Why the Leonard Williams trade was Joe Douglas’ best move

Joe Douglas made a necessary move to help the future of the Jets in his first season as general manager.

Joe Douglas didn’t make too many franchise-altering moves during his first regular season as the Jets general manager. That would have been a hard feat to accomplish given he joined the team after Mike Maccagnan ran the draft and signed expensive free agents. But the one move he did make that could have the biggest effect on the long-term future of the team was trading former 2016 first-round pick Leonard Williams to the Giants.

That trade netted the Jets a 2020 third-round pick and a 2021 fifth-round pick that could become a fourth if the Giants re-sign Williams to a deal, something the Giants reportedly began discussing soon after trading for the defensive end. It was a pivotal move for Douglas for two reasons: 1) Douglas acquired a top-70 pick, which could become an important piece for his first-ever draft class as GM and 2) shedding Williams gave the team opportunities to look at other young talents on the defensive line.

The Jets now have the 11th, 48th, 68th and 79th selection in the first three rounds of the 2020 draft. Considering all the holes on the roster, that 68th pick could end up being a starter for the Jets as early as next season. The addition of an extra third-round pick gives Douglas even more flexibility in the first two days of the draft if he wants to move up and grab the guy he wants. Either way, if Douglas drafts correctly that selection could play a major role for the Jets in 2020. Even better, they could get another top-120 selection in 2021 if Williams re-signs with the Giants.

Jettisoning Williams gave Douglas, Adam Gase and Gregg Williams the added bonus of checking out the rest of their defensive line depth. The Jets actually had a pretty deep line behind Williams, and his lack of production meant he wasn’t any more valuable than the cheaper players behind him. Guys like Folorunso Fatukasi, Kyle Phillips and Jordan Willis all earned a bigger role on the team with Williams’ departure, and then all even played better than Williams. Each had more sacks than Williams and combined for 11 quarterback hits.

The Williams trade didn’t really affect the Jets’ 2019 season, which is fine considering the team was 1-7 at the trade deadline. If anything, Douglas probably needed to make more moves to shore up his draft capital during a crucial offseason.

The Williams trade was the only one he made, and the only move that will help the Jets next season. The rest of his moves – save for signing tight end Ryan Griffin and trading for back-up offensive lineman Alex Lewis – didn’t pan out. Center Ryan Kalil played poorly and missed nine games after Douglas coaxed him out of retirement, and Douglas failed to find a long-term kicker solution between Kaare Vedvik and Sam Ficken.

It’s hard to completely evaluate Douglas’ first season as GM since he worked with a roster he didn’t build, but it’s encouraging to see how he saw the value in trading away a young, underperforming player for draft capital. The Williams trade will be huge in how the Johnson’s evaluate Douglas’ ability to run the team, and another early pick gives Douglas the ability to finally shape the roster the way he wanted to when he took the job.

Giants’ Dave Gettleman explains thinking behind Leonard Williams trade

A defiant Dave Gettleman explains why he brought Leonard Williams to the New York Giants via trade.

When New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman took center stage for his end-of-season press conference on Tuesday, two of the main topics discussed were the team’s use of analytics and the thinking that went into acquiring Leonard Williams from the New York Jets.

Gettleman has received seemingly endless criticism for his decision to send two picks to the Jets — a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick that could become a fourth if Williams is signed this offseason — but maintains it was the right move.

“The thought process was, I really believe that as much as the style of play evolves, there are basic truths — you have to run the ball, you have to stop the run, you have to rush the passer,” Gettleman said. “If you are seriously deficient in any one of those three areas, it makes it tough. It’s going to be tough sledding. By bringing in Leonard, we looked at it, we obviously evaluated the film, by bringing him in, we felt he could be a disruptive force inside. And, he has been. He has been.”

But has Williams really been a disruptive force? A quick glance at his statistics show just a half a sack this season, which is where much of the criticism stems.

However, there’s much more that goes on beyond the box score that’s worthy of examining.

Entering Week 17, the Giants had trimmed .3 yards per carry off their opponents, and while that doesn’t seem like much, it also led to teams passing more. Opposing carries were down by nearly three per game, while the yardage average per game dipped from 122.4 to 104.1.

In terms of rushing the passer, Williams may not have recorded many sacks, but he was among the team leaders in QB pressure and QB hits since his arrival.

“We felt we needed him. Again, we felt good about it and we feel, and he’s proven, he’s disruptive in there. He improved our rushing defense with him in there, he buzzes around the quarterback, we’ve just got to get him to finish now. But, the bottom line is we felt it was worth the deal. The juice was worth the squeeze,” Gettleman added.

