Tag: Leonard Williams

How Leonard Williams trade impacted the Giants’ 2020 draft

How did the trade for DT Leonard Williams impact the New York Giants’ 2020 draft and who could they have taken with the lost pick?

The New York Giants had 10 selections in the 2020 NFL Draft, but should have had 11. They traded away their third-round pick (and a future pick) to the Jets last October in exchange for defensive lineman Leonard Williams.

So, who did the Jets select with the 68th overall pick?

Safety Ashtyn Davis of Cal, considered by many one of the top three-to-four players at his position and one that has been compared by scouts to the Minnesota Vikings’ Pro Bowler, Harrison Smith.

So, who could the Giants have used that pick on had they kept it and simply signed Williams in free agency?

Wisconsin edge rusher/linebacker Zack Baun, Texas A&M defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, Temple center Matt Hennessy and Houston offensive tackle Josh Jones to name a few.

Instead, the Giants didn’t select in the third round until pick No. 99, a compensatory selection in which they used to take UConn offensive tackle Matt Peart.

The Giants had four picks in the seventh round, two of those picks (Nos. 247 and 255) were compensatory selections which they used to take Minnesota cornerback Chris Williamson and Georgia linebacker Tae Crowder.

The 238th overall pick, obtained in a 2018 trade that sent cornerback Eli Apple to the New Orleans Saints, was spent on another inside linebacker — South Carolina’s T.J. Brunson.

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Report: Giants’ Leonard Williams will file a grievance over position

New York Giants veteran Leonard Williams intends to file a grievance through the NFLPA seeking to be classified as a defensive end.

On Wednesday evening, veteran defensive lineman Leonard Williams decided to sign his franchise tag tender, guaranteeing that he will be a member of the New York Giants for at least one more season and potentially more.

However, not everything was completely smooth sailing.

While Williams did sign his tender and will join the team for their virtual offseason program after missing the first few days, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports that he will file a grievance over his position, seeking to be classified as a defensive end as opposed to defensive tackle.

Additionally, Duggan reports that Williams has already filed a grievance over his fifth-year option.

As Duggan notes, there is a $1.8 million difference on the franchise tag depending on his positional classification. However, Williams faces an uphill battle to get classified as a defensive end because even when playing outside in a 3-4 scheme, he’s considered an interior lineman due to a linebacker playing over his shoulder.

However things shake out, Williams will remain with the Giants through the 2020 season and potentially beyond.

Note: Williams does not actually file the grievance himself, but has the NFLPA do it on his behalf.

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Report: Leonard Williams to sign franchise tag with Giants

Defensive lineman Leonard Williams has agreed to sign his franchise tender with the New York Giants.

The New York Giants and defensive lineman Leonard Williams have yet to come to an agreement on a long-term deal, but they avoided a potential “distraction” on Wednesday with the veteran agreeing to sign his franchise tag tender.

By signing the franchise tender, Williams will be guaranteed a base salary of $16.1 million in 2020, pending an agreement on a new contract.

The Giants and Williams now have until July 15 to negotiate a new deal or have the window of opportunity closed until the conclusion of the upcoming season.

The Giants acquired Williams from the New York Jets in exchange for multiple draft picks midway through the 2019 season. General manager Dave Gettleman was heavily criticized for the trade, but assured that Williams would be more than a half-season rental.

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Giants’ Dexter Lawrence: People undervalue Leonard Williams

New York Giants DT Dexter Lawrence believes the football world drastically undervalues Leonard Williams.

New York Giants defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence was already well into his rookie campaign when the team acquired Leonard Williams from the New York Jets, thrusting an experienced veteran into the fray.

What Williams ultimately brought to the table was far more than Lawrence initially anticipated. And after spending a half a season with the former first-round pick, Lawrence is now convinced that the football masses completely undervalue Williams.

“He brings experience and a great work ethic to our group because he makes you want to outwork him in practice every day, where he goes harder than anyone,” Lawrence told Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated. “A lot of people don’t understand the value he brings to a defense, but I know firsthand what kind of impact he makes.”

Lawrence also likes the idea of potentially adding his former teammate, Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons, to the defense, where he would play behind both Lawrence and Williams.

“I would love it if he winds up here,” Lawrence said. “Just to have another familiar face and winning attitude in the building who knows what he’s doing and knows how to win is an important factor that can go a very long way.

“His skill set is rare to come by. Having him around would be great in a lot of different ways. His ability to rush the passer and drop back in coverage would give our defense a boost in both areas where he excels. . . There’s no doubt in my mind that he and (Ohio State edge rusher) Chase Young are the two best defensive players in this draft.”

As far as his own offseason routine and second-year goals, Lawrence is focused on becoming more of a pass rusher and more of a leader.

“Learning the little techniques on how to get to the quarterback was a big goal of mine this off-season. I want to become a more consistent pass rusher and disrupt the pocket on a regular basis,” said Lawrence.

“I want to keep my confidence and get things rolling by being the best leader I can be. My mindset is to lead by example with charisma and bring a family attitude to the team. I want to let my teammates know I’m playing for them, and they will hopefully do the same by playing for me.”

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Giants’ Dave Gettleman confident deal with Leonard Williams will get done

New York Giants GM Dave Gettleman remains confident that a long-term deal with Leonard Williams will get done before July 15.

