S Jim Leonhard signs with Saints (Mod edit: Confirmed) (1 Viewer)

[cd12holden]

Leonard was decent for a stint. This looks like we are trying to rekindle this guy to be our Sharper of this year. Long shot. Sharper was much better than this guy later in his career.

Every player doesn't have to be the second coming of another player. Jim Leonard is who he is, white or black.
He's 5-8 and runs a 4.6. Not dazzling, but enough to play pretty good ball as can be sign at his time in New York. Although, he has to have lost some speed after those two leg injuries.

I'm hoping we move Jenkins to the nickel/safety hybrid position, start Isa at FS, cut Harper with June 1st cut, and start Leonard or a rookie at SS.
Might be wishful thinking, but I can't stand to have such a liability as Harper on the field.

 

[SAINTS 12]

@PFF: Malcolm Jenkins and Roman Harper combined to miss more tackles last year than new S Jim Leonard has missed in past 5 seasons.

 

[SaintBrad]

I wonder if this lessons our chances of drafting Vaccaro.

 

[Po'Boy Sandwich]

Good depth. Not sure why everyone is so concerned about his punt return skills when we have Darren Sproles.

 

[St. Geezy]

I wonder if this lessons our chances of drafting Vaccaro.

I think it is quite clear that we're setting ourselves up either for a move up for Lane Johnson or to simply go BPA if we stay at 15. With Jenkins, Harper, Leonhard, Abdul-Quddus, and Bush, I'd say we're set at safety, unless we're looking to dump Harper.

 

[Pdlc]

If we continue to trade picks to move up I'll be upset. Even if it's for Lane Johnson.

 

[St. Widge]

you don't play in this league as long as Jim Leonhard has played at 5'8" , unless you play hard and make plays.

You don't last long in the NFL at any size unless you work hard and make plays.

 

[Hanau Eepe Saint]

This is a pretty interesting example of what a 5'8" safety that is a good football player can do when matched up against a 6'4" Tight End :
Jim Leonhard picks off Philip Rivers - NFL Videos

Gets his head back, locates the ball.. I wouldn't mind seeing more of that.

 

[Saints318]

This reminds me of the Pierson Prioleau signing.
Leonhard can't hurt. The added competition and his knowledge from experience will only improve Jenkins, Harper, Bush, Nelson, White and IAQ.

 

[Domeination]

Also full of big time suckage.

lus-un2:

 

[2009ring]

I wonder if this lessons our chances of drafting Vaccaro.

God I would hope not, that would be like saying that the Colts re-signing Curtis Painter would have lessened their chances of drafting Andrew Luck.

 

[oodank]

Rob Ryan has now brought in one of his guys at every level of defense to help accelerate the learning curve. All it is, more depth at best.

 

[SWAMP_THING]

just read the dude won dunk contests at 5'8" pretty athletic

 

[dwid]

Didn't he get juked by Tebow in one of Tims exciting miracle moves to victory over the Jets ???

no, that was another white safety in Eric Smith, if you go watch it. You can watch Smith miss the tackle, the announcers say that Smith misses the tackle, then the camera pans to Leonhard on the sidelines after the play and then both safetys get blamed for the same play.

He may be small but he is pretty strong, and athletic, dude is 5'8 and can dunk, he can play both FS and SS, they had a variety of packages for him last year in Denver.

 

[dwid]

The only thing Bob Sanders and Jim Leonhard had in common were size and injuries. Bob Sanders was short but Bob ran a 4.35 coming out of Iowa and was drafted in the second round. Leonhard is short too. But he ran a 4.63 and was undrafted. They could've both been purple and their fates would be identical. I agree that we are all guilty of stereotyping professional athletes. And yes, the white skill position guys are often unfairly stereotyped as heady, hard working, players. But the fact is those characteristics apply to Leonhard. He's a short, slow player who compensates for his weaknesses by playing smart and working hard.

he actually ran a 4.4, he ran a 4.58 (pro day and 4.63(unofficial combine) not at 100 percent.

Jim Leonhard can take a beating, but please don't call him 'scrappy' | Capital New York

When he ran the 40-yard dash in college in 4.4 seconds, then-Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez asked him to run it again.

and from another article

One of (then Wisconsin coach) Barry Alvarez's coaches walked over and showed him Jimmy's time," Gago said. Alvarez didn't believe him.

Leonhard ran the 40 again for Alvarez, this time in 4.3, although its college hand times, its hard to say he doesn't have some speed when his athleticism is nice in other areas, like a 36 1/2 vertical, and one of his positives in his scouting report was "plays faster than his timed speed", besides its not like Malcolm Jenkins and Roman Harper are known for their great straight line speed.

Maybe he could excel in this defense, he did put up 21 interceptions in college, 11 in one year.