Laron Landry's future with Colts

[BProland85]

Here is a contract breakdown for Landry...

 

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/indianapolis-colts/laron-landry/

 

My question is, could we cut ties with him after this season without much of a cap penalty? I don't think he fits the new mold of SS's in the league, since he can't cover. I would be all for drafting Deone Bucannon to be our future SS if the value is there in the draft.

[Bluefire4]

With the upcoming contracts Grigs has to deal with I'd be shocked if Landry wasn't cut if he has another sub par season.

[DougDew]

Its hard for me to judge his performance since he had a fairly bad injury, IMO.  I saw the play that he got injured.  Not a sign of being injury prone either.  A guy rolled up his leg from the side and buckled his knee sideways.  He stayed in the game, and here I thought for sure he would need reconstructive surgery based on what I saw.  He did not play the next week or for a while thereafter.

 

Throughout the year, they kept saying he was week to week.  I always thought that was a smoke screen and that he was injured and slowed much more than ever reported.  I was surprised that he came back at all.

 

Having said that, I didn't like the contract when it was signed, but I think talks of cutting him are very premature.

[COLTS449]

If we get a safety who can cover, Landry will be a beast.

[Defjamz26]

If we get a safety who can cover, Landry will be a beast.

I'm not sure that building around a 29 year old safety is smart thinking for the future. Makes more sense to invest in both safety positions.

[chad72]

I'm not sure that building around a 29 year old safety is smart thinking for the future. Makes more sense to invest in both safety positions.

 

That is what made Bethea invaluable, his availability and ability to minimize bad plays even when he wasn't making spectacular plays. I have not seen that from Landry. But a bird in hand is worth more than two in the bush, I doubt Grigson takes any drastic action on Landry for another year, IMO. Heck, he gave Satele two years.

[Superman]

That is what made Bethea invaluable, his availability and ability to minimize bad plays even when he wasn't making spectacular plays. I have not seen that from Landry. But a bird in hand is worth more than two in the bush, I doubt Grigson takes any drastic action on Landry for another year, IMO. Heck, he gave Satele two years.

 

For all the people complaining about Landry, I believe Bethea gave up way more plays down the field and in coverage than Landry did last year. 

[Dustin]

For all the people complaining about Landry, I believe Bethea gave up way more plays down the field and in coverage than Landry did last year.

Hard to give up many big plays down field when you're only on the field half of the time.

[Superman]

Hard to give up big plays down field when you're only on the field half of the time.

 

What does that have to do with his play? Bethea got beat in coverage several times last year, by receivers and tight ends, in short coverage and in deep coverage. Landry, even when he was on the field, didn't really get beat in coverage, and had the same amount of defensive stops in nearly 300 fewer snaps. 

 

Also, Landry only missed four games.

 

Let's talk about Landry's missed tackles, his reckless diving. That's where he hurt the team. Not in coverage.

[Dustin]

What does that have to do with his play? Bethea got beat in coverage several times last year, by receivers and tight ends, in short coverage and in deep coverage. Landry, even when he was on the field, didn't really get beat in coverage, and had the same amount of defensive stops in nearly 300 fewer snaps.

Also, Landry only missed four games.

Let's talk about Landry's missed tackles, his reckless diving. That's where he hurt the team. Not in coverage.

Laron absolutely hurt the team in coverage. Most of the times he got beat he was in such terrible positioning that it didn't look like it was his fault. Bethea

also played mostly man coverage on TEs/WRs whereas Landry was playing deep zone. Not comparable situations IMO. Landry probably would have performed worse if he were in Betheas situation.

[Superman]

Laron absolutely hurt the team in coverage. Most of the times he got beat he was in such terrible positioning that it didn't look like it was his fault. Bethea

also played mostly man coverage on TEs/WRs whereas Landry was playing deep zone. Not comparable situations IMO. Landry probably would have performed worse if he were in Betheas situation.

 

So he got beat so bad in coverage that I couldn't even tell he was in coverage? Do you really think so little of me? I'm not claiming that Landry was a rock, just that he was the better of the two in pass coverage. 

 

And it's possible that Landry would have played worse than Bethea did in Bethea's role, but that's entirely supposition. Can't say definitively until and unless Landry plays Bethea's former role. I'd keep Landry in his position, tell him to play more disciplined when supporting the run, and hope that better ILB play takes some pressure off of the deep safety to bring down running backs. 

[Defjamz26]

What does that have to do with his play? Bethea got beat in coverage several times last year, by receivers and tight ends, in short coverage and in deep coverage. Landry, even when he was on the field, didn't really get beat in coverage, and had the same amount of defensive stops in nearly 300 fewer snaps. 

 

Also, Landry only missed four games.

