I thought the world of Jim Leonhard during the 2009 season, but that was 3 years ago. As of right now (here in 2012), he's on the verge of turning 30 (October), and after consecutive years of season ending injuries; he's a shell of what he once was. During the 2010 season, Leonhard fractured his tibia in which required season ending surgery (that same night). Then, last year, Leonhard suffered a torn patellar tendon in the right knee, which also required season ending surgery. For an undersized safety who never had the greatest athletic ability and/or speed/quickness to begin with (to say the least) none of this spells out a player worth re-signing. It was time for Jim Leonhard to go.
We all know about Bell and Landry as our (potential) starters, but a true sleeper could become Antonio Allen out of South Carolina. Kid is not only physically talented, but also has SEC college experience. Anxious to see him take the field come preseason, because Antonio Allen's style of play reminds me of a clone of Kerry Rhodes (Before Rhodes turned into a lazy/twittering player).
As a fan of this franchise, I'd much rather see our coaching staff take our chances with a 6'1", 210 pound rookie, who's only 23 years of age, especially when in comparison to a 29 year old Safety who's coming off consecutive season ending injuries in which required surgery, not to mention a safety who's undersized to begin with at 5'8'', 188 lbs.
I loved the overall heart that Leonhard played the game with, I enjoyed his football IQ and/or leadership ability, but at the end of the day? He's a shell of what he once was. Our coaching staff (I believe) made the right decision. It was time to move on.