NFL Free Agency is still on for next week and the caveat emptor warnings are beginning to surface among the vast pool of available free agents. Every March, teams jockey over one another to overpay average players and eventually find themselves in articles about the worst free agent signings.
The New York Giants have had their share of turkeys and many believe with $77.8 million to spend next week, will once again make some bad decisions.
One of the those signings will be that of defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who general manager Dave Gettleman has already overpaid for by trading away two draft choices he didn’t need to. Now, Gettleman must try to salvage that trade by throwing good money after bad. They will likely pay anywhere between $12-$15 million per season for Williams, burning more capital that could be put to better use.
“Not so long ago, Williams beamed as a thundering draft-day home run for the Jets,” NFL.com’s Marc Sessler wrote this week. “Highly disruptive over his first four campaigns, Williams earned glowing grades Pro Football Focus, but lacked the sack totals New York was hoping for…Traded to the Giants last season, Williams reportedly seeks at least $15 million annually. The sides “are not close” on a new deal, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, which isn’t a stunner considering New York GM Dave Gettleman’s history for letting overpriced veterans walk.”
He won’t let Williams walk, that’s for sure. Gettleman will have to make the obvious mistake and sign Williams or face the consequence of burning a third and fifth round draft pick for a rental on a team that won just four games last season.
Williams was the sixth pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and showed a ton of promise with the Jets early on. But since, he’s been average and no team in their right mind should be willing to play him top dollar.
“After a season that saw his pressure rate fall off, Williams comes tinged with questions over whether his early-career promise will ever return,” Sessler continued. “While just 26, the behemoth makes more sense as a transition-tagged performer with plenty to prove before the G-Men — or anyone — invest a mountain of money in him.”
That leads us to another issue. Is Williams a defensive tackle or a defensive end? Because if he’s considered a tackle, the transition tag will cost the Giants approximately $12 as opposed to the $16 million they would have to pay if he is deemed to be an end. That just makes things worse.
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