The New York Giants have a major decision to make next off-season when it comes to interior defenders Leonard Williams and Dalvin Tomlinson. Both are in contract years, with Williams on the franchise tag ($16.1 million) and Tomlinson preparing to expire on his rookie deal. However, the Giants might not have enough salary space to retain both players, so they will have to make a decision on which one is more valuable at their respective price tag.
Of course, in a perfect world, the Giants would find a way to keep both players around for the long term since Tomlinson is an elite run stopper and Williams has shown he can be fantastic in both run-stopping and pass-rushing. However, let’s take a look at both players and see what they bring to the table and if they are worth keeping on a long-term deal.
The New York Giants’ three-headed monster:
Dalvin Tomlinson:
Tomlinson has gotten better every season with the Giants, and in his third defensive scheme in four years, he is once again proving to be a key cog in the middle of the defense. Through 10 games, he has 35 combined tackles, seven combined quarterback hits, five tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. His biggest deficiency has been his missed tackle rate, missing 12.5%. In run-stopping, he has earned a 68.1 overall grade but surprisingly has a 71.8 pass-rush grade, per PFF.
He has recorded 20 stops, and eight quarterback hurries this season, but it is clear he is not nearly as productive as Williams. He could earn a three-year contract, but he might land in the $8 million per season category where Williams could earn upwards of $14 million per year.
At the NFL trade deadline, multiple teams called regarding Tomlinson but decided to hold onto him, given his value and their hopes to win the NFC East. Considering he is headed toward free agency, the decision to retain him for the remainder of the 2020 campaign could be poor. Nonetheless, he is loyal to Big Blue and wants to stay in New York for the long term. He understands that this is a contract season and stated as such.
“Like I said before, I’m not going to really focus on the contract stuff right now,†Tomlinson said per Giants Wire. “I’m just coming in every day trying to help the team as best as I possibly can, care for my teammates, and helping everybody across the board improve. I’ll just let that take care of itself in the long run.â€
Leonard Williams:
The former Jet has been a monster this season, earning 34 combined tackles, 16 quarterback hits, and 5.0 sacks. That puts him on pace for 8.0 sacks, 26 quarterback hits, and much more.
He ranks right next to some of the best interior defensive lineman in the NFL, including Aaron Donald and Chris Jones. Among players at his position, he ranks third in sacks, quarterback hits, pressures, and second in knockdowns.
It is clear that Williams is well deserving of a multi-year deal, and given his production this year in Patrick Graham’s defensive scheme, he is likely the favorite for the Giants. However, there is one dark horse factor that could play a significant part in their decision to take the cheaper option or go with, the more expensive player in Williams.
Dexter Lawrence:
Out of all three of the New York Giants’ interior defenders, Dexter Lawrence has experienced the least number of snaps. He has logged 59%, with Tomlinson at 62% and Williams at 73%. Lawrence has 33 combined tackles, six quarterback hits, and four tackles for a loss this season. That is not to mention his 3.0 sacks and 5.7 missed tackle rate. Overall, Lawrence has been an absolute stud in both run-defense and as a pass-rusher. He has a 78.2 overall grade, which is higher than both Williams and Tomlinson.
His 12 hurries, 18 stops, and impressive number of sacks make him a serious threat to either Williams or Tomlinson in their long-term negotiations with the Giants. If they feel as though Lawrence can replace their production and they can invest in a cheaper option to fill the gap, they could settle for just one of the two players instead of spending on both.
I feel as though there is a reason he has settled behind Williams and Tomlinson in snap counts, giving the two alternatives a chance to battle it out for a long-term deal. However, I certainly believe Lawrence will begin to earn more snaps moving forward, inserting his dominant play into the trenches and providing the Giants with the value they saw when they drafted him 17th overall in 2019.