourth-rounder in 2017.
Allowing Landry to walk out of the building would be roster malpractice by general manager Terry Fontenot. Landry has never been an overwhelming athlete, but it’s never stopped him from producing like a reliable weapon over the middle. His production and availability have dipped over the past two seasons, so he shouldn’t be an expensive free agent.
Landry complements Kyle Pitts well
With Hayden Hurst most likely on the move, there will be an urge for head coach Arthur Smith to use Kyle Pitts as a more traditional tight end. NO! We cannot allow that to happen. He’s too explosive and valuable on the outside to be running option routes underneath zone coverage. That is where Landry comes into play.
Landry would act as the decoy to try and make linebackers cheat forward, while Pitts sneaks behind them to attack intermediate soft spots against zone coverages.
In 2021, Landry’s average depth of target was 7.9, while Pitts sat at 10.8. Pitts will and should align all over the formation, but Landry opens up the middle of the field for Matt Ryan, or Watson, to attack the leverage of LBs.
Falcons need more talent to be competitive
Wide receiver is far from the only sore spot on Atlanta’s roster. They have issues up and down the roster. Landry brings experience to an inexperienced receiving corps. Signing cornerback Casey Hayward Jr. to play opposite of young superstar A.J. Terrell was an excellent first step, but they have a long way to go.