$99 million All-Pro is expected to replace Browns LB

admin | November 23, 2023 | Other Clubs | No Comments

The Cleveland Browns are in a great position to benefit from Anthony Walker Jr.’s injury at a perfect moment, as is often the case in the NFL and in life.

Unfortunately, Cleveland’s captain and middle linebacker suffered a hamstring strain last weekend while playing the Pittsburgh Steelers. The first encouraging development is that Walker does not seem to be going on the injured reserve list (IR). The second stroke of luck occurred when one of the top players at the position in the league over the previous few seasons suddenly became available as a free agent.

On Tuesday, November 21, the Indianapolis Colts unexpectedly dismissed Damir Shaquille Leonard, the 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year and three-time first-team All-Pro. Leonard is free to sign with any team he wants after clearing waivers on Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Source: “Darius Shaquille Leonard, a three-time All-Pro linebacker with the Colts, cleared waivers today. “He’s a free agent now,” Schäffer wrote on X. “Teams like the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are anticipated to show some interest.”

In addition to having strong defenses and hopes of winning the Super Bowl, the Eagles and Cowboys may have a linebacker shortage. After Walker’s injury, the Browns have all three of those traits as well, which makes Cleveland a viable contender for Leonard’s services as well. In addition, given the circumstances surrounding his departure from Indianapolis, Leonard should be available for less money than usual.

Darius Leonard Can Offer Browns Good Value for Stretch Run

The NFL’s interest in Leonard is still not fully clear, as just preliminary stories have started to surface. Having said that, there should be a significant range of interest.

In August 2021, Leonard, who is currently 28 years old, agreed to a five-year, $98.5 million contract extension with the Colts. He completed little over half of that contract before being let go by Indianapolis before to Week 12. Leonard will now bargain for entirely new terms with whichever team signs him after the move, rendering his current contract null and useless.

Because he bears the risk of injury during the final seven weeks of the regular season and the playoffs—assuming he signs with a contender that will participate in them—it might be in the inside linebacker’s best interest to attempt to secure a long-term deal now rather than waiting until free agency in March.Leonard had back surgery in June 2022, and he missed all but three games of the previous season due to health problems. Through 11 weeks of 2023, he has participated in and started nine of the 10 games for the Colts.

But more often than not, a good player who becomes available late in the season strikes a pro-rated contract with a contender and takes advantage of the extra time in the next offseason to shop around for the best long-term deal. If that turns out to be the case, Leonard should be available for a fair price throughout the last stretch, which benefits teams like the Browns, who as of Wednesday had more than $33.5 million in remaining salary space.

In 70 games since being selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Leonard has racked up 614 tackles, including 32 tackles for loss, 31 pass breakups, 20 quarterback hits, 17 forced fumbles, 15 sacks, 12 interceptions, and a defensive score.

Anthony Walker to Avoid Long Absence with Hamstring Injury

Walker is expected to miss a significant chunk of the season’s final stretch, but it doesn’t seem like the Browns will need to find a replacement for him for the rest of it.

In a meeting with reporters on Wednesday, head coach Kevin Stefanski stated that the team does not intend to place Walker on injured reserve, which would force him to miss at least four games. Therefore, it follows that Cleveland anticipates Walker to miss one to three games.

The 7-3 Browns will travel to take on the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams before hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars back in Cleveland on December 10. The three teams on that schedule don’t exactly have a murderer’s row of opponents, but their combined record is 16-14, and the Broncos are among the hottest teams in the NFL after four straight victories.

According to Ashley Bastock of Cleveland.com, Cleveland designated linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk for return on Wednesday. This suggests that he and backup Mohammed Diabate could be the team’s solution in the wake of Walker’s injury. But Kunaszyk is a dangerous option because he hasn’t played this season. Diabate, on the other hand, has spent much of his season playing on special teams and has only appeared in five defensive snaps.

Both Leonard’s advanced and traditional statistics have decreased dramatically since his injury-plagued 2022 campaign, according to Pro Football Focus. Despite this, he has outperformed Kunaszyk in terms of health this season and provides greater NFL experience, making him a major improvement above all other linebackers on the Browns’ active roster.

Thus, it is a very smart decision for the Browns to add Leonard, who is regarded among the league’s finest defensive players, on a pro-rated contract at fair market value through the end of the 2023 season.