$99 Million All-Pro Available to Fill in for Browns LB Anthony Walker
The $99 million All-Pro could replace Browns LB Anthony Walker
Like life, a lot of it depends on the timing and timing of the injury to Anthony Walker Jr. Better than that for the Cleveland Browns.
Cleveland lost their middle lineman and team captain last weekend against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The first piece of good news is that Walker is unlikely to be placed on the injured list (IR). The second stroke of luck is that one of the league’s best position players in recent years is now an unknown in free agency. The Indianapolis Colts surprisingly released Darius Shaquille Leonard, a three-time first-team All-Pro winner and the 2018 Defensive Player of the Year, on Tuesday, November 21. Leonard cleared waivers on Wednesday and can now sign with a team at his choice, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Colts cleared three waivers for All-Pro LB Darius Shaquille Leonard today. He is now a free agent. “The Colts cleared All-Pro LB Darius Shaquille Leonard three times off waivers today, per source. He’s a free agent now,” Schefter X said. “Teams that are interested include the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys.”
The Eagles and Cowboys both have impressive defenses and Super Bowl aspirations, as well as potential needs at linebacker. The Browns share all three of those traits after Walker’s injury, making Cleveland a good candidate for Leonard’s services. Especially considering he’s leaving Indy with less money than usual. Darius Leonard could provide good value for the Browns.
Only preliminary reports are starting to trickle in, meaning the NFL’s interest in Leonard is still unclear. That is, the scope of this interest must be significant. Leonard, now 28, signed a five-year, $98.5 million contract extension with the Colts through August 2021. He lived out more than half of his contract before Indianapolis released him 12 weeks ago . The move means Leonard’s contract is no longer active and he will negotiate new terms with the team that signed him.
Instead of waiting until free agency in March, it might ultimately be the right thing to do for the inside linebackers to try to sign long-term deals because of the injury risk in the final seven weeks of the regular season and of the playoffs. We stand with the candidates participating in this. Leonard underwent back surgery during the 2022 season and missed all but three games last season. He appeared in nine of the Colts’ 10 games and was a starter for 11 weeks in 2023. However, quality players who are available at the end of the year will sign contracts commensurate with suitors and use the time available next season to shop their services and find the best long-term deal. If so, Leonard should be available long-term and at a reasonable price, which would put a team like the Browns, who have plenty of cap space left (over $33.5 million as of Wednesday), in a lucrative position. In the 2018 second round, Leonard recorded 614 tackles in 70 games, including 32 tackles for loss, 31 pass breakups, 20 QB hits, 17 forced fumbles, 15 sacks, 12 interceptions and 1 defensive fumble.
Anthony Walker is out for an extended period with a hamstring injury
The Browns are unlikely to have to replace Walker for the rest of the season, but he could miss a lot of extended games. Coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters Wednesday that the team has no plans to place Walker on IR, which would cause him to miss at least four games. So the next prediction is that Cleveland expects Walker to miss Games 1-3. The Browns are 7-3 and will face the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 10 before returning to Cleveland to face the Jacksonville Jaguars. The schedule doesn’t feature any hitting streaks for opponents, but the three teams have a combined 16-14 record, and the Broncos have won four straight and are one of the hottest teams in the NFL. According to Ashley Bastok of Cleveland.com, Cleveland designated linebacker Jordan Kunasic to return on Wednesday, meaning he and backup Mohamud Diabat could be the team’s answer to Walker’s injury. However, Kunazyk is in jeopardy as he hasn’t played all season. Diabata also played more on special teams and saw the field in just five defensive snaps all season.
According to Pro Football Focus, like his traditional stats, Leonard’s offensive numbers dropped significantly after an injury-plagued 2022 season. That said, he’s been healthier than Kunasik all year and offers NFL experience and a significant upgrade over any other linebacker currently on the Browns’ active roster.
If the Browns can sign Leonard to a value deal through the end of the 2023 campaign, he could bolster the middle of one of the league’s top-rated defenses, a move that makes a lot of sense.
