Jets sign free-agent safety Landry

Coming off two injury-plagued seasons, LaRon Landry insists his preference was to sign a one-year contract with his new team, all so he could show and prove.

"I think I owed that to myself and whichever organization I went with," the Jets new safety said Tuesday. " . . . It's really more so challenging myself."

Challenging himself, that is, to regain the form he had with the Redskins in 2010, before being hampered by an Achilles injury and his current problem -- recovering from bone spurs.

"I wanted a one-year deal to prove to everybody that this injury is healed and I'm able to play to the best of my ability,'' Landry said. "When I'm healed and I can perform the way I know I can perform, sky's the limit for me. Unstoppable.''

Landry played only 17 games the past two seasons because of the Achilles injury and bone spurs. Landry said that after he was injured midway through last season, foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson -- who operated on his Achilles in 2010 -- told him he needed surgery.

But instead of having a surgical procedure recommended by Anderson and the Redskins, Landry elected to have an alternative treatment that's supposed to naturally aid the healing process.

"The injury moved further down to a bone-type issue,'' Landry said. "It wasn't really an Achilles issue last year, and [that's] the reason why I opted out of surgery this past season.

"Coming to the Jets, they were knowledgeable about what was going on, and the second and third opinions that I got from different doctors after I was told to have surgery, and see exactly why I opted out."

Landry said he hopes to participate as much as possible in the upcoming Organized Team Activities (OTAs) as well as minicamp. He's been working out and said he's able to do leg exercises and is sprinting a little bit.

"The coaches and the medical staff," Landry said, "we all have a plan and I'll be ready when it's time to be ready."

General manager Mike Tannenbaum, who said the Jets haven't ruled out bringing Jim Leonhard back, wouldn't speculate on how much Landry will do before to training camp.

"I think this is a real challenge for us,'' Tannenbaum said. "We feel really good about our medical department and we are going to work as a partnership to get him ready for opening day. Barring something unforeseen, we think he'll be ready to go."

Landry believes the Jets' scheme gives him flexibility. "They can use me to my strength and I am able to fly around and just play ball," he said, "and not be predominantly a strong safety, predominantly a free safety. You've got to change it up.

"In this league, especially with Tom Brady, going against him, you just can't line up and say, 'OK.' He'll point out the strong safety all the time and point out the free safety all the time."

Notes & quotes: Tannenbaum said there is "nothing on the horizon right now" regarding a reunion with free agent WR Jerricho Cotchery . . . With the signing of Drew Stanton to be the No. 2 quarterback and the expected return of Greg McElroy, Tannenbaum said of that position: "We feel good about where we are now."