Tag: Leonard Williams

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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Why Jets should hope for quick deal between Giants, Leonard Williams

The Jets trade gets a little sweeter if the Giants sign Leonard Williams before March 8.

As the 2020 league year draws closer, the Jets will have their eyes peeled for any news of a Leonard Williams extension with the Giants over the next two weeks.

If Williams signs a long-term deal with the Giants before March 18, the 2021 fifth-round draft pick they received for sending Williams to the Giants – along with the 2020 third-round pick – would turn into a fourth-round pick. That would turn what was already a solid return for a disappointing player into an even bigger haul for Gang Green. 

The issue is that the Giants have yet to indicate which direction they’ll go with regard to Williams’ future with the team. There are multiple avenues the Giants could go down with Williams but only one of them results in the Jets receiving a better draft pick.

Giants GM Dave Gettleman initially said the goal after trading for Williams was to sign him to a long-term deal. He said he’d get “killed” if he didn’t find a way to keep Williams after how much he initially gave up for him. But recently, he’s been coy about his plans for Williams. Multiple reports indicate the Giants will wait on an extension for Williams and instead give him either the franchise tag or transition tag to prevent him from hitting the open market. That would give the team more time to negotiate.

That’s where things get murky for the Jets and their trade compensation.

The Giants have until March 10 to offer the transition tag and until March 12 to offer the franchise tag. In both scenarios, the Giants would have more time to negotiate a long-term deal after the 2020 league year starts.

The transition tag allows Williams to negotiate with other teams in free agency while on a one-year deal worth the average of the top 10 salaries at his position. The Giants have the right of first refusal for any agreed-upon deal, though, which would be signed during free agency after March 18. If the Giants franchise tag Williams, they can wait until July 25 to sign him to a long-term deal.

In either case, the fifth-round pick in 2021 doesn’t turn into a fourth-rounder for the Jets.

The third and strangest option for the Giants is to just let Williams walk. Despite his drop in production, Williams could command close to $15 million per year on a long-term deal. The Giants may find that number too rich for their blood considering how many other holes they have on the roster. Even the tags are expensive – between $12.32-$15.5 million as a defensive tackle and $16.34-$19.32 million as a defensive end. The Giants might look at Williams’ eight-game stat line – 26 total tackles, 11 quarterback hits, one sack and one forced fumble – and find him unworthy of all that money given how the rest of the defensive line market looks.

No matter which direction the Giants go, the only path the Jets should root for is for the Giants and Williams to come to terms on an extension before the league year begins. Any other outcome would keep the trade at the status quo.

5 impending free agents the Giants should not re-sign

Free agency is nearly upon us and that means it’s time to get to work for the New York Giants, who should no re-sign these five players.

The New York Giants are entering a crucial offseason, one where if they get it wrong will lead to major changes in the organization — again.

They don’t have a ton of players hitting free agency that are worth re-signing, so here’s a list of five they shouldn’t bring back.

Elsa/Getty Images

Leonard Williams, defensive lineman

This is my opinion, which means little since they will absolutely pull out all the stops to keep him in the fold, including slapping the franchise tag on him if need be. That would be a shame since it could be somewhere in the neighborhood of $17 million which is way more than he is worth. Spotrac.com values Williams at $8.3 million per year. I don’t think the Giants should pay much more for him, but they will since general manager Dave Gettleman already has so much invested in him.

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2 Giants among NFL.com’s top 101 free agents

Two current members and three former members of the New York Giants made NFL.com’s list of the top 101 impending free agents.

The New York Giants are widely considered a team thin at a multitude of positions, and their impending free agents are reflective of that.

Pro Football Focus even chided the Giants for their lack of talent earlier this month, declaring that none of their upcoming free agents were “key pieces” and that they wouldn’t lose much by allowing them all to walk.

To a certain degree, Gregg Rosenthal and Chris Wesseling of NFL.com disagree with PFF’s assessment and have named two Giants among their top 101 impending free agents.

