The NFL offseason is underway and free agency is about a month away. Soon, teams will start negotiating with pending free agents and deciding whether to re-sign them or let them walk. The New York Giants have a big decision to make with one of their free agents, Leonard Williams.
The Giants traded for Leonard Williams ahead of the 2019 NFL trade deadline. Williams was acquired from the Jets in exchange for the Giants’ 2020 third-round pick and a conditional 2021 draft pick. If the Giants extend Williams, the 2021 draft pick given to the Jets will be a fourth-round selection. If Williams walks away from New York, then the draft selection will be a fifth-round pick.
Giants’ general manager Dave Gettleman has been criticized endlessly for making this trade. The Giants are a rebuilding team, so it does not make a ton of sense to give up valuable draft assets for an interior defensive lineman to play eight games before he leaves in free agency. This could put added pressure on Gettleman and force him to re-sign Williams.
But re-signing Leonard Williams will not be cheap. According to recent reports from Ralph Vacchiano of SNY, Leonard Williams is seeking a contract worth around $15 million annually. The 25-year-old wants a “big contract” because he believes he is a “top-tier interior defensive lineman.†But, at such a large price tag, should the Giants really re-sign Leonard Williams?
Is Leonard Williams Worth That Salary?
The Giants will need to make their decision on Leonard Williams soon. They gave up two draft picks to acquire Williams, and it would look ridiculous if after trading those picks Williams is only on this team for eight games. But, the young man wants to get paid big-time, and the Giants might not find him to be worthy of such a lucrative contract.
In his eight games with the Giants, Leonard Williams recorded only 0.5 sack, 26 combined tackles, and 2 tackles for loss. These are pretty underwhelming stats and the Giants should expect more out of a player that they will be paying $15 million annually.
However, the advanced stats are a little bit more encouraging. In his eight games with the Giants, Leonard Williams racked up 17 pressures and 10 quarterback knockdowns. He did not finish many of the plays with sacks, but he was still disruptive and consistently in the face of the opposing quarterbacks.