Getty Linebacker Darius Leonard, formerly of the Indianapolis Colts.
The Cleveland Browns are in a unique position to add talent late in the season, and there are some legitimate options if the team chooses to goes that route.
Darius Shaquille Leonard is the most recent prominent player to find his way to free agency after the Indianapolis Colts released the former All-Pro linebacker earlier this week.
Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report on Saturday, November 25, named Cleveland among the top landing spots for Leonard, who isn’t likely to last on the open market for long given his age and history of NFL success.
Still just 28 years old with three games of playoff experience under his belt, [Leonard’s] leadership and range within the lungs of a defense could raise a defensive unit to another level.
Although the linebacker position continues to evolve where teams will often deploy just one second-level stalwart, Leonard would immediately challenge for snaps.
Along with the Browns, Fowler mentioned the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles as potential suitors for Leonard in the coming days, echoing a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter on November 22.
Darius Shaquille Leonard Can Bolster Banged Up Browns Linebacker Group
GettyLinebacker Anthony Walker Jr. of the Cleveland Browns missed the team’s Week-12 matchup with the Denver Broncos due to a hamstring injury.
The Browns entered Week 12 with the top-rated defense in the league and stars (or at least budding stars) at every level. While middle linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. isn’t a star-level player, he is a captain on the team and crucial to Cleveland’s defensive success.
Walker missed Sunday’s road contest against the Denver Broncos with a hamstring strain that could sideline him for multiple weeks. He went into the weekend questionable but was unable to take the field at Mile High.
The Browns designated Jordan Kunaszyk for return from the injured reserve list (IR) on Wednesday and activated him Saturday. Kunaszyk suited up against Denver, though he hadn’t played a regular-season snap in any phase of the game coming into Sunday.
Browns Should Be Able to Secure Darius Shaquille Leonard on Favorable Contract
GettyLinebacker Darius Shaquille Leonard, formerly of the Indianapolis Colts.
Leonard has struggled recently with injuries of his own, missing all but three games in 2022. He played in nine of 10 contests with the Colts this season prior to his release, though his numbers have dipped significantly since making four straight All-Pro teams (three first-team selections) in his first four NFL seasons.
Indianapolis selected Leonard in the second round (No. 36 overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft. He won the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award that season and was a first-team All-Pro. His string of success continued over the next three campaigns, resulting in the Colts signing Leonard to a five-year, $98.5 million extension in August 2021.
Leonard played just over half of that contract before Indy waived him. Despite his talent, no team claimed the linebacker off of the waiver wire — an outcome that renders Leonard an unrestricted free agent looking for a new contract from his next team.
The Browns may not be interested in signing Leonard long-term, as doing so is likely still to be expensive. It is possible he will return to his early-career form, but losing a season to injury followed by a meaningful drop in production will cause suitors to proceed with financial caution.
That said, Cleveland has around $33.5 million in available salary cap space remaining in 2023 and could use some of that to sign Leonard at value, assuming both sides have the requisite interest in a deal.
Leonard has tallied 32 tackles for loss, 31 pass breakups, 20 quarterback hits, 17 forced fumbles, 15 sacks, 12 interceptions and a defensive touchdown over the course of 70 games played in his six-year NFL career.