Bleacher Report- Landry will be "New Leader"

[bulldog]

Landry has the talent to be the best strong safety in the league. The acquisition of OJ Atogwe is proof the organization is going to allow Landry to stay at SS and recapture the potential he was drafted to fulfill.

[Spartacus87]

I'm not saying that Landry can't play strong safety better than free safety, but don't knock his free safety game.

Landry ended the season as a member of the 2007 All-Rookie Defensive Team and a Pro Bowl alternate.

The next year he didn't have the same production. Worse the year after. What was the only change? From Williams to that coward Blache.

All of a sudden Has comes in and Landry is, again, playing at a Pro Bowl level.

It was the coaching.

I made the same point re: Landry's defensive coaching a million times (in his defense) during his average 2009 season (and it was an average season overall, not as bad as a lot of people on this board made it out to be, but what else is new there?).

In college, he thrived under hard ass Nick Saban, a HC who's notoriously hands-on with his defenses.

His rookie year, he played very well under Gregg Williams. He started to slack off when Blache was running the show, but had an excellent season last year under Haslett, another DC who's not afraid to give it to his players sometimes.

It's clear from his career pattern that Landry needs a strong-willed, tough coach who will really get on him and push him to succeed. I question a lot of Haslett's coaching abilities as an overall DC, but I do think that he's the right kind of guy for Landry at least.

That being said, Landry is, and should always have been, a SS in the NFL. His college career, position wise, is somewhat irrelevant since he was being used as both a SS and FS interchangeably, and he's such a physical freak that athletically, he was able to basically do whatever he wanted in the secondary compared to the majority of offensive players that he faced at that level.

In the NFL, his aggression (sometimes over-aggression) combined with his speed can work against him at the FS spot, where he has too much room on plays to take bad angles or simply think too much. Compared to sticking him around the box where he just has to make plays in smaller spaces and he's put in far less situations that could cause him to work against, essentially, himself.

So yeah, "naturally" speaking, I'd say he's more of a SS than a FS. He can be a very good/borderline Pro Bowl FS, as shown by his 2008 campaign where he was really good in deep coverage according to either ProFootballFocus or FootballOutsiders, I can't find the article right now, but given the right coaching, he can and should be an All Pro type of SS.

[RandyHolt]

Without even trying, aren't a teams best players usually their leaders.. You know, leading by example. Actions speak louder than words?

About the only thing we did right last year was move Laron to Strong. All the other position changes we forced on our front 7... pretty much stunk up the joint. What a beast he was attacking the ball though. Finally, a change in a position that was made on defense that paid dividends.

Watching him easily our best hitter stuck in deep coverage was hard to watch. His zone in college, sure. The Blache scheme having the an ultra aggressive free so deep... predictably failed, and it was ugly.

12 hours per day of workouts.... wha?

[Skins Talk]

I know Landry hadn't been hurt much before this past year, but one thing that worries me is the guy's workout tendencies. He's naturally blessed with almost no body fat and he's always working out. With all that muscle, I'd be worried about him injuring himself more frequently. It's really unhealthy to be as in shape as he is. Strange I know, but true.

[Diesel__44]

I know Landry hadn't been hurt much before this past year, but one thing that worries me is the guy's workout tendencies. He's naturally blessed with almost no body fat and he's always working out. With all that muscle, I'd be worried about him injuring himself more frequently. It's really unhealthy to be as in shape as he is. Strange I know, but true.

Never been worried about a guy working out to much. LL isn't a novice and he's stretching and working on his flexability as well. I'd save my worries for the guys that don't workout enough....No names needed.

[Lavarleap56]

Shhhh! That doesn't fit the extrapolated and over-exaggerated arguments from two years ago that people are harping on!

Alot came together for Laron this year and really everyside of the argument is somewhat correct. Laron responses on the field to disciplined /get in your face coaching like williams/Haslet. Steve Jackson is a friend/coach and he never has gotten on Laron tough, others in the safety room question if he's intimidated by Laron. Switching positions was HUGE because Laron likes to be in the action and going forward while being aggressive and it keeps him focused.

