The New York Giants and defensive lineman Leonard Williams have less than 48 hours to reach an agreement on a long-term contract before the window of opportunity closes.
However, neither side appears pressed to get a deal done, instead finding a level of contentment in Williams playing out the 2020 regular season on the franchise tag worth $16.1 million.
In fact, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports the Giants and Williams are “on the same” page in that regard.
The #Giants & standout DE Leonard Williams are on the same page as Wednesday’s deadline for franchise players to get deals looms: The plan is to play out the 1-year tag, sources say. The hope is Williams excels in the new system and becomes a big part of the team’s future.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 13, 2020
Giants general manager Dave Gettleman had previously expressed optimism that a long-term deal would get done before the July 15 deadline, but something has clearly changed.
“You know, the bottom line is contracts get done when they’re supposed to get done,” Gettleman told reporters in April. “So, we’ll just move along. You guys know I don’t discuss contracts, I don’t discuss timing, I don’t discuss anything. They get done when they’re supposed to get done.”
The Giants acquired Williams from the New York Jets mid-way through last season, and the trade was met with ire. Things got no better when Williams finished the season with just half a sack, leading many to question Gettleman’s thinking.
With Williams now slated to play out the season on the franchise tag and no guarantee of his return in 2021, Gettleman’s decision to trade multiple draft picks for the veteran looks even worse. And unless Williams has a particularly good season for the Giants and/or signs a long-term deal next spring, it may go down as one of the most questionable personnel decisions of Gettleman’s entire career.
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