Linebacker Darius Shaquille Leonard, formerly of the Indianapolis Colts.
In the NFL, just like in life, timing often matters, and the timing of Anthony Walker Jr.’s injury couldn’t be better for the Cleveland Browns.
Cleveland lost its center fielder and team captain to an unfortunate hamstring strain last weekend against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The first good news is that it does not appear that Walker will be placed on the injured reserve (IR) list.
The second chance is that one of the league’s best players at the position in recent years has inexplicably become available on the free agent market.
In an unexpected move, the Indianapolis Colts released three-time first-team All-Pro and 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year Darius Shaquille Leonard on Tuesday, November 21.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Leonard was cleared on waivers on Wednesday and is now free to sign with the team of his choice.
“The Colts’ three-time All-Pro LB Darius Shaquille Leonard cleared waivers today, according to a source.
He is now a free agent,” Schefter wrote on Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.”
The Eagles and Cowboys both have formidable defenses and Super Bowl aspirations, as well as a potential need at linebacker.
The Browns share all three of these traits following Walker’s injury, which also makes Cleveland a reasonable candidate for Leonard’s services, particularly because he should be offered at a cheaper price than normal given the circumstances of his departure from Indy.
“Darius Leonard can give Browns good value for stretch run”
Former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Darius Shaquille Leonard.
Preliminary reports are only just circulating, meaning the full picture of the NFL’s interest in Leonard is not yet in place.
However, the extent of this interest is expected to be considerable.
Leonard, now 28, signed a five-year contract extension with the Colts in August 2021, worth $98.5 million.
He played out a little more than half of that contract before Indianapolis released him before Week 12.
The move means Leonard’s contract is now void and he will negotiate entirely new terms with the team that owned him. will sign.
Ultimately, it might be up to the inside linebacker to try to sign a long-term deal now rather than waiting until free agency in March, simply because he risks getting injured over the course of of the final seven weeks of the regular season and playoffs. – provided that he joins a participant who will participate.
Leonard underwent back surgery in June 2022 and was out for all but three games last season due to health issues.
He appeared in and started nine of the Colts’ 10 contests over 11 weeks in 2023.
However, it is often the case that a high-profile player who becomes available at the end of the year enters into a pro-rated contract with a competitor and uses the time afforded by the following offseason to shop around for his services and find the best long-term deal .
If that’s the case, Leonard should be available for the extended period at a reasonable price, something teams like the Browns, who have plenty of cap space (over $33.5 million on Wednesday), should bring an advantageous position. .
A second-round pick in 2018, Leonard collected 614 tackles in 70 games played, including 32 tackles for loss, 31 pass breakups, 20 QB hits, 17 forced fumbles, 15 sacks, 12 interceptions and one defensive touchdown.
Anthony Walker avoids extended absence with hamstring injury
Linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. #5 of the Cleveland Browns.
It doesn’t appear the Browns will need to replace Walker for the remainder of the season, although he will likely miss a large portion of the season.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski met with reporters Wednesday and said the team has no plans to place Walker on IR, which would mean he would miss at least four games.
So the next assumption is that Cleveland expects Walker to miss between 1-3 games.
The Browns are 7-3 and will face the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams on the road before returning to Cleveland to face the Jacksonville Jaguars on December 10.
This schedule doesn’t exactly feature a variety of opponents, but instead the three teams have a combined record of 16-14 and the Broncos are one of the hottest teams in the NFL with four straight wins.
According to Ashley Bastock of Cleveland.com, Cleveland designated linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk to return Wednesday, meaning he and backup Mohamoud Diabaté could be the team’s answer to Walker’s injury.
However, Kunaszyk hasn’t played all season, making this a risky bet. Meanwhile, Diabaté played more on special teams and only played defense five times all season.
Leonard’s advanced numbers have declined significantly since his injury-plagued 2022 season, according to Pro Football Focus, as have his traditional statistics.
However, he has been healthier than Kunaszyk all year and offers more NFL experience and a significant upgrade over any other linebacker currently on the Browns’ active roster.
Therefore, if the Browns can acquire Leonard on a pro rata basis through the end of the 2023 season while solidifying the middle of the league’s top-rated defense, it will be a very smart move.
Max Dible covers the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns and Golden State Warriors for Heavy.com.
He covered local and national news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and was news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More information about Max Dible
