Leary: More value as a backup OG or as a trade chip?

[jobberone]

Keep him as depth. Let him go in free agency. Get complimentary pick a year later.

I think getting a 3-4 rd pick would be strongly considered. OTOH, a trade makes sense as well. I don't think it will be a RB though. And upgrade at CB, DL esp DT now, possibly S, and even a backup QB would be considered IMO. People can have their own opinion about RB but the signs and rhetoric out of the Cowboys is not to address RB at this time. They did leave an opening for later so a trade for a RB can't be absolutely ruled out. It's just not that likely.

I don't think you get enough for Leary due to his knee problems (3-4) and a later pick is not worth giving up the competition or depth at G.

I think Collins pushes for a job at G but it is not going to be handed to him. Leary is not the weak link on this OL. IMO there isn't a weak link. It is more likely than not that Collins works into the lineup at some time either volume of work or injury. Whether he starts right away is up to him to beat Leary out.

We'll see.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

I think getting a 3-4 rd pick would be strongly considered. OTOH, a trade makes sense as well. I don't think it will be a RB though. And upgrade at CB, DL esp DT now, possibly S, and even a backup QB would be considered IMO. People can have their own opinion about RB but the signs and rhetoric out of the Cowboys is not to address RB at this time. They did leave an opening for later so a trade for a RB can't be absolutely ruled out. It's just not that likely.

I don't think you get enough for Leary due to his knee problems (3-4) and a later pick is not worth giving up the competition or depth at G.

I think Collins pushes for a job at G but it is not going to be handed to him. Leary is not the weak link on this OL. IMO there isn't a weak link. It is more likely than not that Collins works into the lineup at some time either volume of work or injury. Whether he starts right away is up to him to beat Leary out.

We'll see.

For a 3rd i'd drive Leary to the airport myself.

 

[Romo2Ogletree]

Leary is an above average player, why would he settle to be a backup when he could start for most teams in the NFL?

 

[Leadbelly]

I don't think there's any hurry. Might be Free that you trade if Collins shows well at OT. Some playoff-level team loses a starting OT, Free might bring a pretty high ransom.

We already have Bernadeau backing up at the three interior OL spots. If Leary gets beat out by Collins for LG and we're only bringing 7 OL to games, Leary is likely not even active on game days for us. Going from starter to inactive (in a contract year no less) because of some bizarre turn of events away from the field that had nothing to do with him would suuuck. He's probably the one guy in the organization that hates signing up Collins.

Leary is also probably a reasonable resigning as a 2016 FA. Collins at RT, I can see him resigned to a 2nd contract and being here a long time. Collins at LG, there's probably no way we sign two G's to big contracts.

 

[Bluefin]

Leary is an above average player, why would he settle to be a backup when he could start for most teams in the NFL?

He's under contract.

Ronald Leary is still playing on the cheap as an undrafted free agent. I doubt he'd be willing to hold up in protest if La'el Collins claims the LG job.

As a RFA next year he could possibly get us a 2nd round pick

I was thinking about this possible situation while at work today.

I would tender Leary at original entry level next off-season as a restricted free agent instead of using the 2nd round tender.

I don't see any team willing to cough up their 2nd immediately in order to sign a G with an iffy knee.

The original entry tender carries no immediate draft pick compensation from a signing team because Leary was undrafted.

But it would count in the formula to award a compensatory pick in 2017 and there would hopefully be multiple bidders, which would drive the price up. Teams might not want to invest a large signing bonus with Leary, but they could just offer larger base salaries instead.

I don't think we release Berny as he's our backup at C as well. Green might develop to be a backup at center but that might take a year or two. I don't think we've ever tried Leary at center. If neither Fred or Berny were available, I expect that Martin would be the guy to have to snap the ball.

Agreed.

Mackenzy Bernadeau carries more value as a reserve to me right now than Leary.

Berny can dress as the interior C/G reserve.

Leary can't (maybe he can learn).

If Collins becomes the starting LG and the other starters go as expected, Leary would be a healthy scratch fr me.

 

[Risen Star]

I'd look to move him. Last year of his deal, the knee issue. If I could parlay that into a mid round pick I'd do it. But I certainly wouldn't give him away.

 

[btcutter]

Boy so many variables.

The Cowboys could keep him, release Berny and gain $2 mil of cap space.

At this juncture if the Cowboys could get more than 5th out of him, I'd seriously consider it. This is probably going to be his last year in Dallas anyway.

The Cowboys could maybe trade him straight-up for the Miller, the RB at Miami. Heck, they need a guard.

Until training camp we won't really know what we have. I lean toward keep him. If he gets signed away then we get a comp pick anyway.

 

[Broges74]

I wouldn't count out Leary but we could put together a package with him and get a rb that can make who we have compete for carries. Competition is never a bad thing.

 

[darthseinfeld]

Boy so many variables.

The Cowboys could keep him, release Berny and gain $2 mil of cap space.

At this juncture if the Cowboys could get more than 5th out of him, I'd seriously consider it. This is probably going to be his last year in Dallas anyway.

The Cowboys could maybe trade him straight-up for the Miller, the RB at Miami. Heck, they need a guard.

I think Bernie offers more value as a backup then Leary does considering he can play OC. He's not as good of an OG, but we have gotten quality play out of him there.

Personally Im in favor trading Leary. With Green on the bench and capable of playing OG we would still have 2 viable options and 2 players that could potentially give us starting level play if we traded Leary

 

[darthseinfeld]

yes I do.... just like Fredericks, Smith and Martin did...Collins is that good!

IMO Collins had a better draft profile then Martin, mainly because he has experience at OG where as Martin was still a projection there

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I think Bernie offers more value as a backup then Leary does considering he can play OC. He's not as good of an OG, but we have gotten quality play out of him there.

Personally Im in favor trading Leary. With Green on the bench and capable of playing OG we would still have 2 viable options and 2 players that could potentially give us starting level play if we traded Leary

I can see the merit of retaining Leary. Hey, he's a guy that started what like 15 games?

But his trade "worth" has never been higher than it is right now.

Assuming Leary is put on the bench this season... what's his value going to be in the free agent market? Probably not a lot because he was on the bench in '15. And potentially not enough to get a comp pick for. And obviously at this point in time I think the likelihood of Leary resigning with Dallas as between slim & none.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

I'm in no rush to trade Leary. Collins or Martin could tear an ACL and be out all season, which means he starts. Free can be in and out of the line up, which likely also means Collins moves to RT and Leary starts. Or even Tyron can go down, which may mean Free moves to LT and Collins to RT. If we dealt him, it had better be for a starter, because we are losing one with a very under control salary.

 

[big dog cowboy]

The comp picks are based on the contract received by the departing player, not their draft status.

Thank you!

In that case you keep him for this year and take the comp pick. The way last years FA's got overpaid by other teams it's hard telling what kind of offer he could get.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

There's just a pretty slim chance we get 16 games from all of our starters, and if we don't Frederick is the only one that would go down that would not result in Leary starting. If that happens, a team could easily over pay for him like they did Parnell.