CORTLAND — It's like the NFL version of "Freaky Friday."
The Jets essentially traded LaRon Landry for his older brother, Dawan, this offseason, hoping in the process that their strong safety position won't be any worse for wear because of it.
"We never talk about stats or compare anything," Dawan Landry said of his more well-known sibling yesterday after a Jets training-camp practice at SUNY Cortland. "I'm just happy he did so well as a Jet last year, and I'm just hoping to build on that this year."
Dawan Landry certainly has a lot to live up to in that department, considering the Pro Bowl comeback year LaRon enjoyed in 2012 before the Colts lured him away with a four-year, $24 million deal (including $14 million guaranteed) new Gang Green general manager John Idzik wasn't prepared to match.
Letting Laron Landry walk continues to be one of Rex Ryan's least-favorite topics — "He's a great player, no question, and we're going to miss him," the Jets coach said yesterday — but Ryan sounds confident that the potential dropoff won't be severe.
"They're different people, no doubt about it," Ryan said. "They're both passionate about the game and just love to play, but they are a little different. LaRon's a little more reckless, while Dawan is just the opposite of that. He's going to do it right, while his brother is, 'Whoo, [there] he goes!' ''
Ryan was referring to LaRon's penchant for borderline and even blatantly illegal hits that earned him a headhunter reputation as well as thousands of dollars in fines from the league.
Dawan Landry, who at age 30 is two years older than his brother, doesn't share LaRon's taste for questionable hits or media boasting. Dawan is considered the more cerebral player, one who can be counted on to know the scheme and be in the right place more often than not.
The Jets are definitely going to need that at safety, considering a couple of inexperienced players — Antonio Allen and Brooklyn native Jaiquawn Jarrett, an Eagles washout — are dueling for free safety.
"He does so many things well that go under the radar," Ryan said of Dawan, who spent the past two seasons with the Jaguars. "He's one of those guys that maybe you don't appreciate because he isn't a flashy player at all. But he's just consistent, smart, lines it all up, and he's a good football player. He's very effective."
Ryan is in better position than most to judge Dawan, considering Landry was a fifth-round pick by the Ravens in 2005, spent five seasons there and enjoyed his most productive days as an NFL player with Ryan as Baltimore's defensive coordinator.
That connection is what attracted both parties to each other last winter after Jacksonville released Dawan Landry in a salary-cap move.
In fact, Dawan said yesterday he talked LaRon into signing as a free agent with the Jets last year by talking up Ryan in glowing terms.
"I wanted to see LaRon have some fun [under Ryan] like I had," Dawan said. "He came here and loved it. Rex is a player's coach, and I had a lot of success under him in Baltimore. I knew I would have the chance to do the same here."
The Jets can only hope Dawan makes as much out of that chance as his brother did.
bhubbuch@nypost.com
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