The New York Giants are tight on salary cap space and may need to make some roster moves soon to free up some money. Among the potential cut candidates includes former late-round CB Rodarius Williams. The 2021 sixth-round pick has struggled to catch on through his first two seasons and the Giants could save some cap space by releasing him this summer.
Could the Giants cut CB Rodarius Williams?
According to Over The Cap, releasing Rodarius Williams could save the Giants $896,716 in salary cap space. If it is designated as a post-June 1st release, the move could free up $1,055,000 for Big Blue. But the cap space increase might not be why Williams get released. The more pressing matter is the number of defensive backs on New York’s roster.
The New York Giants currently have eleven cornerbacks on their official roster and three more players listed as defensive backs who could also play the position. In all likelihood, New York will carry about six cornerbacks into the regular season (they finished the 2022 season with six on the roster).
Unless Williams can stand out in a significant way this summer, he is likely to get released by the end of the preseason. The Giants have invested heavily in their secondary this offseason. Newcomers like Amani Oruwariye and late-round rookie Tre Hawkins III will attempt to steal the back-end roster spot from Williams.
Through two seasons, Williams has played in eight career games, totaling 16 combined tackles, one interception, and two passes defended.
The highlight of Williams’ career came on Thanksgiving last season when he intercepted Cowboys QB Dak Prescott. This moment seemed to be a turning point for Williams, but he quickly fell out of favor with the coaching staff, not seeing any playing time the following week and being inactive for the rest of the season.
After being left on the sideline in Week 13, Williams posted on Twitter, “Ima jus sleep this off Bcus this can’t be real rn’’ with a broken heart emoji. He soon after tweeted “I’m trying stay afloat it’s hard no lie I jus swallowed the hardest pill of my life!’’
The second-year cornerback likely didn’t do himself any favors by taking his frustrations to social media. Entering his third season, Williams has an uphill battle ahead of him to make the 53-man roster.