Washington Redskins Franchise Fred Davis, Pave Way for LaRon Landry's Departure

The Washington Redskins placed the franchise tag on tight end Fred Davis on Friday. The move guarantees Davis will be paid just over $5 million for the 2012 season.

Placing the franchise tag on Davis wasn’t a surprise, as it has been expected for weeks. However, it does speak of the Redskins' desires to perhaps move on from talented, but oft-injured safety LaRon Landry.

Landry, the sixth overall pick in the 2007 draft, has played in only 17 of the last 32 games for the Redskins. In the first nine games of the 2010 season, Landry looked like a defensive MVP candidate. Finally back to his natural position of strong safety, Landry played closer to the line of scrimmage, becoming a force in the run game. New defensive coordinator Jim Haslett realized Landry’s strengths were not in coverage and moved him around frequently.

However midway through the 2010 season, Landry kept experiencing discomfort in his left Achilles and the injury put an end to his promising season. Landry was examined by doctors after the season and it was determined he would not need surgery, that rest and rehab would serve him well. The lockout, which eliminated any hope of players communicating with team officials, was a setback for Landry and the Redskins.

When training camp commenced in late July, Landry was unable to fully participate. The Redskins were taking a cautious approach, as they needed a healthy Landry for the regular season.

In his quest to return for the regular season, Landry strained a hamstring, forcing him to miss the Redskins’ first two games. He returned on a Monday night versus Dallas and made an immediate impact.

It was clear watching Landry, however, he was not the same player he was early in the 2010 season. He looked nowhere near as explosive as he was just a year before.

Landry’s 2011 season ended in late November when coach Mike Shanahan placed Landry on injured reserve due to the same Achilles injury. When a specialist of the team sent him to examine Landry, the doctor recommended surgery.

After the season when Shanahan was asked about Landry, he indicated he didn’t know if Landry was leaning towards surgery or not. Quite puzzling since Landry was once a cornerstone of the rebuilding Redskins.

Weeks later, Landry was interviewed and said he spoke with two doctors who advised him against surgery. Instead, Landry opted for two procedures: platelet rich plasma and stem-cell treatments. Landry indicated he decided against surgery as he felt the recovery time could cause him to lose strength and range of motion in his foot. Perhaps he was right, but did going against the advice of the Redskins and their team doctors effectively end his time as a Redskin?

Had Landry not been injured in 2010 he would likely be the league’s top-paid safety now. His play was leading him in that direction. What a difference a year makes.

It is hard to really decipher who is wrong or right in this situation. Conventional wisdom would say if a player’s season ended two consecutive years due to the same injury, he should have the required surgery to repair the problem.

However, in recent years, Landry isn’t the only player to have issues with the Redskins’ medical staff. Could Achilles’ surgery be avoided? Any player would opt for alternate forms of rehab over surgery if he had a choice.

However, at some point if the same injury continues to reoccur, the player should take it upon himself to follow the advice of his employer and have surgery. By avoiding surgery, Landry could be wasting the formative years of his career.

If Landry and the Redskins can’t agree to a contract by March 13, the beginning of free agency, he will have to agree to an incentive-laden, one-year deal in order to prove he is healthy.

Recent photos from Landry’s Twitter account show he is phenomenal condition. Perhaps that’s part of the problem. Is Landry getting too big in his upper body causing his lower body to break down?

Too much animosity exists between both sides for this marriage to continue. Clearly at one point, Shanahan felt Landry was one of the Redskins’ most indispensable players. However, Shanahan has been able to see how the Redskins’ defense performs without Landry. And it's pretty good.

While the Redskins may not be able to replace Landry with a more talented player, just getting someone in the lineup for 16 games would be a welcome change.

Will Landry ever become the player he is capable of being? Or will injuries continue to plague him? The Redskins are betting Landry’s injuries will keep him from fulfilling his vast potential.

One thing is for sure: Teams will be lining up to inquire on Landry’s health. At 27, Landry will not be out of a job for long.