Tag: Leonard Williams

Report: Jordan Jenkins return unlikely given Jets’ offer

Jordan Jenkins wants to play for the Jets but so far the team hasn’t offered him the contract he feels he deserves.

Linebacker Jordan Jenkins led the Jets in sacks the past two seasons, but it doesn’t appear he’ll remain with the sack-needy team now that he’s a free agent for the first time in his four-year career.

Jenkins, a third-round pick in 2016 out of Georgia, wants to stay with Jets, according to ESPN. But he wants to get paid like the other pass-rushers he’s seen earn upwards of $30 million and, according to multiple reports, he doesn’t like what the Jets are offering him.

This fits with Joe Douglas mentality when it comes to contracts: the GM will only pay what he thinks a player is worth. While Jenkins finished with a team-high eight sacks in 2019 – the same as other pass-rush specialists Von Miller, Frank Clark and Yannick Ngakoue – he isn’t regarded as a top-flight outside linebacker. He’s undersized as a true edge rusher at 6-foot-3, 259 pounds and has only recorded multiple sacks in three games the past two seasons.

Despite all this, Jenkins is definitely an above-average pass-rusher who blitzed 116 times the past two seasons and tallied nine quarterback hits and 15 sacks. He also performed admirably against double-teams with more than an 18 percent win-rate, per ESPN’s Seth Walder.

The Jets still need pass-rush help after missing out on the bigger, more expensive players this free agency. Jadeveon Clowney is the shiniest prize left on the market, but his price is likely too high for Douglas’ taste given his prudency thus far. The rest of the best options available are either inconsistent or older. Despite Jenkins’ contract demands, it might be in the Jets’ best interest to try and keep him given his proven ability and comfortability in Gregg Williams’ defense. They still have $36 million in cap space after their first wave of signings. 

For now, though, Jenkins and the Jets remain unable to agree on a deal. 

Report: Giants to place franchise tag on Leonard Williams

The Giants are reportedly set to place the franchise tag on Leonard Williams.

The New York Giants are reportedly going to place the franchise tag on defensive lineman, Leonard Williams.

Here’s the latest from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The deadline to tag players will hit on Monday at 11:59 a.m. ET, so this move is a must if the Giants can’t reach a long-term deal with Williams before then and want to avoid him hitting free agency.

Letting Williams go at this point simply isn’t an option for general manager Dave Gettleman. After all, he sent two picks to the Jets in a trade to acquire the defensive lineman last season, even though he simply could have signed Williams outright when he hit free agency this offseason.

Placing the tag on Williams means he can’t negotiate with other teams (assuming it’s the exclusive tag, which is probably is), and it will give the Giants more time to negotiate a long-term contract with the former No. 6 overall pick.

The deadline to hammer out a multi-year deal with a player on the franchise tag is July 15.

Is Giants DL Leonard Williams one of the riskiest free agents?

Is New York Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams one of the riskiest free agents on the market?

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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The Athletic predicts Giants sign four of NFL’s top 50 free agents

The New York Giants have $79 million in salary cap space and The Athletic believes they will use it on four of the top 50 free agents.

The NFL’s free agency frenzy is still on for next week beginning March 18 at 4:00 p.m. ET. There’s a lot of speculation regarding who will sign where. The New York Giants currently have $77.8 million in available cap space to use to sign players and are expected to be major players.

That isn’t being reflected in a recent article by Sheil Kapadia published The Athletic predicting where the Top 100 free agents will land, however. According to Kapadia, the Giants will only land four of the top 50 unrestricted free agents and some those names are less than inspiring.

15. Cory Littleton (LB): Giants

Littleton would make sense for a number of teams, including Washington and the Raiders. But the Giants have money to spend and need to build up one of the least talented defenses in the NFL. They add the play-making, three-down linebacker.

34. Bradley Roby (CB): Giants

Roby is more of a second-tier corner, but he can play man coverage and has the versatility to line up on the outside or in the slot. Roby signed a one-year deal with the Texans as a free agent last offseason and will likely be looking for something more substantial this time around.

47. Germain Ifedi (RT): Giants

It feels like they’ve been trying to rebuild their offensive line for over a decade now. Ifedi fills a hole for the Giants at right tackle and helps their run game get back on track.

49. Leonard Williams (DT): Giants

After GM Dave Gettleman inexplicably sent a pair of draft picks to the Jets for half a season of Williams (0.5 sacks last season), it’s tough to see him letting the 2015 first-round pick walk in free agency.

Littleton would be an ideal signing for the Giants, or any team that he decides to go with. He’s a leader on defense and a Pro Bowl-caliber special teamer who’s still young enough (26) to become part of the young core the Giants are building.