The first up? The hotly debated Leonard Williams.

No. 27: Leonard Williams, DL, Giants

What’s the going rate for nearly sacking quarterbacks? Williams’ game isn’t without a disruptive quality, but the guys who make the big bucks usually take down the opposing passer at a much higher rate.

In a world dedicated to analytics, it’s curious to see Williams repeatedly ripped for his lack of sack numbers. We’re told that the advanced numbers determine a player’s worth, but here we are again discussing a single statistic that doesn’t accurately reflect his overall production — a number that will determine his pay.

Some consistency in this analytics debate would great, but I digress…

Next up is a fellow Giants defensive lineman — Markus Golden.

No. 76: Markus Golden, DE, Giants

One of 2019 free agency’s best bargains, Golden is back on the market after a 10-sack season with the Giants.

So, Golden has the sack numbers, but he’s nearly 50 spots below Williams? These arguments contradict themselves, but again, I digress…

While no other Giants made this list, former Giants cornerbacks Eli Apple (No. 70) and Prince Amukamara (No. 91), and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (No. 31), did.

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Major issues may be coming if Giants tag Leonard Williams

The New York Giants are already in a precarious position when it comes to Leonard Williams, and tagging him may make things worse.

New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman painted himself into a corner when he traded for Jets defensive lineman Leonard Williams last October, an unwise move that sent two draft picks to Gang Green in exchange for an impeding free agent who had been underachieving.

That puts Gettleman in a pinch as free agency approaches. Should he allow Williams to test the free agent waters and get into a bidding war for him, or should the Giants use the franchise tag on him?

On Tuesday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Gettleman sounded like he was all-in on Williams, saying he would “get killed” if he didn’t retain Williams after surrendering a third-round pick this year and either a fourth- or fifth-rounder in next year’s draft to obtain him.

But retaining Williams at all costs may not be the most prudent course of action as Ralph Vacchiano of SNY points out:

Gettleman declined to say whether he was discussing tagging Williams as a DT or a DE when he was asked by SNY at the NFL scouting combine on Tuesday. And when asked if he was expecting a fight if he tagged Williams as a DT, Gettleman said “I’ll leave that alone.”

The official numbers for the franchise and transition tags haven’t been set by the NFL yet, but according to Overthecap.com, the franchise tag for a defensive tackle is projected to be about $15.5 million in 2020. However, Williams would actually get 120 percent of his current salary of $14.2 million, which works out to about $17 million.

The problem, though, is the projected franchise tag number for defensive ends is $19.3 million, according to Overthecap.com.

Compounding matters, if the Giants were to tag Williams as a defensive tackle, Vacchiano reports that he would immediately file a grievance.

If the Giants do franchise Williams in the next few weeks, they are expected to tag him as a defensive tackle. And if they do, Williams’ camp will likely file a grievance claiming he should be tagged as a defensive end, according to an NFL source. Williams played both positions with the Giants and Jets last season, but being tagged as an end could earn him approximately $2 million more.

There’s no way Williams is worth either of those two tag amounts. He is an average player at best. Yes, he is only 25 and has some experience, is a good locker room guy, etc. but the Giants can find a better use for that money.

The trade for Williams was a mistake, face it. It was a move a contending team makes, not a rebuilding one. Compounding that mistake by doubling down here is even a bigger mistake. The Giants should let Williams hit free agency and see what shakes. If there’s a team out there that pays him any of the above aforementioned amounts, more power to them. Don’t get into a bidding war for him.

As for Gettleman getting “killed,” that’s already happened. He will be further lambasted by overpaying for Williams in free agency.

If the Giants bring Williams back it should be on their terms, not his. The worse case scenario by not signing him is they have nothing to show for the trade. They’ve already lost their third-round pick for this season. Next year’s pick becomes a fifth rounder instead of a fourth and the loss of Williams in free agency will be added to the compensatory draft pick equation for 2021.