Getty ImagesRonald Leary wanted to leave the Cowboys before the start of the 2016 season as his run in the starting lineup came to an end with the arrival of La’El Collins in 2015, but the Cowboys held onto him as insurance against an injury.
That proved wise as Collins suffered a toe injury early in the season and Leary stepped in at left guard for an offensive line that didn’t miss a beat with the change in personnel. Leary is set to be a free agent this offseason, and the combination of Collins’ return and the heavy investment the Cowboys have already made on the offensive line leave him pretty sure about how things will play out.
“I thought about it a lot after the game,” Leary said, via ESPN.com. “I kind of stayed on the field a little bit because I’ve been here the last five years of my life. That’s just as long as you’re in college, so I’ve grown close to a lot of players here, a lot of staff. It’s tough to think about, because you don’t know the future when you hit the market like that. It’s tough, but it’s part of the game.”
The Jets signed guard Brian Winters to a four-year deal with $15 million in guaranteed money earlier this week and Leary has started six more games over the last four years. That may be a sign of what Leary can expect on the market and an offer in that neighborhood will likely result in him moving on from Dallas.
You left out that Leary is way better than Winters
Seahawks please.
The…”Most mediocre franchise in sports”…
Seahawks on line 1…
Reggie open up the check book
Leary is a great player but I think that the Zach Martin is going to be hoarding all of the Dallas guard money for the next 4 years.
Will certainly take the compensatory pick for him though.
Come to Denver Mr. Leary. John Elway will probably give you $15 mil over 4 years in a heartbeat. Our trash offensive line needs upgrading…
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There’s always a market for capable offensive lineman.
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Welcome to the REDSKINS!!!!
Does Alaskan Airlines offer non-stop service from Dallas? 1st Class?
Keep dreaming folks, he’s coming back home to the boot and play for the Saints. They tried to trade for him at the beginning of the season and it didn’t work out. I’m sure he’d love to play for his home state.
People forget that Ronald Leary has a degenerative knee problem, which is the reason the Cowboys were able to snag him as an undrafted free agent. Without that degenerative knee, he was projected as a 3rd round prospect.
You can compare contracts to guys of a similar age, but the LENGTH of any contract for Leary is probably going to be shorter. The story on the knee is that it’s not a matter of “if” it will give out, but “when.”
With that said, he is a high caliber starting guard in the NFL. A 3-year contract paying him about $5 million per year average would be a perfect deal. Or even a 5-year deal with that same average, with the money front-loaded so he and the team can part ways easily if the knee gives out before it’s over.
Coming from a Cowboys fan, he definitely deserves a shot. Great player, great person, and he’s been dealt a bad hand with that knee.
Not sure if he is good, or if he just played well surrounded by Smith, Frederick and Martin.
Hopefully the tape shows its him, and Jerry Reese you need to sign him!
Raiders, Seahawks or Broncos…
@madbassist…: Raiders have Osemele and Jackson.
They don’t need a guard.
Left tackle, yes. With Penn suffering the knee injury and getting long in the tooth, it’s time to start looking.
Raiders need linebackers and corners, stat.
With Laremy Tunsil expected to take over for oft-injured Brandon Albert at left tackle–and a load of cap space, sign him, Dolphins!
DENVER!
WASHINGTON REDSKINS…Luvao sucks as a LG, and the chance to play against the boys twice a year will seal the deal…
Miami bound…Shore up holes.
It will be interesting to watch the bidding process. He’ll enter 2017 season at 28 years old and looking for the biggest contract of his career, the payday contract. Exceptional talent but the degenerative knee is a serious issue. The cartilage in his knee is eroding and he’ll be developing bone spurs. Incurable.
It’s round two of his risk/reward gamble by NFL teams. I think the biggest issue will be number of years. Three year contract is a safe bet. Question is which team/teams are willing to take that 4 to 5 year gamble that Leary is looking for. Good luck moving on, Ron!
I wouldn’t be upset if my Saints made a play for him. Jahri Evans is running on fumes at this point in his career. But that makes too much sense for Mickey Loomis to do it.
Welcome to the Washington Redskins; seriously, the Washington Redskins need him.
Redskins.
Would love to keep him as you can never have too many good offensive linemen, but I understand the economic reality of the situation. Best of luck with your next situation, and I hope you cash in big!