Cap room wasn’t in the Ravens’ favor to get Jarvis Landry
By Joe Schiller
Wide receiver Jarvis Landry won’t be wearing purple and black this season. Instead, he’s headed to Cleveland to play for the Browns.
After numerous reports of heavy trade interest, the Baltimore Ravens have lost out on the Jarvis Landry sweepstakes. To add insult to injury, the Ravens now have to face him twice a season.
Landry is headed to the Cleveland Browns in one the league’s biggest offseason trades in 2018.
Browns trading two draft picks to Dolphins for WR Jarvis Landry, sources tell ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2018
It’s odd to see the Browns acquiring top free agent talent but that may be the new norm under general manager John Dorsey. He’s got the team headed in the right direction after years of mediocrity. They’re loaded with cap space and draft picks heading into the new league year.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the two picks the Browns are trading to Miami range between the third and seventh round. Seems like a manageable trade Ozzie Newsome could have pulled off. I have to think the problem wasn’t the assets but rather the cap room.
Based on Over The Cap’s latest projections, the Ravens just have $4.9 million in cap room. That number is even smaller after re-signing Brent Urban. Landry’s franchise tender alone cost $15.982 million. Let’s compare that to Browns, who have more than $100M+ to spend.
Like the Browns, the Ravens would have worked out a new long-term deal, but at what cost? Mike Evans’ latest contract extension only makes the wide receiver market that much more expensive. The Ravens would have been backed against the wall with cap room, something that already was the case heading into the offseason.
Don’t get me wrong, I was firmly in the group of acquiring Landry but the Browns had money to spend and the Ravens didn’t. As much as myself and fans wanted to think Landry was a real possibility, the NFL is ultimately a business that comes down to money.
The Ravens have more holes to fill than wide receiver this offseason. Signing Landry would have halted them doing just that
There’s ultimately a silver lining, but this one still hurts. Landry would have been a staple in a passing offense that was anemic at best last season.
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Landry goes from Baltimore’s dream to public enemy No. 1 heading into this season.