How will Leonard / Landry pan out next season ?

[moonman]

Dwan Landry, another Ravens late round Jewel, may be losing his job. Jim Leonard seems to fit

in perfectly with this Defense. Landry seemed to be a silent partner in this defense, carefully fullfilling his

role and not blowing too many assignments. He also seemed to be quite the run stuffer.

Yet this Leonard, seems to have major potential, he always seems

to be somewhere in on the play. He is only a few months older than Landry, both are 26. Landry is about

25 lbs heavier, which I'm sure may give him the edge against the run. Leonard seems faster. The only

other thing is that Leonard is a force on special teams.

 

I don't have enough information to evaluate the two players side by side. Is there anyone who thinks

they can judge who are starting SS will be next year? Thoughts on comparing the two players?

[yagersports]

Leonard is the man and has proven that he's definitely more suited to start for this Ravens defense. It's unfortunate for Landry because he was very solid, however leonard is a playmaker.

[colincac]

I expect us to lose a LB in FA this offseason, and as a result I expect to see some 5 DB formations with Landry basically in the box as a LB covering the 3rd WR or TE. We wouldn't lose much run support and our pass coverage would improve greatly.

[dc.]

If that's the case... I want Leonhard on the TE... Landry on the WR.

 

 

[thundercleetz]

We play the Steelers on Sunday, right? No, just kidding, good discussion! Landry is cheap and going into the last year of a rookie deal, he is coming back. Leonard is going to be a free agent. After his big game yesterday, he is definitely going to garner some attention going into free agency. I would love to see Leonard come back, but with the free agents we already have, some team is sure to give Jim an offer that I believe will be out of our budget. We did not draft two safeties this past offseason for nothing. Although, I do question Landry's mental state after such an injury. Some players can return after such an injury, others are hesitant the rest of their career.

[ForceEight]

Cleet nailed it. Landry is our starting safety, if primarily because of money. He's not going anywhere.

[dc.]

He might not be going anywhere, but neither is Leonhard.

 

I will seriously question Ozzie, for the first time in my history as a fan, if he lets Jim Leonhard off this team.

 

Then you can talk about who should start. And the fact that Landry is cheaper does not make him the starter. It makes him a member of the team.

[moonman]

So, exactly how did we wind up with Leonard? I could not find much on the particulars of how he landed

with the Ravens.

[cmacarolle21]

If we had a 5 DB formation I would think you'd want Landry on the TE not the WR. Landry is bigger and not as quick as Leonhard.

[Ravensfan1]

i think landry is bigger and faster than leonhard personally.

[thundercleetz]

i think landry is bigger and faster than leonhard personally.

 

It might be close in straight-line speed, but Leonhard is definitely the better all around athlete. Leonhard is much like Ed Reed in the way he moves. He is very agile, accelerates quickly, and moves very fluently. He has that effortless looking run like Ed does.

[ForceEight]

He might not be going anywhere, but neither is Leonhard.

 

I will seriously question Ozzie, for the first time in my history as a fan, if he lets Jim Leonhard off this team.

 

Then you can talk about who should start. And the fact that Landry is cheaper does not make him the starter. It makes him a member of the team.

You wanted him to flat out release McGahee, too. I guess money's no object to you!

[vmax]

I'm more concerned with what Leonard is going to do when Santanio Holmes streaks down his side of the field. Hopefully Washington is streaking right with him.

 

BTW...Leonard is the only guy in the secondary who can tackle....that is a scary thought...what a team weakness.

[ravinmaniac52]

I think we keep both. Jim will be very thankful for the chance to play.

[dc.]

You wanted him to flat out release McGahee, too. I guess money's no object to you!

 

If Willis kept his crap up... I said we don't need him.

 

BTW...Leonard is the only guy in the secondary who can tackle....that is a scary thought...what a team weakness

 

Another reason we so desperately need to keep him.

[varaven45]

I'm more concerned with what Leonard is going to do when Santanio Holmes streaks down his side of the field. Hopefully Washington is streaking right with him.

 

BTW...Leonard is the only guy in the secondary who can tackle....that is a scary thought...what a team weakness.

 

Max,

 

Bingo. Our No 1 off season class will be tackling 101 !!!

 

[SpearSrai]

Landry and C-Mac are good tacklers. That's why they're on IR. ;)

 

Our corners just aren't tough enough to be strong tacklers. If Fabian started laying people out, he wouldn't last a game.