Laron grew up off the field this year as well and spent more time studying then going out. Laron doesn't like to be embarrassed point blank so 2009 was a wake up call for him and he will continue to improve.

[NewCliche21]

Alot came together for Laron this year and really everyside of the argument is somewhat correct. Laron responses on the field to disciplined /get in your face coaching like williams/Haslet. Steve Jackson is a friend/coach and he never has gotten on Laron tough, others in the safety room question if he's intimidated by Laron. Switching positions was HUGE because Laron likes to be in the action and going forward while being aggressive and it keeps him focused.

Laron grew up off the field this year as well and spent more time studying then going out. Laron doesn't like to be embarrassed point blank so 2009 was a wake up call for him and he will continue to improve.

Not to re-ignite the Sean vs. Landry debate, but this does sound a lot like Sean did going from 2006 (even though his performance wasn't embarrassing, the defense as a whole was) to his incredible 2007 year.

My argument isn't that Landry isn't better at strong than he is at free so much as it is that if Landry is a 10 at strong, then he's, at worst, an 8.5 at free.

Anyone who goes back and reads my posts on Landry for the past two years will see that, aside from one or two posts of frustration, I have been a staunch defender and felt that he was a grossly undervalued player. He's the only rookie whose jersey I bought, and I'd be shocked if he doesn't intimidate the league more than Palamalu does when all is said and done. I'd say that our three best draft picks in the past ten years were Samuels, Sean, and then Landry/Orakpo. No slight to Cooley; Landry's just that good.

[Est.1974]

Alot came together for Laron this year and really everyside of the argument is somewhat correct. Laron responses on the field to disciplined /get in your face coaching like williams/Haslet. Steve Jackson is a friend/coach and he never has gotten on Laron tough, others in the safety room question if he's intimidated by Laron. Switching positions was HUGE because Laron likes to be in the action and going forward while being aggressive and it keeps him focused.

Laron grew up off the field this year as well and spent more time studying then going out. Laron doesn't like to be embarrassed point blank so 2009 was a wake up call for him and he will continue to improve.

LL, am I correct in saying that in the past you commented that Laron wouldn't make it past 3 seasons as a Redskin ?

I'm not raising that point to be critical, but more to reinforce what appears to be Laron turning 'round his career here over the last season or so. Your post clearly suggests that, so it's a genuine interest as to whether you think his time could easily have been done here.

I'll be honest, I've been critical of him in that past, but that is by the by now if the guy is working damn hard to turn things about.

[Lavarleap56]

LL' date=' am I correct in saying that in the past you commented that Laron wouldn't make it past 3 seasons as a Redskin ?

I'm not raising that point to be critical, but more to reinforce what appears to be Laron turning 'round his career here over the last season or so. Your post clearly suggests that, so it's a genuine interest as to whether you think his time could easily have been done here.

I'll be honest, I've been critical of him in that past, but that is by the by now if the guy is working damn hard to turn things about.[/quote']

Yes you are correct. I was and will be critical of his play on the field but also maintain my relationship with him off it. Larons rookie year was pretty tough from coming to the NFL to Sean Taylor's passing ect. Towards the end of his rookie year he was pretty set on finding his way out of Washington

After his third season if the team was still losing and other concerns. Last offseason there was a point where there was a rift with the coaches and him but it got fixed pretty quick.Having been around Laron since he came in the league till now the differance is night and day. I have always been critical because the physical ability was undeniable but the attitude was that ability was enough and that lesson has been learned. Larons preperation has improved dramaticly and redskins fans have a reason to be excited.