The juice is only worth the squeeze if the Giants are able to re-sign Leonard, which Gettleman feels confident they will be able to do.

“He was in my office yesterday and he told me he wants to be here,” Gettleman said.

The other side of the argument against the Williams trade is value vs. time. Why not just wait until Williams became a free agent and then sign him?

It seems like a fair question, but there appears to be a method behind that madness as well.

“Because now we know what we have, and we were willing to do that,” Gettleman said when asked why he didn’t just wait to free agency.

Had Gettleman signed Williams to a significant long-term contract this offseason and he didn’t fit in with the Giants’ personnel, it very well could have been a move that cost Gettleman his job. Instead, he risked a little draft capital on a potentially elite player to see if he was a sure fit.

He was in the eyes of this writer.

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Could Giants use franchise tag on Leonard Williams?

Could the New York Giants use the franchise tag on DL Leonard Williams to avoid him signing elsewhere?

The New York Giants are in a pickle with impending free agent defensive lineman Leonard Williams, the player that general manager traded third- and fifth-round draft picks for back in October.

Williams will demand big bucks on the open market and the Giants now have to put in a serious bid for him or run the risk of the trade becoming another folly by this front office.

Nothing they do here with Williams will be pretty. The trade is already a folly. The impact is irreversible. The New York Jets were shocked the Giants were offering what they did. They were looking to dump Williams and likely would have taken the fifth rounder by itself.

But Dave Gettleman, being as out of touch as a 21st century GM can possibly be, traded two picks for a player he could have signed in free agency just months later. Now, to save face the Giants will overpay for another average player.

Other than signing Williams and letting him walk, the Giants’ other option is to apply the franchise or transition tag on him, but that will be costly.

From Rotoworld:

The Giants have been in talks with Williams but haven’t made much progress. Despite his limited success, Williams wants to be one of the higher paid 3-4 ends in the league. Franchising him may be the best option for the Giants if a long-term deal isn’t reached, through Williams could also be a candidate for the transition tag, which would pay him roughly $13 million in 2020.

Even though the Giants will have a boatload of money to spend in free agency come March, this is not how many envisioned them spending it. They have been drafting defensive linemen over the past several seasons and that should not be the position they plunk down a wad of cash on to secure.

And if they are to do that, it should be on a more productive player than Williams. In 14 games this season between the Jets and the Giants, Williams has no sacks and just two tackles for a loss.

In any event, this is just another example of the Giants not being the smart team in the room anymore. They always used to be the team that sat by and watched other teams make these mistakes. Those days are sadly gone.

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Giants, Eli Manning snap historic losing streak, defeat Dolphins, 36-20

The New York Giants snapped their franchise-worst losing streak, getting Eli Manning a victory in what may be his final ever game.

The New York Giants and Miami Dolphins were hardly billed as must-watch football leading up to their Week 15 battle at MetLife Stadium, and they fully lived up down to those expectations on Sunday.

The first quarter was relatively tame, uneventful and, admittedly, downright boring at times. Neither offense could really get anything going, while sloppy play dominated throughout.

The Dolphins did have an opportunity to go up early, but kicker Jason Sanders was unable to connect on a 49-yard field goal in windy conditions.

Things picked up a bit in the second quarter as each team got their offense moving and the defenses began to get more physical. Still, the play was hardly anything to write home about.

Miami got on the board first, recovering from a failed fourth-down conversion on their previous series to drive the ball an impressive 89 yards on nine plays, capping things off with a 20-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to wide receiver DeVante Parker.

The Giants immediately answered back in a big way, driving the ball 75 yards on just three plays, concluding with a 51-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Eli Manning to wide receiver Golden Tate, who did an excellent job fighting through a pass interference and staying with a ball that was bobbled.

After forcing the Dolphins to a quick punt, the Giants had an opportunity to execute a two-minute drive, but Manning inexplicably threw an interception into the waiting arms of linebacker Vince Biegel.

The Dolphins wouldn’t let that opportunity go to waste, connecting on a 24-yard field goal with just :44 remaining in the first half.

New York did little with what time remained, gaining short yardage on consecutive plays before Manning tossed a long pass incomplete along the sideline and then tossed another pick out of desperation, leaving the Giants with a 10-7 halftime deficit.

Opening the second half, the Giants came out on fire, taking the opening kickoff and driving the ball 70 yards and six incredibly effective plays, including a five-yard touchdown pass from Manning to rookie wide receiver Darius Slayton to give Big Blue a 14-10 lead.

On the ensuing series, linebacker Alec Ogletree and defensive lineman Leonard Williams went head-to-head with Fitzpatrick, who was attempting a third-down scramble for a first down, but the ball was punched loose and recovered by the Giants.

