The Las Vegas Raiders drafted former Alabama offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood with the 17th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft with high hopes that he could be a staple with the organization for years to come.
That was not the case, as Leatherwood was released by the organization on Tuesday after only one shaky season with the organization.
Now that he is released, teams around the league have a chance to claim him early if they want to take on a portion of his contract from the Raiders.
Many thought that nobody would do that, and he would eventually sign on with someone once he cleared waivers. But one offensive-line needy team has decided to take the plunge on the former Alabama standout.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Chicago Bears have claimed Alex Leatherwood off waivers on Wednesday.
The #Bears have claimed former #Raiders OL Alex Leatherwood, source said.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 31, 2022
This move will help out the Raiders in a big way, saving the organization $5.9 million of dead cap and cash from releasing Leatherwood.
The #Bears claiming Alex Leatherwood just saved the #Raiders $5.9M of dead cap & cash.
— Spotrac (@spotrac) August 31, 2022
This move from the Bears is a part of a busy day for the team. They claimed five other players on Wednesday, giving them a NFL-high six waiver claims after initial roster cuts on Tuesday.
Whirlwind of activity for Ryan Poles as #Bears have claimed 6 players:
CB Josh Blackwell (PHI)
DE Jonathan Kingsley (BUF)
G Alex Leatherwood (LV)
NT Armon Watts (MIN)
LB Sterling Weatherford LB (IND)
TE Trevon Wesco (NYJ)— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) August 31, 2022
Leatherwood certainly struggled in his first season in Las Vegas, but it definitely seems a bit harsh for the team to not give him a chance past his first season at the NFL level.
Regardless, the Bears taking a chance on him makes a ton of sense considering the team allowed the most sacks in the NFL last season, 58.
The offensive line in Chicago has been far from stellar, and given Leatherwood’s struggles thus far in his career, he may not be able to help the Bears all that much.
That being said, a fresh start could be something that helps revitalize the former Alabama product’s career moving forward.
[Ian Rapoport on Twitter; photo from Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports]
