BROWNS LB: Browns Can Get Good Value from Darius Leonard for the Stretch Run
Linebacker Darius Shaquille Leonard, formerly of the Indianapolis Colts.
Like life, the NFL frequently depends on luck, and the Cleveland Browns are in for a very fortunate break with Anthony Walker Jr.’s injury at the perfect time.
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 Darius Shaquille Leonard, the 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year and three-time first-team All-Pro. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Leonard cleared waivers on Wednesday and is now free to sign with whichever team he chooses.
Source: “Darius Shaquille Leonard, a three-time All-Pro linebacker with the Colts, cleared waivers today. “He’s a free agent now,” Schefter wrote on X. “Teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys 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.
Browns Can Get Good Value from Darius Leonard for the 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 $98.5 million, five-year 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.
The inside linebacker may find it more advantageous to try to sign a long-term contract now rather than wait until March for free agency, just because he faces an increased danger of injury during the next seven weeks of the regular season and the playoffs — assuming he joins a contender that will participate in them. Leonard underwent back surgery in June 2022, and health issues kept him sidelined for all but three games last season. He has played in and started nine of the Colts’ 10 contests through 11 weeks in 2023.
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 ought to be affordable for the last stretch, which benefits teams like the Browns, who as of Wednesday had more than $33.5 million in leftover 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’s hamstring injury will prevent a lengthy absence.
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 media on Wednesday, head coach Kevin Stefanski stated that the team did 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 play the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos before hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars back in Cleveland on December 10. That schedule doesn’t exactly have a lot of opponents but the three teams have a combined record of 16-14 and the Broncos are among the NFL’s hottest teams with four wins in row.
According to Ashley Bastock of Cleveland.com, Cleveland designated linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk for return on Wednesday. This suggests that he and backup Mohamoud Diabate might be the team’s replacement for Walker in the event of an injury. But Kunaszyk is a dangerous option because he hasn’t played this season. Diabate, meanwhile, has spent much of his season playing on special teams and has only appeared in five defensive snaps overall.
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 at the moment.
Therefore, if Leonard can be acquired by the Browns for value on a prorated contract through the end of the 2023 campaign and solidify the middle of the league’s top-rated defense in the process, it is a move that makes considerable sense.