Not to be outdone, Manning promptly tossed his third interception of the day, immediately giving Miami the ball back and taking near-guaranteed points off the board.

Unlike the Giants, the Dolphins were able to capitalize on the turnover, connecting on a 47-yard Sanders field goal after 22 yards on five plays.

The Giants offense would again sputter after getting the ball back, but their special teams and defense apparently came to play. And following a beautiful booming punt by Riley Dixon and a series of penalties that downed the ball inside the one-yard-line, cornerback Sam Beal came up with a huge play, bringing running back Patrick Laird down in the endzone for a safety.

With yet another opportunity and solid field position following the post-safety drop-kick, the Giants offense would not be denied again. It took just three plays to drive 40 yards, highlighted by a 24-yard pass and catch from Manning to wide receiver Sterling Shepard, before running back Saquon Barkley plunged in for a touchdown from one-yard out, giving Big Blue a 23-13 lead.

After forcing Miami to a quick three-and-out, the Giants had the ball back and were in a position to put the game away — a precarious position for the team at other times in recent season. This time, however? The pedal went to the metal.

Turning the offense up to 100, Manning & Co. drove 66 yards on eight plays and made it look remarkably easier — easier than it’s been all season. That was additionally evident as Barkley casually walked in from 10 yards out to put the Giants up 30-13 in the fourth quarter.

After exchanging a series of punts and having the Dolphins turn the ball over on downs, the Giants put the icing on the cake with a five-play, 55-yard drive that culminated with a one-yard touchdown run courtesy of Buck Allen. However, kicker Aldrick Rosas missed the PAT, leaving the score at 36-13.

With under 2:00 remaining, Miami got back on the board with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Fitzpatrick to Parker, but by that time, it was too late to rally.

The game essentially came to a close with Eli Manning being removed from the field to a rousing standing ovation and chants of, “Eli Manning! Eli Manning!”

With the win, the Giants improve to 3-11 on the season. They will travel to D.C. to take on the Washington Redskins in Week 16.

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5 reasons Giants could defeat Dolphins in Week 15

The New York Giants and Miami Dolphins square off in Week 15, and here are five reasons Big Blue could come away with the win.

The New York Giants have the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in a matchup between two of the NFL’s “have-nots.”

The Giants are favored by 3.5 points in this game and we think they are in a great spot to win this week. Here are five reasons why…

The Giants don’t have much luck these days

Which means they won’t get the No. 1 overall pick. It’s just the way things have been falling for them the past few years.This game, should they win, basically takes them out of the running for the top pick because a) they’ll be two games up on Cincinnati (who is 1-12 and plays New England this week) and b) by beating the 3-10 Dolphins, they’ll be tied with them and will lose the tiebreaker.

For the record, the Giants have only drafted first twice. In 1951, they selected SMU end Kyle Rote and in 1965 they took Tucker Frederickson, a running back from Auburn. They have selected No. 2 three times (Skippy Minisi, 1948; Lawrence Taylor, 1981 and Saquon Barkley, 2018). They have selected third only twice: John Hicks in 1974 and Carl Banks in 1984.

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Did Giants tip their hand on Leonard Williams situation?

Did the New York Giants tip their hand on Leonard Williams by removing him from the game in Week 14?

The New York Giants traded for New York Jets defensive lineman Leonard Williams in October with the hopes he could come in and solidify their defensive front.

Williams hasn’t had quite the impact the Giants expected (he still has no sacks) but he has made an impact. His presence has allowed fellow linemates Dalvin Tomlinson and Dexter Lawrence to up their games.

So, why was Williams, the Giants’ new key defensive disruptor, not on the field for the Eagles’ winning overtime drive on Monday night?

From the New York Post:

Williams, dealt from the Jets to Giants in exchange for a third-round pick in 2020 and a 2021 fifth-round pick, was having a quality game, despite receiving just 51 of 89 defensive snaps. He had five solo tackles, one tackle for loss and deflected a Carson Wentz pass. He also was called for a rougher-the-passer penalty.

Head coach Pat Shurmur, who looks more and more over-matched with each passing week, was asked about the decision to bench Williams at the most crucial part of the game.

“We had a rotation going and that’s basically it,” said Shurmur. “For whatever it’s worth, I felt like the interior defensive linemen were pretty disruptive, and we liked the rotation we had to keep them fresh throughout.”

And Williams isn’t part of that rotation? Your most experienced lineman who had been balling all game?

Nonsense. This sounds like another instance of in-game mismanagement by Shurmur and his staff. Is it possible they forgot that Williams was on the roster and just didn’t call his number?