Williams is basically a “must-sign” thanks to the foolish deal general manager Dave Gettleman made in acquiring him. The Giants have to sign Williams because they will have wasted draft picks if they don’t and probably won’t get any relief from the league in the way of compensatory draft picks if he signs elsewhere.

You can pretty much keep the other two. Roby is not a top veteran corner and I’m not sure what value he’ll bring for the price they’ll have to pay him. Ifedi is an average lineman who is probably not the upgrade they need. May as well resign Mike Remmers or let Nick Gates continue to grow there.

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Are Giants really set to spend big in free agency?

The New York Giants have $79 million to spend in free agency and many think they’ll spend it all, but John Mara cautions against that.

The NFL’s legal tampering window is tentatively scheduled to open on Monday, March 16. Whether that changes due to fears over the coronavirus or not, the New York Giants will have upwards of $80 million to spend once the free agency frenzy does begin.

But just how much of that money are general manager Dave Gettleman & Co. going to dump on players of need? Well, that depends on who you ask.

Despite their abundance of cash, Giants co-owner John Mara said in January that the team does not intend to go “hog wild” in free agency.

“The thing with free agency, it’s a double-edged sword. I mean, you can fix some holes pretty quickly, but long-term, I’m not sure that it really works,” Mara said. “You still have to build your team through the draft. I think the best thing in free agency is it allows you to fill some needs so you can go into the draft and just take the best player available.

“If you think free agency is going to fix all your problems, you’re going to be sadly disappointed. So yes, we do have probably the most space we’ve ever had before, but we’re not going to go hog wild in there and spend it all. I think if you do that, you’re making a big mistake. We’re going to try to do it wisely, try to get the right guys in here, guys that we hope are going to be here for a while. But still, you have to emphasize the draft, and that’s still the most important thing in building a franchise.”

That seems cut and dry, but those at ESPN aren’t buying what Mara is selling and recently listed the Giants as a team that’s set to spend big.

Overall cap space: $79,290,136

Offense: $83,444,509

Defense: $23,227,343

Special teams: $4,480,000

Analysis: The Giants have money to spend this offseason. A good chunk will have to be earmarked for their defense, which currently accounts for 11.5% of their total cap. The Giants’ top eight against the salary cap are all offensive players. Second-year defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence ($3 million) is their most expensive defensive player, followed by veteran safety Antoine Bethea ($2.875 million). Clearly there’s a need for an influx of talent on defense. Expect investment in the defense in free agency.

The Giants do appear to be focusing heavily on landing a big-name cornerback, which is not going to come cheap. They’re also going to have to pay defensive lineman Leonard Williams the big bucks after blowing two draft picks in order to acquire him during the 2019 season. But beyond that, how much will Big Blue invest?

There have been some pre-free agency rumors that they’re interested in several different linebackers, but it’s been tier 2 guys who aren’t going to land a massive top-end deal. There’s also the need for an offensive tackle, but they may wait on that until the 2020 NFL Draft.

So, where will the remainder of their money go? Do the Giants really intend to just sit on it or will Mara’s warning ring hallow as the team makes it rain like they did in 2016?

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Leonard Williams named the Giants’ top internal free agent

The New York Giants need to make a decision on defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who is the team’s top internal free agent.

The New York Giants are running out of time to make a decision on defensive lineman Leonard Williams even with the franchise and transitions tag deadline being moved back.

There have been circulating rumors that the Giants and Williams are not close on a new deal, and that the Giants will use one of those tags — likely the transition tag — to keep the veteran in East Rutherford.

Whether those rumors and reports prove fruitful remains to be seen, but the reality is that time is running out to make the decision.

And as fate would have it, that’s likely the biggest internal decision the Giants will have to make this offseason as Williams was recently named the team’s top impending free agent by ESPN.

Leonard Williams, defensive end

The Giants traded two draft picks for Williams midway through last season in a rare trade with the Jets. They’re invested and liked what he contributed over the final eight games, which included solid run defense and 20 QB pressures, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Williams was a solid but not spectacular player, much like he was with the Jets. He finished the season with 0.5 sacks and two tackles for a loss, and has 17.5 sacks in five professional seasons.

Prediction: The Giants like Williams and already have committed two draft picks. They’re not letting him walk four months later. He gets the transition tag at approximately $13.1 million, which at the very least buys them time to strike a long-term deal. Nobody will blow away Williams once tagged, and he’ll remain a Giant.

The Giants have seemed reluctant to use either tag to date, but may have backed themselves into a corner at this point. Williams has all the leverage and knows the Giants will have to pay up or risk being eviscerated publicly.

If general manager Dave Gettleman does tag Williams and the two sides are unable to strike a deal on a long-term contract, that will likely bring about even more issues given that the defensive lineman could possibly end up holding out.

