A little over a year ago, Jarvis Landry was moving from Florida to Ohio. The Louisiana native was preparing to embark on a northern journey he'd never made, and it came with its own set of adjustments.

By the time August arrived, he'd adjusted well enough to speak his mind. He did so with NFL Films' Hard Knocks cameras watching, setting the tone for his time in Cleveland -- and the Browns' turnaround.

Now, a year and a couple months after getting traded from the Dolphins to the Browns, Landry is witnessing general manager John Dorsey actively do everything in his power to transform the Browns into a legitimate contender. So far, he likes what he's seeing.

"It's been amazing, man," Landry said during a Wednesday appearance on Cleveland Browns Daily. "I have a good relationship with John and we talk through texts and phone calls all the time and I've always, since Day 1, I told him since Day 1, man, the things that you're doing and the way that you're putting in position guys on this team, this organization, to be one of the teams that's respected and be a true contender, obviously in the (AFC) North, but in the entire league, is something that you can see coming to life. We started to see a little bit of it last year and now you continue to add more and more pieces, I think that that's the big thing."

Dorsey has done a lot since the start of the new league year, signing defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson and an assortment of veterans for depth, as well as land a first-round prospect (cornerback Greedy Williams) in the middle of the second round of the draft. 

Oh, and he acquired Landry's best friend, Odell Beckham Jr., in a blockbuster trade.

Much of these changes have come as a result of the Browns selecting, inserting and discovering a franchise quarterback in Baker Mayfield. Such a revelation while Mayfield is on a rookie contract ripped the team's contention window wide open. The time to act is now.

Landry had an idea that something major like this could be around the corner last summer, but new standards needed to be set. That's part of the thought that went into his widely spread Hard Knocks rant.

"I was just coming to let the energy that I bring just be passed off to everybody that's around me, everybody that's willing to learn from me, everybody that's willing to know my mindset," Landry explained. "I think during the Hard Knocks period, it was just my mindset. I was overwhelmed about a couple of things and just traditionally how things were here. I knew it needed to change, but at the same time I knew I was gonna have to be more of a spearhead for that vocally. I'm not much of a vocal leader. I try to lead by example as much as I can. But sometimes when things need to be said, they come out that way and I think it was received well by my teammates."

The effects didn't set in immediately. Sure, the Browns were competitive and in position to win each of their first three games, but they came away with just one victory. A midseason coaching change, though, sparked an offensive turnaround that powered Cleveland to a 5-2 mark in its final seven games.

That was the signal the front office needed to make drastic changes, like bringing in Beckham. The reality of the deal still hasn't set in for Landry.

"It's hit me about 50 percent," Landry said Wednesday. "I think once we take the field together and I look to my left or I look to my right and I see that (No.) 13, then I know it's complete and we're ready to rock."

Landry and Beckham have never spent time in the same receiving corps while catching passes from a quarterback like Mayfield. Their best passer the last time they shared a field as teammates? LSU's Zach Mettenberger.

Mayfield is the lynchpin, a player whose communication skills and constant growth were lauded by Landry during his Wednesday appearance. But he is poised to be surrounded by more talent than ever in Year 2, including on the defensive side. One of the new arrivals will be able to rely on Landry and Beckham for guidance, seeing as they all came to the NFL from the same college, but the friendliness might stop there, at least temporarily.

"(Williams) is something that I think gives our team another strength, another ability to be a cover guy and he has the toughness to play in the SEC, so we won't ever question that," Landry said of the Browns' second-round selection. "But we're gonna compete each and every day, just as we did with Denzel (Ward) when he first got here, just like we do every day. He's gonna have to earn his keep still, but at the same time, to have him on this team, have him on this roster is something that we're looking forward to."

Ward ended up in the Pro Bowl after a season filled with such competition. Training camp -- and those ensuing battles -- can't come soon enough.