As the Jets get close to training camp, I am going to examine the roster and give you my top 25 players. Each weekday, we will reveal another person on the list, leading right into camp. I am not including rookies on this list because I do not feel it is possible to fully evaluate them before they play a game.
No. 19: Dawan Landry
Last year’s ranking: 15
Position: Safety
Age: 31
How acquired: Signed as a free agent on April 9, 2013
Years left on contract: 1
2014 salary cap figure: $1.8 million
Looking back at 2013: Landry arrived last year as a free agent signing and became a key player in Rex Ryan’s defense. He played nearly every defensive snap (98 percent) and was basically the quarterback of the defense.
Landry was not flashy. He only had one interception, and he struggled at times in coverage. The Jets secondary allowed a ton of passing yards last season, and Landry bears some of the blame. His biggest contributions were his leadership and ability to help some of the younger defensive players learn the defense, which he knew from his days in Baltimore with Ryan.
Outlook for 2014: The Jets took Calvin Pryor with the 18th overall pick in May’s draft. They certainly didn’t draft him to sit on the bench. The question is whether he will cut into Landry’s playing time or that of Antonio Allen.
During OTAs and the minicamp, Landry practiced with the second team. Ryan said this was because he wanted Pryor and Allen to be forced to communicate and not lean on the veteran Landry. This seems plausible, but someone has to sit and we know it’s not going to be Pryor.
Landry’s role and the division of labor among the safeties will be one of the storylines we’ll be watching in training camp. Even if he loses his starting job, I would think the Jets would hold onto Landry and use three safeties often, meaning he still would get plenty of playing time.