That may sound silly, but keep in mind this defense has been caught with 12 men on the field which indicates the sideline is not a tight ship.

There also is the possibility the Giants could already be phasing Williams out after he told reporters last week that would be seeking a “top dollar” contract in free agency.

None of this makes sense starting with the trade for Williams, who will be a free agent in March unless the Giants ink him to an extension before free agency begins in March.

Many have been critical of the trade, which will cost the Giants two draft choices whether they re-sign Williams or not. He could have been had in free agency without surrendering any picks. A baffling move by the Giants that is getting more baffling by this latest development.

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Giants fall to Eagles: Winners, losers and those in between

The New York Giants fell to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night, and here’s a look at the winners, losers and those in between.

The New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles squared off in a Monday Night Football game that was very legitimately a sidebar to the return of veteran quarterback Eli Manning, who was replacing the injured Daniel Jones.

Manning’s performance will be picked apart from every angle in the coming day, so for now, we’ll stick to the basics and provide our usual hot takes.

Here’s a look at the winners and losers who contributed to Monday’s loss.

Winners

Markus Golden – From the jump, Golden was playing at a different level on Monday night. Maybe it was the bright lights of prime-time, but he was a ball of energy and simply dominated the Eagles offensive line early on, tallying four QB hurries and one sack over his first nine pass rushing attempts. He fell off a bit later on, but that really speaks more about his hot start.

Leonard Williams – After making waves earlier in the week by saying he wanted to be paid at a tier below Aaron Donald, Williams had his best game as a Giant and perhaps his best game of the season. He collapsed the pocket, rushed the passer, stopped the run and snuffed out screens (the only one) with remarkable precision. He did have one awful roughing the passer penalty, but we’ll forgive him this one time.

Darius Slayton – Entering Week 14, Slayton had never caught a pass from Eli Manning. Ha! The rookie dominated the first half, hauling in five receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns. However, Slayton faded completely in the second half (not entirely his fault).

Oshane Ximines – It was a big night for the rookie edge rusher, who came up with two sacks of Carson Wentz and added a quality stop in the second half for good measure. A game to build upon.

Others: Janoris Jenkins, DeAndre Baker, Dalvin Tomlinson

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Leonard Williams demanding top dollar from Giants

Leonard Williams is openly demanding top dollar from the New York Giants in order to stay in town and continue losing.

New York Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams is sick and tired of losing, and in order to stay entrenched in a negative culture, he’s going to require top money.

And no, that’s not a report or a product of rumors. Rather, Williams is upfront about it and with four games remaining this season, wanted general manager Dave Gettleman to know it’s either a monster deal or no deal at all.

“I know that I want to get a big contract, and I know that I am worth a lot,” Williams told NJ Advance Media. “If I don’t think they’re giving me what I think I’m worth, then obviously I think hitting free agency would make sense. Everything is going to have to match up.

“I definitely think I’m a top-tier interior defensive lineman, in that top percentage of the d-linemen. I wouldn’t say Aaron Donald [level]. But I would definitely put myself up there with a lot of those other top guys.”

Whatever is just shy of “Aaron Donald level” is what Williams expects to be paid. And if the Giants don’t offer it, the two 2020 NFL Draft picks that were used to acquire him are going straight in the trash.

But the Giants will have one advantage — so long as the money is there, Williams would be open to re-signing prior to free agency.

“Yeah, I would be, if I felt like they were offering me something that I think is worth it,” Williams added.

“I like to be committed to where I’m at. I like the fact that the GM and the owner wanted me here. I think it speaks volumes that they were willing to trade for me in a rebuilding year. I think that shows that they want me to be a part of this program.”

Some will argue that Williams has not played well enough to warrant such a contract, and to some degree, it would be difficult to disagree with that sentiment. At the same time, he hasn’t played as poorly as some would suggest, as the Giants have seen their run defense do a complete 180 since Williams’ arrival, while he also leads the team in QB hurries and QB hits over that same span.

Still, Williams seems to be over-valuing himself and setting a bar the Giants won’t be able to reach unless it’s out of sheer desperation. Accordingly, Gettleman’s acquisition of Williams only looks that much worse now.

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Ex-Jet Leonard Williams has been a Giant disappointment

Since being traded to the Giants from the Jets, Leonard Williams’ production on the field hasn’t changed.

If you thought a change of scenery would help rejuvenate Leonard Williams, think again.

Williams has played in four games with the Giants since the Jets traded him for a 2020 third-round pick and a 2021 fifth-round pick. However, his play on the field hasn’t changed much since going from Gang Green to Big Blue.

