Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry will sign his franchise tag in the very near future, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. There were reports earlier in the day that the Dolphins were working on a trade with the Chicago Bears, but Rapoport suggested that wasn’t in the works.
That said, the intention for the Dolphins was always to tag Landry and then trade him. A trade isn’t necessarily imminent, but it wouldn’t be surprising if it happened in the near future.
Many view Landry as a No. 1 receiver, and now he’ll be paid like one, at least for the 2018 season. He’ll earn more than $16 million on the tag this coming season, in the same range as Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers and DeAndre Hopkins of the Houston Texans.
Brown led all receivers in yardage last season with 1,533, while Hopkins wasn’t far behind at 1,378. Landry had 987 yards, but matcbed Brown in touchdowns with nine (Hopkins had 13).
Personally, I don’t see Landry as a game-changing No. 1 receiver, and given recent comments by Kyle Shanahan about finding the right fit as opposed to the biggest name at the position, I doubt the San Francisco 49ers will be in on Landry. But with both teams possessing high draft picks, the 49ers’ ample salary cap space and the Dolphins’ need at quarterback, anything can happen.