The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost two of their best defensive players to free agency in the offseason with linebacker Devin White off to the Philadelphia Eagles and linebacker Shaq Barrett to the Miami Dolphins.
While the Buccaneers bring back an aging star at linebacker in Lavonte David, who signed a 1-year, $8.5 million contract in March 2024, reenforcements will be necessary at some point … and one of the NFL’s best linebackers in recent years is still without a home.
That’s why The Pewter Plank’s Brad Smith thinks the Buccaneers should sign free-agent linebacker Shaquille Leonard, a four-time NFL All-Pro. Leonard, signed a 5-year, $98.5 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts before the 2021 season but was waived by the Colts in Nov. 2023 after he complained about playing time.
Leonard finished 2023 with the Eagles on a 1-year contract.
“After all of their offseason moves, Tampa Bay is left with around $7.5 million in cap space to spend, and has more than enough to give Leonard the veteran’s standard minimum,” Smith wrote. “The trio of David, Britt, and Leonard would be an improvement of last season’s duo of David and White, and could be a much-needed veteran presence in Tampa Bay’s young locker room.”
Leonard ‘Waiting On That Opportunity’ in NFL
Leonard — who went by Darius Leonard for the first part of his career — was one of the NFL’s elite linebackers from 2018 to 2021 after the Colts drafted him in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft out of South Carolina State.
Leonard was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2018 and made four consecutive NFL All-Pro Teams from 2018 to 2021 and three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2019 to 2021. He led the NFL with 163 tackles in 2018 and led the NFL with 8 forced fumbles in 2021.
He only played four games in 2022 due to injuries and underwent back surgery before the 2023 season but had a slow recuperation and a concussion, along with a broken nose, saw his playing time limited when he returned.
After what appeared to be a Hall of Fame start to his career, Leonard now finds himself looking for somewhere to play after just six seasons.
“I’m moreso just sitting back, getting the body healthy, and whenever the opportunity presents itself, we’ll give it a try,” Leonard told The Indianapolis Star on June 22. “I just continue to be me by working hard. If it happens, it happens. If it don’t, it don’t. I think throughout my career I’ve had a great career, even if I do step away from it. … I’m enjoying life and just waiting on that opportunity.”
Buccaneers Already Signed One FA Linebacker in ’24
The Buccaneers have already signed one free-agent linebacker in the offseason — and it led to their only bad headlines of the offseason so far.
Tampa Bay signed outside linebacker Randy Gregory to a 1-year, $3 million contract in April 2024 and he responded with an unexcused absence from minicamp.
Gregory has an extended history of off-field issues in the NFL — not a problem Leonard has had — but like Leonard he was one of the NFL’s highest-paid linebackers at one point after he signed a 5-year, $70 million contract with the Denver Broncos in March 2022.
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