CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Browns made a statement on the first official day of the new year in the National Football League by making four trades that netted three players who figure prominently in 2018 and several picks in upcoming drafts.
Just an hour into the new league year, the Browns confirmed they acquired wide receiver Jarvis Landry (Miami Dolphins), quarterback Tyrod Taylor (Buffalo Bills) and defensive back Damarious Randall (Green Bay Packers), as well as three picks in the next two drafts.
Here’s a look at the three players the Browns acquired through trades.
LANDRY
Over his four-year career with the Dolphins, Landry turned 400 catches into 4,038 yards and 22 touchdowns. He averaged 10.1 yards per catch and 63.1 yards per game to go along with 38 catches of at least 20 yards, seven 40-yard plays and 220 first downs.
The 5-foot-11, 208-pound Landry has two 110-catch seasons (2015, 2017) and two 1,100-yard years (2015, 2016) on his resume.
Last season, the Metairie, Louisiana native and Louisiana State University product caught a career-high 112 passes for 987 yards and a personal-best nine touchdown receptions.
“Jarvis Landry is obviously one the most productive wide receivers in the National Football League,” Browns coach Hue Jackson said in the release confirming the moves. “It’s really exciting that we had the opportunity to put him on our team. He’s going to bring a fire and competitive energy to our team that will make us better. He’s a playmaker and a difference maker that we expect to make our offense go.”
Dorsey added, “The numbers speak for themselves. One-hundred plus catches two years, three-time Pro Bowler. Loves the game of football, ultra competitor. You're lucky to get a guy like that on your team. He is a professional. He’s got deep passion for the game. I think that will carry over here moving forward.”
TAYLOR
During his seven-year career with the Baltimore Ravens and Bills, Taylor completed 793 of his 1,271 attempts (62.4 percent) for 9,056 yards and 51 touchdowns against 18 interceptions. Of those 793 completions, 116 went for at least 20 yards and 22 more were 40-yard gains.
In his three seasons with the Bills, the last of which ended with the snapping of a 17-year playoff drought, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Taylor completed 774 passes for 8,837 yards and 51 touchdowns against 16 interceptions.
“First and foremost, he’s a great kid. Great leader, smart as a whip,” Dorsey said. “I talked to the former head coach of Virginia Tech, Frank Beamer, and he has nothing but high praise for Tyrod Taylor. He has the physical abilities to extend the play. He's got more than enough arm talent and he doesn't turn the ball over. When you play that quarterback position at a high level like he does, I think that will do nothing but help us moving forward.”
Jackson added, “We view Tyrod as a perfect fit to lead our team. He possesses the qualities we want of a starting quarterback. He’s smart, a leader, and an efficient passer that doesn’t turn the ball over. He’s a winner and has been very productive as a starting quarterback in this league. The expectation is for Tyrod to come in and be our quarterback, get himself acclimated to our offense and help us get to winning as quickly as possible."
RANDALL
In three years with the Packers, Randall made 30 starts in 39 career games, where he proved to be a ball hawk in the secondary, both as a safety and cornerback.
The 5-foot-11, 196-pound Randall defended 32 passes, collected 10 interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns, and registered 144 total tackles, including 126 solo stops.
“Damarious is very versatile,” Dorsey said. “I've long admired him when he was playing safety back at Arizona State. He’s a first-round pick a couple of years ago, which shows you what his skill set is. He’s proven his versatility where he can play corner, he can play safety. I’m glad we got all three of those guys.”
