NFL: Redskin safety /Landry arrives on final day of OTAs
By Paul Tenorio
The Washington Post
WASHINGTON — Washington Redskins safety LaRon Landry made a surprise appearance on the final day of organized team activities at Redskins Park in Ashburn, Va., showing up for the team’s last practice until training camp opens at the end of July after missing all of the previous voluntary workouts over the past two weeks.
Landry’s absence had drawn speculation that the third-year safety was unhappy in Washington and might be posturing for a trade, but Thursday Landry said he had missed OTAs to take care of “personal issues.”
“I was doing a couple personal things,” said Landry. “And through the missed (practices), all that, I still stayed in shape and I came out today and I got a couple things to catch up with in the playbook, but as far as my physical ability and endurance, it’s all there.”
Though organized team activities are not mandatory, Landry was the only Redskins player who had not made at least one appearance. Landry said he had been working out in Arizona and at his home in New Orleans.
Other players missed days during the workouts, including linebacker London Fletcher, running back Clinton Portis, defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and fullback Mike Sellers. But Landry’s extended no-show drew more attention when Coach Jim Zorn said last week he had been unable to get in touch with Landry and that several phone calls and text messages had gone unreturned.
That prompted rumors that Landry was looking to be traded. But Thursday Landry denied he was looking to be shopped to another team.
“Nah, not at all,” he said. “I love it here. Trade, I don’t know where that’s coming from.”
Landry said he met with Zorn and defensive coordinator Greg Blache on Wednesday. Zorn said that he was “pleasantly surprised” to see Landry in his office after a staff meeting and that the two discussed the reasons for Landry’s absence.
“We talked for about 15 or 20 minutes, and I think we’re definitely on the same page,” Zorn said. “He’s been working out; he’s gotten himself ready to play. He’s just done all the things away from the team. And being with the team and participating in the OTAs, it would be better. But he’s working his plan.”
Zorn also said he cleared up any reasons why Landry had not been returning his phone calls and text messages.
“I said, `What phone number do I have and what phone number do you really have?’ So we kind of synchronized our phones,” Zorn said. “And (the phone numbers) were different. ... These players, they change (phone numbers) and several texts came back to me and I was like, `You know what? I don’t really have the right number.’ So we got synchronized and we’re good.”
On the practice field Thursday, it didn’t take long for Landry to get right back into the mix. The free safety was flying around the ball during goal line drills and checking teammates in and out of coverage. And though there was no contact, Landry showed his ability to read the play and close space on several occasions.
His return to the field was welcomed by teammates, who played down his absence and greeted their teammate with good-natured ribbing.
“Always better late than never,” quarterback Jason Campbell said. “He came out here today, and I saw him flying around. We were messing with him a little bit, calling him `fresh legs.’ But he looked like he was in good shape.”
Landry is expected to be a linchpin of the Redskins’ defense, which finished fourth in the league last year and added superstar defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to the mix.