[Est.1974]

Yes you are correct. I was and will be critical of his play on the field but also maintain my relationship with him off it. Larons rookie year was pretty tough from coming to the NFL to Sean Taylor's passing ect. Towards the end of his rookie year he was pretty set on finding his way out of Washington

After his third season if the team was still losing and other concerns. Last offseason there was a point where there was a rift with the coaches and him but it got fixed pretty quick.Having been around Laron since he came in the league till now the differance is night and day. I have always been critical because the physical ability was undeniable but the attitude was that ability was enough and that lesson has been learned. Larons preperation has improved dramaticly and redskins fans have a reason to be excited.

Love the sound of that - Thanks for the response....

So, if you know him off the field, the burning question I now have is,how's his monkey doin'?

[scruffylookin]

Sounds like those of us critical of this guy had it right and it's Landry that had to change to maybe finally live up to his draft status.

I don't hide from the fact I have disliked Landry from day 1. First because I found the pick of a secondary player with that high a pick to be wasteful and that you do not take a limited player that high. Second because of his prancing and preening and otherwise douche on field behavior while not making any big plays. Lastly because of his poor angles and his penchant for going for hits vs tackles.

I don't back down from any one of those positions. But if he has matured and the defensive coaches are trying to mask his weakness by making him an extra linebacker (like Dallas did with Roy Williams), then good I guess. But starting a woof contest with Philly doesn't seem to reflect this alleged maturity. Nor does his absence from the players mini camps. So color me unimpressed and still skeptical. This reeks of "Dan Snyder is learning" puff with no substance stuff we get in the offseason.

[Houston2Taylor2Landry]

Sounds like those of us critical of this guy had it right and it's Landry that had to change to maybe finally live up to his draft status.

I don't hide from the fact I have disliked Landry from day 1. First because I found the pick of a secondary player with that high a pick to be wasteful and that you do not take a limited player that high. Second because of his prancing and preening and otherwise douche on field behavior while not making any big plays. Lastly because of his poor angles and his penchant for going for hits vs tackles.

Sounds like you hid under a cave last year. Can't remember any poor angles last year.. He had 85 tackles in 9 games. That's like 8.5 tackles a game. Don't think he wiffed much last year. And if you're still unimpressed, it's not because Landry hasn't played well enough to impress you, it's because you just dislike him with a passion.

[Lavarleap56]

Sounds like those of us critical of this guy had it right and it's Landry that had to change to maybe finally live up to his draft status.

I don't hide from the fact I have disliked Landry from day 1. First because I found the pick of a secondary player with that high a pick to be wasteful and that you do not take a limited player that high. Second because of his prancing and preening and otherwise douche on field behavior while not making any big plays. Lastly because of his poor angles and his penchant for going for hits vs tackles.

I don't back down from any one of those positions. But if he has matured and the defensive coaches are trying to mask his weakness by making him an extra linebacker (like Dallas did with Roy Williams), then good I guess. But starting a woof contest with Philly doesn't seem to reflect this alleged maturity. Nor does his absence from the players mini camps. So color me unimpressed and still skeptical. This reeks of "Dan Snyder is learning" puff with no substance stuff we get in the offseason.

I think you don't understand what is actually going on with all do respect. Laron isn't medically cleared yet to go full go for football related activities. Rehabilitation is more important than flying across the country at this point.Rest assured Laron is working his ass off to be in the best shape he can be in for the upcoming season.

[Est.1974]

Another thing to throw out there as well about Landry is that 2011 appears to be the final year of his existing contract. Warpath had his deal down as a 6 year deal running into 2012. But, the most recent articles I've seen via the Post on Landry suggest 2011 is the last year. I'd suggest that must have some bearing on his motivation to excel this year. Here are some extracts from the articles in the Post from the tail end of last year ;

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/laron-landry/analysis-is-it-time-for-a-laro.html

Mike Shanahan praised the fourth-year safety, saying: "Landry amazes me, to be honest...He's fast, a hitter. He loves to play and he's that way every snap."

