LaRon Landry’s season is over. Now it’s safe to wonder if his Redskins career is the same.
Landry was placed on injured reserve and faces surgery on his Achilles at the end of the season, coach Mike Shanahan said Thursday. Landry saw Dr. Robert Anderson on Wednesday and he recommended the surgery. Shanahan said Landry will visit other specialists to see if they agree on the surgery recommendation.
The Achilles is not torn, which will help lessen the recovery time but Shanahan did not know how long the rehab process would take.
The Redskins will start DeJon Gomes at strong safety for the last three games.
Landry played just eight games this season because of various leg issues: a bad Achilles, which continues to bother him, a hamstring injury and now the groin.
“LaRon has to get healthy,” defensive coordinator Jim Haslett said. “When he’s healthy he’s obviously a good player. He just hasn’t been healthy in a year and a half.”
Therein lies the problem for Landry. The Redskins love his talent and would want him back at the right price. They could place the franchise tag on him, which likely would be less than $6 million (it’s the average of the top paid safety over the past five seasons). Landry counted $5.6 against the salary cap this season so making this move would be doable.
However, there’s a concern in the organization that Landry has only stayed healthy for one season, though he didn’t miss a start his first two years. And they’re concerned – at least when it comes to giving him a big contract – that the health issues will continue. Any team that pursues him must face the same issue.
And it’s likely that Landry would want a multi-year deal. Can he get one coming off another injury-filled year? Landry will have missed 15 games combined the past two years. Before missing the final seven games in 2010, Landry was playing well enough that some started considering him for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. There’s little doubt about his talent.
“The guy’s an athletic freak,” Redskins safeties coach Steve Jackson said. “To play at a certain level he has to be running on all cylinders and when he’s not it kind of messes with him a little bit.”
Landry likes playing in Haslett’s defense. The key is can he overcome the leg injuries?
“As hard as that guy works, I wouldn’t put anything past LaRon,” Jackson said. “He can get over and through anything.”
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