Before making his stop in Dallas, Leonard was supposed to visit with the Philadelphia Eagles, so it’s not shocking that he allegedly left the Cowboys complex without signing a deal.
Dallas is still a possibility, but Leonard is at least taking into account both of these established divisional opponents and listening to their opinions about his probable playing time and defensive scheme fit.
Other NFL playoff suitors might still enter the picture at this point, and Leonard might decide to hold off on making a decision until this weekend, according to reports.
The defensive plan employed by Sean Desai, the new defensive coordinator for the Eagles, is akin to that of Jonathan Gannon, the former defensive backs coach of the Colts who is currently the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. Gannon was replaced by Desai in Philly. This calls for a strong focus on quarters coverage and a Cover 2 defensive plan.
Leonard should be familiar with both of them from his previous time with the Colts.
In the event that Leonard signs, he should already be familiar with Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. Sirianni served as the Colts’ offensive coordinator from 2018 to 20 and most likely saw a lot of Leonard during his peak playing days and on the practice field.
Leonard has had two back surgeries, and he still hasn’t fully recovered from the physical form that made him one of the NFL’s top linebackers. He has clearly lost the speed, quickness, and bend that made him truly “The Maniac.” Having said that, you can probably still rely on your instincts, play recognition, and football-finding skill. In that sense, he might be a reliable veteran linebacker acquisition in the latter stages for a club that is in contention.
Honestly, the best case scenario may be that he becomes how D’Qwell Jackson was for the Colts (2014-16), who having been signed at 31 years old was considerably slower/less athletic than he was in his physical prime, but still had a nose for the football and racking up tackles (as well as served as a veteran leader for those Indy defenses).
