The Buffalo Bills have been very busy adding pieces on the offensive side of the ball this offseason. On Tuesday they welcomed a free agent veteran on the defensive side of the ball to One Bills Drive. Free agent safety Dawan Landry made a free agent visit to Orchard Park.
Landry, 32, is very familiar with Bills head coach Rex Ryan and defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman. The strong safety played for the New York Jets each of the last two seasons under Ryan and Thurman making 30 starts posting back-to-back 100 tackles seasons with 2.5 sacks and an interception.
A former fifth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens, Landry began his NFL career under Ryan, who was the defensive coordinator for Baltimore when the safety was a rookie. Landry posted a career-high five interceptions in his first NFL season. He would play the first three seasons of his career under Ryan.
Following five seasons with the Ravens, Landry signed a lucrative free agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars before being released in 2012. The following season he was reunited with Ryan in New York.
Buffalo has a pretty healthy situation at safety. Despite the free agent loss of Da'Norris Searcy, the Bills still have three young and capable safeties in Duke Williams, Bacarri Rambo and Johnathan Meeks who figure to battle for the starting strong safety role.
Ryan and Thurman likely see Landry as a player who could step in from the start with full knowledge of the defensive system at the strong safety position.