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NFL Draft: Five years later, grading the 2015 first-round picks

Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota and others from the 2015 first round have left a lot to be desired.

The 2015 NFL Draft produced many players who were considered expendable by their teams long before the 2020 season. It is the classic example of how much of a guessing game the draft process can be. This first round will go down as forgettable as opposed to memorable.

32. Patriots: Malcom Brown

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Malcom Brown was drafted out of Texas. The defensive lineman spent four seasons with the Patriots before having his fifth year option declined. He wound up in New Orleans. Brown had 8.5 sacks as a Patriot and added two with the Saints. Can’t take away the two Super Bowl rings he has. Grade: C

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Bad news for Jets: Leonard Williams, Giants far apart on new deal

The Jets will get the Giant’s 2021 fourth-round pick if Leonard Williams signs a long-term contract with the Giants before March 18.

Leonard Williams plays for the Giants now, but his contract situation still affects the Jets.

The former 2015 first-round pick will be a free agent when the 2020 league year begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 18 unless the Giants sign him to a new contract or place the franchise or transition tag on him. The Giants have less than a week to decide what to do, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the two sides “are not close” to an extension. Rapoport added that Williams has a “strong market,” which leads many to believe the Giants will opt for one of the tags. 

Which path the Giants choose affects the Jets’ 2021 draft. The Giants traded a 2020 third-round pick and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2021 that could turn into a fourth if Big Blue re-signs Williams to an extension before March 18. It looks like an extension is unlikely, though, meaning the Jets will be stuck with the fifth-round selection they initially acquired.

The crux of the negotiation likely stems from Williams’ positional designation and the value difference between a defensive end and defensive tackle. If the Giants tag him as an interior lineman, he’ll be looking at a slightly lower contract to work with while negotiating a long-term deal after March 18.

Williams didn’t look any better with the Giants than he did with the Jets. He tallied only half a sack in eight games and registered 26 combined tackles, two pass breakups and one forced fumble. Williams recorded only seven sacks and 109 combined tackles in the previous 39 games for the Jets over the past 2.5 seasons. 

The Giants could easily look at that production, realize Williams isn’t worth the $15.3-$17.9 million he’d earn under either tag at either position or $12 million annually on an extension and simply let him walk. If that happens, the Jets would keep the picks, obviously, but wouldn’t see their pick upgrade from a fifth to a fourth.

There isn’t much time to make a decision on Williams’ future. The Giants have until March 10 to sign him to the transition tag and until March 12 for the franchise tag. Doing either would give them time to negotiate a long-term deal for Williams but wouldn’t give the Jets a better draft pick.

Report: Giants, Leonard Williams not close on new deal

With a week to go until free agency officially begins, the New York Giants and DT Leonard Williams are not close on a new contract.

The New York Giants sent two draft picks to the New York Jets in exchange for defensive lineman Leonard Williams knowing full well that he’d need to be re-signed in order to make the investment worth it.

That was a gamble general manager Dave Gettleman said he was willing to take, but with one week until the official start to free agency, the two sides are not even remotely close to a new deal.

It had been falsely reported last week that the Giants and Williams had a contract in place, with the author of said report turning out to be an imposter employee of SNY.

At the 2020 NFL Combine, Gettleman made it clear the Giants would like to sign Williams long-term, but also recognized the backlash he’d face if an agreement couldn’t be reached.

“I’ll get killed. I’ll get killed. I have thick, rhino hide,” Gettleman said.

It’s a good thing that Gettleman does have that thick rhino hide, because with time rapidly running out and a substantial market forming, it’s beginning to look as if the Giants are going to lose out on Williams and two much-needed draft picks.

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6 free agents the Colts should avoid

Which free agents should the Colts avoid?

With just over a week until the legal tampering period opens, the Indianapolis Colts are putting the final touches on their big board ahead of free agency.

Entering this part of the offseason with an estimated $86.2 million in salary-cap space, the Colts could be major players if they want. Though we know that’s unlikely, they are still being linked to several free agents set to hit the market.

While there are a number of free agents the Colts should have interest in, here are six players they should steer clear of in the open market:

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Derrick Henry | RB | Age: 25

This isn’t to say that Henry isn’t talented or that he doesn’t deserve an increase in pay. But there are several reasons why the Colts shouldn’t even consider Henry on the market. Running backs in general have a short shelf life. It’s the nature of the position, and it leads to a large crop of them failing to live up to second contracts.

The Colts also already have a promising back in Marlon Mack, with whom they likely want to get an extension done. Henry would be a bruiser behind the Colts offensive line, and he certainly would have success. But that contract would not be worth it three years down the line when Henry’s body begins betraying him.

Henry is talented and is going to get paid. But the Colts should allow the Titans or another team to make that mistake.

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