Three-time All-Pro Shaq Leonard is pausing to think back on a recent past he describes as “shоcking” as he mulls over his NFL future, which we would sаy would be worth investigating with the Dallas Cowboys.
“That’s the thing that hurts me the most,” Leonard stated after being abruptly cut by the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday. “I feel that as the leader of that locker room, I left (my teammates) hаnging.
Known by most as Darius Leonard, he now goes by his middle nаme, “The Maniac,” and has become one of the league’s top linebackers since joining the NFL in 2018 as a second-round pick of the Colts.
We were right when we said he would clear waivers.
![Schefter] Darius Shaquille Leonard cleared waivers today. He is now a free agent. Teams expected to have some level of interest include the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. : r/cowboys](https://external-preview.redd.it/schefter-darius-shaquille-leonard-cleared-waivers-today-he-v0-wVNRcOTqmkKJOozwTjMXp0dR4gqZtaYtBaRrq6FKdHk.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=29cf45ec13ca29a54d0cded797e10c9dcb1cd0ce)
We also made hints that Dallas would be interested, and our information there appears to be accurate as well, based on several accounts.
Recently, Indianapolis has reduced his playing time, which may have been partially due to a deterioration in the 28-year-old’s performance. Nevertheless, he believes he was invited into the front office on Tuesday to discuss his role, which is one of the reasons he is calling the move “shоcking.”
only to discover Indianapolis has determined he has no part to play.
“It was the biggest surprise ever,” he said.Leonard, who spent his first six seasons in Indianapolis as a starting quarterback, is currently vulnerable to waivers by the NFL. His new employer would be the team that claims him, as the order is similar to the NFL Draft, with the poorest teams going first.
We anticipated he would clear waivers and be able to choose his own team because of his salary, which essentially would have required a team to pick up a portion of his massive $98 million contract should they claim him.As previously mentioned, there are four reasons the Cowboys ought to consider the wisdom of serving as that landing point.Shaq Leonard led the NFL in tackles during his rookie season in 2018 and was named to the First Team All-Pro and Defensive Rookie of the Year. He continued to perform largely in the same way for the next three seasons, winning Pro Bowl and All-Pro recognition each time.Now more than anything, he’s a veteran presence and a run-stopper, so his stint on the dole won’t last long. However, he must first wait for the initial “shоck” to subside and get ready for a call from a Frisco area code.
