How Titans GM Jon Robinson handled Harold Landry’s extension perfectly
The Tennessee Titans extended edge rusher Harold Landry on Tuesday evening, just hours after declining to use the franchise tag on the former Boston College star. According to multiple reports, Landry’s deal with the Titans is worth $87.5 million over five years and includes $52.5 million in guaranteed money. It was a surprise on Tuesday […]
The Tennessee Titans extended edge rusher Harold Landry on Tuesday evening, just hours after declining to use the franchise tag on the former Boston College star.
According to multiple reports, Landry’s deal with the Titans is worth $87.5 million over five years and includes $52.5 million in guaranteed money.
It was a surprise on Tuesday afternoon when Tennessee decided to not use the franchise tag on Landry. In fact, it briefly felt like the Titans had decided that they weren’t going to pursue a reunion with Landry (until ESPN’s Turron Davenport tweeted that Tennessee was still planning to work on an extension with Landry).
Not tagging Landry was a bold move. It meant the Titans were risking Landry hitting the open market, which likely would’ve driven up the price for the in-demand edge rusher. Most teams that want to keep a star free agent will use the franchise tag to buy a couple of months to work out an extension. It's essentially a safety net.
Titans general manager Jon Robinson, however, had a plan. And he executed it perfectly.
Robinson didn't go through the charade of using the franchise tag. The Titans obviously knew where they stood with Landry. By not placing the tag on Landry, it shows a level of trust that isn't present in every NFL franchise. That's the culture that Robinson has built in Nashville. And it was on full display with the way Landry's extension was handled.
We've seen situations like this get messy in the past for teams. Landry isn't a perfect player. He has his flaws. But he's vital to Tennessee's defense. Robinson knew Landry would get a lucrative contract in free agency. It would've been incredibly easy to let Landry walk and try to replace him via a cheaper option in free agency or the draft.
Robinson, though, has shown us multiple times over the years that if you're a Tennessee Titan and you play at a high level, you'll get rewarded (just as Kevin Byard, Taylor Lewan, Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, etc).
Landry knows that and he trusted that Robinson would give him his market value. And Robinson trusted that Landry believed in the Titans organization enough to not test free agency. Not many teams can pull that off.
There's not a general manager in the NFL that has a better feel for his team than Jon Robinson.
Featured image via USA TODAY