Williams has racked up a total of 10 combined tackles, seven quarterback hits and zero sacks since joining the Giants. That’s just as many sacks as he had this year for the Jets, and only a few more quarterback hits. That number has slightly improved from five with the Jets to seven with the Giants, but four of those came against the Jets’ putrid offensive line when the MetLife Stadium roommates played two weeks after Williams was traded.

Williams has always been able to get close to the quarterback, but rarely does he finish the job and register a sack. We saw this in his time with the Jets. In his final two and a half seasons with Gang Green, Williams had 57 quarterback hits, but only seven sacks.

When the Giants decided to trade for him, it shocked the rest of the league. Not only were the Giants out of the playoff race, but he’s a free agent at the end of the season. Previous reports indicated that the Giants intend to sign him to an extension before the start of next season, otherwise the trade would end up being pointless. However, his performance throughout the 2019 season says he doesn’t deserve a massive payday.

Williams came out of USC in 2015 and was declared a can’t miss prospect, but it hasn’t worked out as many expected. His first two seasons with the Jets were impressive when he recorded 10 sacks 65 tackles and made a Pro Bowl, but the last three years have been a struggle.

It’s still too early to say that the Jets won this deal because Williams will likely be back with the Giants next season, so he has a chance to get better. Be that as it may, if Williams continues to put up numbers like these then it’s clear as day that the Jets got the better end of the deal.

Quinnen Williams needs to step into the spotlight

Quinnen Williams hasn’t performed up to the level the Jets expected him to when they draft him third overall this summer.

When the Jets took Quinnen Williams third overall in the 2019 draft, they wanted him to become a force in the middle of their defensive line. Not necessarily Aaron Donald, but someone along those lines and just as menacing.

Through 13 weeks of his rookie season, Williams hasn’t been what the Jets hoped he’d become. He’s tallied only 1.5 sacks, 23 total tackles, three tackles for a loss and four quarterback hits in 10 games (he missed two weeks with an ankle injury) and hasn’t yet lived up to the pre-draft hype as the best player on the board. It’s still early in his career, but Williams is at risk of turning into yet another first-round mistake for the Jets, especially considering players like edge rusher Josh Allen and defensive tackle Ed Oliver were also available with the third pick.

Williams needs to step up now as his rookie season winds down to prove to the team and the NFL he was worth the high investment. The Jets have spent five of their last 10 first-round picks on defensive linemen since 2011, and only Williams remains on the team after New York traded 2015 first-rounder Leonard Williams at the trade deadline.

Williams has talent. He’s shown it in flashes throughout the season. There’s a good amount of impressive reps from Williams on Twitter, including this play against Raiders center Rodney Hudson and this pressure on Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz. Williams is a huge reason why the Jets have the No. 1 run defense as well – he has five solo run stuffs on the year which is fifth in the league – but that isn’t enough.

The Jets need production after investing such a high draft pick on Williams. It doesn’t matter if he’s getting penetration or thwarting rushes if offenses are still beating the Jets. Dominant interior defensive linemen can change the game. Guys like Donald, Ndamukong Suh and Fletcher Cox made names for themselves with game-wrecking plays throughout their careers.

So far this season, three of the four defensive tackles picked ahead of Williams – Oliver (Bills, 9th), Christian Wilkins (Dolphins, 13th) and Dexter Lawrence (Giants, 17th) – have either more sacks, tackles or quarterback hits than Williams. Oliver has him beat in all three categories. Jerry Tillery, the fourth tackle pick in the first round (28th by the Chargers) is tied with Williams with 1.5 sacks. Stats aren’t the be-all and end-all for player evaluation, especially for a player who does most of his work in the trenches, but they are important for a defense like the Jets who lack a true playmaker on the line. The Jets drafted Williams to be that player. They traded Leonard Williams away because he didn’t turn into that type of player. Quality reps are nice, but it won’t be enough for the Jets to turn into a truly dominant defense.

This isn’t meant to disparage Williams as a player – he’s very good and has a lot of potential. But something needs to change down the stretch, either from Williams or the Jets defensive scheming. With so many injuries across the board, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams needs to unlock the beast in his young defensive tackle. Or, Williams needs to take it upon himself to move into another gear in the final four games of his rookie season.

Williams can do it. He’s shown the ability to blow up runs and pressure the quarterback. What he’s lacked so far is that play that sets Twitter ablaze. His sack on Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 8 displayed all the skills that make Williams special, but it was against the Dolphins in a loss. If Williams can take the next step from a quality defensive lineman to a dominant one, he can shake off the bust moniker that’s slowly creeping into his professional evaluation.