Assuming Landry, who is under contract through the 2011 season, continues to be productive and impactful, it is not far-fetched that the Redskins could offer him a contract extension prior to the 2011 season (assuming we're playing football in 2011) that makes him one of the highest-paid safeties in the game.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/laron-landry/roster-analysis-laron-landry-g.html

As it stands currently and barring a contract extension, Landry is scheduled to earn a non-guaranteed salary of $5.22 million in 2011.

Landry currently leads NFC strong safeties in Pro Bowl voting If elected to the Pro Bowl this season, Landry can further increase his 2011 non-guaranteed salary by $350,000 to $5.57 million and make his 2011 cap number $8.15 million.

While an $8.15 million cap number (assuming there is a cap in 2011) -- $5.57 million of which comes in the form of non-guaranteed salary -- is not overly burdensome, it could nonetheless provide the impetus for a new deal for Landry and 2011 cap relief for the Redskins.

[Hitman21ST]

Sounds like you hid under a cave last year. Can't remember any poor angles last year.. He had 85 tackles in 9 games. That's like 8.5 tackles a game. Don't think he wiffed much last year. And if you're still unimpressed, it's not because Landry hasn't played well enough to impress you, it's because you just dislike him with a passion.

Not to be a math nazi, but it's almost 9.5 a game, not 8.5

[Conn]

If Landry starts off the season hot again and proves that his Achilles isn't a problem (I'm sure it won't be), we need to lock him up by week 7-8. It needs to be a priority early, so that its not hindering us around next year's FA/draft time. I do NOT want us investing any more impact draft picks in the secondary, unless Barnes totally bombs and we literally don't have a guy across from DHall...even then, I don't want to see a secondary player picked in the first 3 rounds for a couple of years.

[Est.1974]

If Landry starts off the season hot again and proves that his Achilles isn't a problem (I'm sure it won't be), we need to lock him up by week 7-8. It needs to be a priority early, so that its not hindering us around next year's FA/draft time. I do NOT want us investing any more impact draft picks in the secondary, unless Barnes totally bombs and we literally don't have a guy across from DHall...even then, I don't want to see a secondary player picked in the first 3 rounds for a couple of years.

It'll be interesting to see what the new CBA (this might just happen one day) brings us with regards to 'tags'. If they don't exist, I agree with you. If they do, chances are he becomes a perfect candidate to be 'tagged' in some form. The cost / impact of that would be not too far from what he's on this year.

Top-tier safeties who have signed contracts in the past two seasons, such as Nick Collins, Adrian Wilson, Kerry Rhodes, and Antrel Rolle, have inked deals in the neighborhood of $4 million per year in guaranteed money and overall package values of roughly $7 million to $8 million per year

[styx491]

http://blog.redskins.com/2011/06/08/laron-landry-is-still-in-shape/#continued

We haven't seen much of safety LaRon Landry this offseason. In the case of some players, this might make you wonder about their conditioning and general fitness. I mean, it must be tough to maintain a football player's build in an uncertain offseason like this one. You could lose muscle tone, put on fat ... the list of dangers is endless, really.

[Champskins]

^^^ Dude stole my picture and put his head on it!

[Conn]

Woah.

Saw someone on the Madden forums a week or two ago complaining that the proportions were all wrong in a certain Skins vs. Dallas screenshot.

Little did he know that #30 in that picture was Laron Landry, with his HUGE arms and forearms. Someone posted a picture of him in uniform, and that stopped that misguided complaint.

[DC9]

12 hour workouts? I hope no one questions his commitment. Good to hear he's almost back to 100%.

I love Dirty 30, but I won't feel a warm and fuzzy until he signs his extension. Contract year this year.

[santanathegreat]

Is there any hope of him at least getting a couple of practices under his belt before the season starts? I am a little bit worried that his injury is not going to get any better between now and then.

[Brianbien83]

Guys on 980 are saying that he will be off the PUP list soon, and will play by the 3rd preseason game.

[Santana_89]

Guys on 980 are saying that he will be off the PUP list soon, and will play by the 3rd preseason game.

:wavetowel great news here's to the first of many pro bowl seasons