New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman puts heavy emphasis on eliminating potential in-season distractions, which allows his coaching staff to remain hyper-focused on their weekly tasks and developing their talent.

However, the 69-year-old Gettleman strayed from his own playbook earlier this year, slapping defensive lineman Leonard Williams, whom he acquired in a hotly-debated trade with the New York Jets last year, with the franchise tag.

The franchise tag always brings potential hazards along with it, which is why Gettleman didn’t use it on safety Landon Collins a year ago, fearing a potential long-term holdout. However, he doesn’t envision that scenario playing out with Williams.

“I think we’ll be okay,” Gettleman said. “I always think about bad things because, in my opinion, one of the biggest responsibilities I have is to eliminate distractions and let the coaches coach and the players play. You can’t guarantee anything in this life, but we have gotten to know Leonard really well and I feel really comfortable with the decision.”

Williams has not yet signed the $16.1 million franchise tender, which has led some to question why the team didn’t opt to use the transition tag instead. That would have saved them an additional $3 million in salary cap space, which is substantial if the two sides are unable to come to some sort of long-term agreement.

“Really what it came down to was we felt good about our cap space. We felt for what Leonard brings to the table and for our team, it was more prudent to put the franchise tag on him,” Gettleman said.

The Giants have until July 15 to negotiate a new contract with Williams. If they’re unable to come to an agreement by then, all other options will be removed from the table. However, if Williams signs his tender, the $16.1 million becomes fully guaranteed and negotiations on a long-term deal will be allowed to continue.

But does Gettleman have a time-frame in mind for all of that? If he does, he’s not telling.

“You know, the bottom line is contracts get done when they’re supposed to get done. 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,” Gettleman said.

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2020 NFL Free Agency: A look at the Giants’ newest contracts

With NFL free agency all but over, here’s a quick breakdown of each new contract the New York Giants handed out.

The New York Giants have done substantial work to their roster this offseason, including the big additions of cornerback James Bradberry and linebacker Blake Martinez.

Initially, there was some confusion over the new contracts and how bonuses were structured, but the vast majority of that has been cleaned up thanks to The Athletic.

Here’s a quick breakdown of each new contract:

Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Linebacker, David Mayo

Deal: Three years, $8.4 million with $3.5 million guaranteed. $2 million roster bonus in 2020. $50,000 workout bonuses all three years.

Base salary (cap hits):

  • 2020 – $1.5 million ($3.55 million)
  • 2021 – $2.25 million ($2.3 million)
  • 2022 – $2.5 million ($2.55 million)
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Pro Football Focus offers critical take on Giants’ free agent haul

PFF recently listed the New York Giants as one of the most improved teams in the league, but then ripped their free agent haul.

Earlier this week, Pro Football Focus broke down the best and worst signings for all 32 teams following the conclusion of the first week of free agency. Interesting however, they deviated from their usual structure when it came to the New York Giants.

Before we get to that, here was PFF’s take on the Giants’ worst free agent move(s) so far:

Worst move: Overpaying for James Bradberry and tagging Leonard Williams

New York traded a 2020 third-round pick and a 2021 fifth-round pick in exchange for Williams midway through the 2019 season. And by tagging him, that 2021 fifth-round pick becomes a fourth, and they’ll also have to pay him like an elite interior defensive lineman. Williams has been durable throughout his career, playing 4,187 snaps since 2015, but he hasn’t touched the elite level many thought he would. In fact, He’s failed to earn a top-25 PFF grade in each of the last three seasons. Williams is a good player, but he’s not necessarily worth what the Giants are paying him.

We pegged James Bradberry as a risky free agent prior to the week, and the Giants went ahead and made him one of the three highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL. Bradberry has fallen outside of the top 50 corners in coverage grade in each of the last three seasons and surrendered five more explosive plays (53) than any other outside corner in that same period.

Ironically, had the Giants not “overpaid” for Bradberry, they’d be getting hammered for not addressing the cornerback position. It’s the typical lose-lose situation for the Giants and Dave Gettleman, especially considering the cornerback market was reset. A free agent is worth what teams will pay for them and the market went up. Trashing the dollar amount now may look different in hindsight years from now.

As is relates to Williams… We’ve beaten that dead horse relentlessly. You already know our feelings.

So, what about the Giants’ best move(s)? They addressed major issues inside with the signing of Blake Martinez and finally landed a quality running back to spell Saquon Barkley. They replaced Rhett Ellison with the league’s best blocking tight end and added quality depth across the board.

Which of those moves gets the nod as best? None of them, because according to those at PFF, the Giants have done literally nothing right this offseason despite their very own value chart suggesting the Giants are one of the most improved teams in the league. Weird.

Best move: Nothing

There wasn’t much to like with the New York Giants’ week of free agency. They entered the week with a considerable amount of cap space and needed to improve a secondary that ranked 30th in team coverage grade just a season ago as well a pass-rush that finished 25th in team pass-rush grade. Instead of decidedly improving both, they rolled the dice.

It’s hard to rationalize this take because on one hand, you have PFF listing the Giants as one of the most-improved teams in the NFL. On the other hand, you have PFF telling you the Giants made literally no good moves in free agency.

Does anyone care to explain this rationale?

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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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