Emmanuel Acho on Shaq Leonard ditching Cowboys in favor to sign with Eagles: “Well done Howie”
The so-called "battle" for former Indianapolis Colts linebacker between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles is over as Shaq Leonard has chosen the Eagles as his team.
Per Jordan Schultz, Leonard is now an Eagle after visiting both the Cowboys and Eagles over the last couple of days. With Philadelphia having a bigger need for a linebacker than Dallas, it made sense for Leonard to sign with the Eagles.
Former Eagle and now NFL analyst Emmanuel Acho kind of predicted this when news broke that Leonard was being moved on from Indianapolis, and now he is proven right as the four-time Pro Bowler lands in Philadelphia.
Emmanuel Acho praises Eagles GM Howie Roseman for Leonard signing
The Eagles are known for going out and getting players they want, and now we can add Leonard to the list. While not the Pro Bowl-level talent he once was, he will still be a valuable addition to the Eagles' depleted linebacking core.
For Acho, he praised Roseman in a tweet when the news became official.
"Took a little longer than necessary, but well done Howie."
After their beatdown at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers that shined a light on their lack of depth at linebacker, adding Shaq Leonard seems like a good move for Philadelphia, and in truth, needed him a bit more than the Cowboys did.
Shaq Leonard to help Eagles Super Bowl push?
Well, that is the idea, but Leonard does have an injury history that, if he can get right, he can prove to be a valuable addition to the Eagles linebacking core.
Shaq Leonard could only muster three games last season, and while he did manage to play nine games this season, there was a feeling that his injury history was starting to catch up with him.
However, if Philadelphia can get him involved in their defensive scheme, he could prove to be a good addition. He isn't the same downback that he once was, as he made four straight All-Pros in his first four seasons, but he is still a valuable run-stopper.
After the 49ers blitzed the Eagles' linebackers in their win yesterday, Roseman knew he needed help, and now he has it. Is the move enough to put the Philadelphia Eagles over in the Super Bowl conversation? That remains to be seen.