Barely two years after becoming a surprise first-round pick, Alex Leatherwood has been waived by two teams. The Bears joined the Raiders in bailing on the Alabama alum, dropping him earlier this week.
The Browns will attempt to salvage the former No. 17 overall pick. Leatherwood is joining Cleveland’s practice squad, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. This will be Leatherwood’s third team in three seasons, though he is no longer attached to the first-round contract that went from Las Vegas to Chicago.
Despite his extensive struggles to translate his game to the NFL, Leatherwood started all 17 games — at right tackle and right guard — for a playoff-bound Raiders team as a rookie. After Jon Gruden’s staff moved Leatherwood from tackle to guard quickly, Josh McDaniels’ group shifted him back to tackle during his second NFL offseason. Leatherwood did not show enough to impress the McDaniels-Dave Ziegler regime, which waived him after failed trade efforts.
A mononucleosis bout began Leatherwood’s Bears tenure on a down note, and he only ended up playing in four games (32 offensive snaps). The Browns have a set offensive line, one of the game’s best, and employ top-line O-line coach Bill Callahan. The former Raiders HC has settled back into a role as an O-line instructor. Callahan turned down the chance to interview for the Jets’ OC position this offseason, and the longtime assistant will attempt what could be a difficult reclamation project with Leatherwood.
There they go again. The Browns always believe they and only they can unlock the potential of a so called bust. This guy is apparently a knot head and can’t or won’t learn how to play NFL football. That’s why the Browns will always be the Browns.
Um, what???? The Browns didn’t take him at 17, the Raiders previous regime did. The Browns signed Leatherwood off waivers to the practice squad. That’s as low a risk as there is. The “Browns will always be the Browns????” That’s a tired, far-from-original take on the Leatherwood signing. The Browns have made some very bad choices over the last 24 years, but this one isn’t one of them.
What? The Browns didn’t take him at 17. What does that have to do with my comment about the Browns picking up every has been and never was and thinking they and they alone can fix them? This guy is definitely not an NFl player, he’s had 4 years to prove it. He’s either not intelligent enough or not motivated enough to play at this level. Meanwhile some kid has his NFL dreams and potential taken away because this dude is taking up a space. Instead of taking a chance on a new guy or a small school guy they keep recycling the same players who they have no business on an NFL roster. Josh Johnson, Colt McCoy, Eli Apple come to mind.
Yes, as I noted, the Browns DID NOT take him at 17. This helps form my argument that the Browns have invested only a practice squad position in him, literally the least a team can invest in a player. No wasted draft pick, no draft picks surrendered to get him. If it turns out he can’t cut it, then there’s virtually nothing wasted in him and it could be a payoff for the Browns. The Browns are Leatherwood’s second team, playing in his THIRD season, so your description of “recycled” is heavy-handed and untrue. Unfortunately, you can’t have every aspiring player on your roster, and while there’s no guarantee, signing a lineman from Alabama is probably a better bet than signing a “small school” star. Your take about the Browns and Leatherwood is tiresome hyperbole.
Ooo, big words. Leatherhead looks lost, wandering around like he’s looking for his lost puppy. If he going to learn anything he would have by now. As for the Browns (second edition) they are a poorly run organization and have been since Paul Brown left. How many games did you go to in the old municipal stadium? You sound like someone who has no idea what he’s talking about, but tries to us big words to cover his ignorance. Signing a lineman from Alabama who is so lost he probably thinks he played for Arkansas is definitely not better than signing small school standout.
First of all, his name is Alex LeatherWOOD, not LeatherHEAD. Your attempt at sarcasm only scores if Leatherwood has demonstrated over and over again poor judgment or repeating the same mistakes again and again, and that’s hardly the case. Your comment “if he going (sic) to learn anything he would have by now” is ridiculous. He’s a young player who’s still developing, not an 8th or 9th year veteran. As someone who wants to call my knowledge of the game into question, you should look at your own shortcomings first. Offensive linemen, especially, are taking longer to adapt to the NFL from college than they used to due to the difference in complexity between the NFL and the more closely-matched skill levels between NFL players compared to college; they can’t just physically dominate their opponents as they may have in college. If, by “the Browns (second edition),” you mean the Browns since 1999, I’d like to call to your attention that Paul Brown had nothing to do with the “second edition”; in fact, he died in 1991, well before they left for Baltimore. By the way, I’ve been to many games at the old stadium, not that that has ANYTHING to do with this discussion. Trying to impugn my football knowledge by condemning my use of “big words” (whatever you’re referring to is unclear) is nonsensical. Some of us can actually read, make clear and valid conclusions, form well-constructed sentences, AND enjoy football. You just haven’t shown anyone yet that you’re one of us.
Well, I do actually have a traumatic brain injury. I can remember every detail prior to 2013, but have trouble with today. So you may be right, I don’t use to many big words, but I do have an understanding of the Browns, Bengals, Ravens, and Steelers. Paul Brown is dead, I DO remember that. Don’t know what you’re talking about when you say lineman are taking longer to adapt to the NFL. 75% of 1st rounders jump in and hit the ground running. Then you have guys like Billy Price, who can’t quite figure out you’re supposed to block the guy in front of you. Alex is in the category.I call him Leatherhead because he would have fit in 80 years ago when lineman wore leather helmets and just had to push the other guys out of the way. But this is a thinking mans game today, and he just doesn’t get it.
I am truly sorry to read about your traumatic brain injury, I hope you’re getting along ok with that and have a support structure in place to help you, if need be. Alex Leatherwood may turn out to be a bust, but my only point is that the Browns are risking little, if anything, in signing him, and don’t deserve to be derided for taking that chance. Yes, you’re right, they’ve WAY more than their share of mistakes in the last 24 years, oftentimes because of their own arrogance, but this move can’t be considered one of them.
I appreciate your understanding and apologize for my being antagonistic. Sometimes I have a bad day.
We all have bad days, more often than any of us ever want. Hope you have more better days than bad going forward. You and I both know that being a Browns fan isn’t a good way to have good days!!!!! Just kidding….take care of yourself. Go Browns!!!!