 

Let's talk about Landry's missed tackles, his reckless diving. That's where he hurt the team. Not in coverage.

 

Yes, his poor tackling form was exactly one of the things that made him bad last season. IDK how many times I saw a run or short pass turn into a long gain because he couldn't make the tackle. And as someone mentioned before, he's often out of position on passing drives.

 

Regardless of what people feel about him, his position could be upgraded too. Just because we have Landry doesn't mean that SS isn't a need. Besides I don't think any GM would say "Yeah let's get the almost 30 year old guy some help so he doesn't look as bad".

[OffensivelyPC]

If we get a safety who can cover, Landry will be a beast.

More like if we get a consistent pass rush.  Even Bethea would have been much better in coverage if we could get a good pass rush more often than not.  Our DL was hot one play and cold for the next few.  Makes it hard on the secondary to have to cover forever.

[Valpo2004]

Unless he's exceptionally bad I would wait until 2016 to cut him.  My personal philosophy is to avoid taking big dead money hits for minimal cap gains.  Others may disagree however.

[Defjamz26]

Unless he's exceptionally bad I would wait until 2016 to cut him.  My personal philosophy is to avoid taking big dead money hits for minimal cap gains.  Others may disagree however.

I think the real issue is if we draft a SS that out plays him or beats him out for the starting job, what do you do with him? I think its entirely possible too. He's not bad enough to cut now, but I think he's there so that SS isn't such a big need that it causes them to have to reach in the draft.

I think that's what a lit of people are predicting. That they'll draft someone better and then we'll be stuck with him on the roster.

[dw49]

What does that have to do with his play? Bethea got beat in coverage several times last year, by receivers and tight ends, in short coverage and in deep coverage. Landry, even when he was on the field, didn't really get beat in coverage, and had the same amount of defensive stops in nearly 300 fewer snaps. 

 

Also, Landry only missed four games.

 

Let's talk about Landry's missed tackles, his reckless diving. That's where he hurt the team. Not in coverage.

 

 

I never said a word about Bethea but if you could hear a huge sigh of relief when it was announced he signed with SF , that was me. Let me just say IMO , he was adequate in run support and bad to very bad in coverage.

[Superman]

I never said a word about Bethea but if you could hear a huge sigh of relief when it was announced he signed with SF , that was me. Let me just say IMO , he was adequate in run support and bad to very bad in coverage.

 

I felt the same way.

[Dark Superman]

We need a free range safety to play along Landry's strengths..

In the box Landry is a monster.. And he's very explosive..

I'm sticking with him.

[GoColtsGo5150]

TBH- I like Landry. In fact there was a point where a lot of us on this forum considered him our best FA acquisition (until he got injured). I think with a good safety opposite him, he'll be a beast.

[BlueCollarColts]

Get a decent coverage safety by Landry and he will be very good for us

[dudeski]

If we get a safety who can cover, Landry will be a beast.

no he won't

[southwest1]

We need a free range safety to play along Landry's strengths..

In the box Landry is a monster.. And he's very explosive..

I'm sticking with him.

 

 

TBH- I like Landry. In fact there was a point where a lot of us on this forum considered him our best FA acquisition (until he got injured). I think with a good safety opposite him, he'll be a beast.

Yup SupermanLuck12 & GCG5150, I concur completely with that assessment. Nothing more to add because you 2 articulated your positions so well. 

[Dark Superman]

Yup SupermanLuck12 & GCG5150, I concur completely with that assessment. Nothing more to add because you 2 articulated your positions so well.

People are so fast to throw players under the bus around here..

But.. Do they even think about who would be replacing Landry if we were to do that..

I can't even name his backup..

Sims or Sergio?

Yeah good luck..

I'll take Grigson's advice when it comes to building a team.

[BProland85]

Here would be a good draft to secure our safeties for the future, along with solidifying our DL rotation by adding DaQuan Jones at DE who can also play NT at times.

 

Round 2 Pick 27: Terrence Brooks, FS, Florida State (A-)
Round 3 Pick 29 (N.E.): DaQuan Jones, DT, Penn State (A)
Round 4 Pick 30 (N.E.): Ahmad Dixon, SS, Baylor (A-)
Round 5 Pick 26: Phillip Gaines, CB, Rice (A)
Round 6 Pick 27: Aaron Lynch, DE, South Florida (A-)
Round 7 Pick 17: Aaron Colvin, CB, Oklahoma (C+)

[dgambill]

Landry was a big name signing last offseason but he didn't perform  like it. I've thought he was kind of one of those guys that looks for the big hit....worried about how big his arms are...but didn't add a whole lot to our defense. I am waiting to see what he has to offer...like Toler we all see potential but both to me I would consider in "contract" years because both would be prime players we would look at cutting if they don't show up again.