With Eli Manning and his $26 million coming off the books in 2020, the New York Giants will have plenty of cap space to go out and sign numerous big-name free agents. However, they will need to find room for Leonard Williams as well, who was recently traded from the Jets to the Giants across the street.
Williams’ statistical production hasn’t been noteworthy this season in several categories, but he has left a mark on every game, specifically in quarterback pressures. His two games with the Giants have lacked numerical outputs, totaling six combined tackles, and five QB hits on about 65.5% of defensive snaps.
General manager Dave Gettleman sees Williams as a starter in the middle of the defense, but he must show consistency and the ability to move the pile in the trenches.
Excellent rep by Leonard Williams against Tyron Smith…wins leverage battle and uses quick hands to earn the chest plate of the OT…then creates space with a strong push back, and follows that up with a violent inside pull to earn the outside edge. Textbook against a top tackle pic.twitter.com/6iVzfUX6kf
— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) November 7, 2019
Despite his low numbers, Williams has executed well in a limited sample size with the Giants. We must factor in the reality of the secondary when speaking about a 27th ranked Big Blue defense. Opposing teams know that Williams and Dexter Lawrence in the middle is a force, and together they attract 3+ blockers. However, if the secondary can’t give them enough time to get to the quarterback, their efforts mostly go to waste.
The New York Giants will have money to spend:
This upcoming offseason, the Giants will have upwards of $70 million in cap space after cuts, which will allow them to allocate resources towards the secondary and linebacker position. This will hopefully elevate the quality in the defensive backfield, giving the Giants’ defensive lineman more time to get to the quarterback and stop running backs in the backfield.
It’s challenging for a defense to operate at a high level when multiple positions lack quality. Linebacker, cornerback, safety, and pass-rusher all lack consistency and starting quality. Offseason upgrades will help Williams and his totals, but the Giants will need to pay him first.
Gettleman investing in the former Jet means he has little leverage in negotiating a contract, so Williams could cost upwards of $13 million per season on a multi-year deal.