[nattybohfiend]

With the way Corey Ivy has been playing... both are staying.

[5to85for6]

i love the 5 db concept, been thinking about it since leohard started to shine. I hope he won't be too expensive to keep, the starting D would be Pryce Ngata Gregg Suggs Lewis Johnson Mcallister Washington Leonhard Landry Reed playing a 4-2-5, are you kidding me? thats so much talent. With Rolle bannan Mckinney mclain barnes Zibby Walker and hopefully t-good and burgess coming in to spell! Looks like a group that could contend with 2000 for the record books.

[cmacarolle21]

^

 

That is a scary good defense thinking of those 5 DB's. Samari Rolle coming off the bench thats disgusting. If we were to do this I'd like to see Leonhard bulk up.

[colincac]

Like I said earlier the 5 DB offers a lot of advantages. We aren't sure about Gregg coming back next year though, or McAlister, so we can't be too sure on that. I don't think it would require Leonhard bulking up either, if those 4 Linemen were to be the 4 starting, I don't see how its possible for anyone to run on us, and pretty much everyone after the line would be running free at the ball carrier. Leonhard has shown he can tackle well, and in that set-up, we would need his speed as much as anything.

[ForceEight]

You guys must all be absolute STARS at Madden and that philosophy. :lol: There's no possible way this defense is running a five back set as the standard formation. :lol:

 

The most comical thing I read was that you think no one would be able to run on us. We'd give up a dozen yards through the middle on every play.

 

In the same respect, how is Leonhard in any way better than Landry against the run? As well, how does the ability to tackle make Leonhard a superior athlete, when that's the SOLE primary job of the strong safety?

 

Leonhard's quicker and seems to find himself in the right place quite often, but Landry is the better safety in most circumstances. Let's not entirely overlook someone just because they haven't been on the field in awhile.

 

You dreamers. Keep it up! :lol:

[dc.]

Leonhard's quicker and seems to find himself in the right place quite often, but Landry is the better safety in most circumstances. Let's not entirely overlook someone just because they haven't been on the field in awhile.

 

I agree entirely about the 5 DB scheme. It's just not happening. It won't happen.

 

But Leonhard is the better safety. Period.

 

He is smarter, stronger and a better tackler. Plus he has more big-play ability.

 

I always considered Landry the weak link among our DBs... Rolle took over that position this year and last... but Landry was right behind him.

 

Leonhard? He's my #1 now. I love Ed Reed and what Ed does, but between his injury limiting his tackling and his gambles costing us plays sometimes (they give us big plays, they cost us big plays)... I trust Leonhard. Seriously.

 

I honestly feel the opposite of you, Force. I think people are OVERrating Landry now that he's gone. When he was playing, he never wowed me. He never made me say "This is the guy we HAVE to have at SS." In fact, I remember in the off-season a lot of people wanting to see what other options there were.

 

Leonhard is a monster on our defense. An absolute beast. He reads plays and blocking schemes as well as Ray at times. Far better than Bart Scott, Suggs and others do...

[ravinmaniac52]

Shouldn't the SS in our D be making plays?

 

I like them both and as I said, I can see them signing both of them but then again there is another guy that wants a chance to get in there. I sure Tom Zbikowski would like to get in there.

[ForceEight]

He is smarter, stronger and a better tackler.

:lol: No he's not!

 

Landry is four inches taller and 35 pounds heavier. He's head and shoulders stronger than Leonhard. He's also unquestionably a better tackler.

 

You are wowed by Leonhard because he plays better than he should. But that is by no means as good or better than Landry. Your perceptions are incorrect. You're mistaking his very good pass coverage and timely interceptions for superior big play ability. You forget that Landry had more interceptions in his rookie season than Leonhard has had in his entire career. Your qualification of Landry as overrated is an absolute joke.

 

The fact is that he's too small to play strong safety (and too slow to play CB), and below average against the run. He's agile and has a good field of vision, but he's not physically talented enough to be a long-term option at the position.

 

Add to this the facts that Leonhard is an unrestricted free agent who will command good money (while Landry is an RFA and will be here next year almost unquestionably), and that Zbikowski and Nakamura are both much more like Leonhard than they are Landry, and Leonhard becomes the odd man out.

 

Does he deserve it? Certainly not. But Landry is, simply stated, better than Leonhard as a strong safety, and is physically unique as our roster is concerned.