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The New York Giants enter the offseason with a slew of needs at various positions. But before work can even begin on those areas, general manager Dave Gettleman must decide what to do with his own free agents.
Among the Giants’ free agents is defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who put up career-best numbers while playing on the franchise tag in 2020.
Williams has long been the apple of Gettleman’s eye. After all, the GM sent multiple picks to the New York Jets mid-way through the 2019 season and then tagged Williams when the two sides failed to reach an agreement on a long-term contracts.
Gettleman has since made it clear he’d like Williams to return in 2021 and beyond.
Does all of that make Williams the Giants’ priority this offseason? Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report certainly seems to link so, having named the re-signing of Williams the biggest offseason need in East Rutherford.
This past season, Williams led the Giants in sacks with 11.5. He also made his presence felt against the run, logging a team-high 14 tackles for loss. He became a key component of New York’s ninth-ranked scoring defense.
The Giants could also lose defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson in free agency. The 6’3″, 318-pound nose tackle played a huge role in the team’s stout front, recording 49 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
If general manager Dave Gettleman must choose between Williams and Tomlinson to maintain a strong defensive line, he should invest in the former because of his pass-rushing ability and the lack of other sources of pressure on the edge.
The good news is that the Giants will make a “strong effort” to re-sign Williams, who is also reportedly keen on returning to Big Blue next season.
In here: From everything I’ve heard, Leonard Williams and the #Giants both want him to return, and the franchise tag (which would be more than $19M) is unlikely. https://t.co/zxjEOcye2O
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) February 10, 2021
The sooner the Giants and Williams get a deal done, the better. So yes, re-signing The Big Cat is absolutely the team’s biggest need this offseason.
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