Tag: Leonard Williams

2020 NFL Combine: 8 takeaways from Giants GM Dave Gettleman

New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman held a press conference at the NFL Combine on Tuesday, and here are eight takeaways.

New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman, on the hot seat in 2020, addressed the media at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday morning.

Here are some takeaways from his presser.

Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants are open for business

The Giants hold the No. 4 selection in the draft and will entertain all comers for the pick, but warned that sometimes trading back can backfire. Of course, Dave Gettleman wouldn’t really know since he’s never done it in his seven drafts as a general manager.

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PFF predicts Giants sign three big-name defensive backs

Pro Football Focus predicts the New York Giants will sign four top 50 free agents, including three big-name defensive backs.

The New York Giants are expected to enter free agency with roughly $61 million in salary cap space (likely much more after cuts), which means they are theoretically in the market for whoever their heart desires.

And while co-owner John Mara has implied the team will not go on a wild spending spree, Pro Football Focus still believes they are going to make a major splash in free agency.

In fact, PFF predicts that the Giants will sign four big-named free agents, including three who play in the secondary.

First up? Re-signing defensive lineman Leonard Williams.

34. DI LEONARD WILLIAMS – NEW YORK GIANTS

Projected contract: 5 years, $15 million per year ($43 million guaranteed)

The Giants don’t have to pay Leonard Williams, but with the way some double down on their mistakes, it seems likely that they’ll continue riding the investment made on him. They gave up a third- and fifth-round pick for him midseason, and he finished off the year just 36th in PFF grade among those at his position. He’s always been a strong run-defender and a below-average pass-rusher. Williams had just a 66.2 pass-rush grade in 2019, which ranked 33rd among those at his position.

PFF believes Williams will get that $15 million per season after all. We shall see. Either way, we’ve beaten the whole Williams story like a dead horse, so let’s move on…

Next up, PFF has the Giants addressing the safety position.

23. S DEVIN MCCOURTY – NEW YORK GIANTS

Projected contract: 2 years, $10 million per year ($10 million guaranteed)

New head coach Joe Judge reportedly isn’t afraid to poach free agents from his previous team in the New England Patriots, and given their need for receiving weapons, the Giants might be in the hands of the guys they aren’t able to pay, such as Devin McCourty. He’ll turn 33 this year and is on the last leg of his football career, but he can be temporary help for a Giants team hindered by their secondary. McCourty has been one of the 10 most valuable safeties in each of the past two seasons, rarely allowing explosive plays and exemplifying great tackling.

McCourty seems like the obvious go-to at the position, not just because the Giants have had interest in him previously, but because there is a connection to head coach Joe Judge. And given his age (32), a two-year deal for McCourty would be ideal.

Still, at $10 million per season, that accounts for $25 million of the team’s available cap space between McCourty and Williams.

From here, PFF has the Giants addressing the cornerback position by signing not one, but two veterans.

43. CB LOGAN RYAN – NEW YORK GIANTS

Projected contract: 3 years, $10.5 million per year ($12.5 million guaranteed)

Bringing back Logan Ryan with Tannehill, Conklin and Henry seems to be a pipe dream. Ryan is by no means an elite slot corner — in fact, he surrendered over 1,000 yards in coverage in 2019 and was constantly picked on. That being said, he’s still an average player at the position — he was the 48th most valuable corner in 2019. His projected contact might be a bit steep, but Ryan could be a big improvement for a team that had a liability defending the slot for them in 2019, such as the Giants. Ryan spent the first four years of his career on the same team as Giants coach Joe Judge and could reunite in New York.

Can’t say we’re loving this projection at all. $10.5 million a year for a slot corner who surrendered 80 receptions (worst in the NFL) and over 1,000 yards in coverage in 2019?

Ryan may be a big-name free agent based on his previous resume, but the last thing the Giants need right now is another corner who struggles in coverage. And that contract on top of it? Hard pass.

But they didn’t stop there… Another questionable cornerback signing coming up…

45. CB TRAE WAYNES – NEW YORK GIANTS

Projected contract: 1 year, $7.5 million ($6.5 million guaranteed)

Trae Waynes is likely going to get a one-year, prove-it deal this free agency. He’s barely cracked the top 50 in grade among those at his position in each of the past two seasons. Waynes really wasn’t a terrible man-corner in 2019, allowing just 71 yards on 134-man coverage snaps. The Giants’ outside corners were the third-lowest graded among the 32 units and are going to need all the help they can get in the new scheme.

Waynes (outside) played better than Ryan (inside) based on many metrics, but he also played nearly 300 fewer snaps in two fewer games. And with a contract that is projected to be almost fully guaranteed? That’s a tough sell.

The experts clearly believe the Giants are going to invest heavily in the cornerback position despite their many draft picks in recent years, but Ryan and Waynes for a combined $39 million? We don’t see it.

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PFF: None of Giants’ impending free agents are key pieces

Pro Football Focus says none of the New York Giants’ impending free agents, edge rusher Markus Golden included, are considered key pieces.

New York Giants fans should not be too concerned about losing players in free agency as none of the impending free agents on their roster were “key pieces to the team in 2019,” according to Pro Football Focus.

The list of Giants scheduled to hit the market on March 18 (DI Leonard Williams, LB David Mayo, WR Cody Latimer, T Mike Remmers, S Michael Thomas and EDGE Markus Golden) aren’t worth the fan base sweating over losing.

“None of the Giants’ impending free agents were key pieces to the team in 2019. They kind of put themselves in a bad spot with Leonard Williams, as they traded a third-round and fifth-round pick for him midseason and now have to pay a projected price of five years, $75 million with $43 million guaranteed. That’s the ninth largest contract for a non-quarterback this free agency, and he’s not even among the 20 best non-quarterback free agents, as he has failed to crack the top 25 in grade in each of his last three seasons. With a handful of cuts, New York can grow its cap situation and significantly improve its pass-rush and secondary, which ranked 26th and 30th in team grade, respectively. Shaq Barrett had the fourth most pressures last season, but again, they have to be careful not to overpay him.”

The final words of that analysis are key: “be careful not to overpay.” The Giants are expected to have in the excess of $60 million in cap space to pay free agents and many are viewing East Rutherford as a secondary destination.

The losing has tarnished the brand and the general consensus is that the franchise is headed in the wrong direction under general manager Dave Gettleman. But money talks, and players and their agents will remind the Giants of that. Those four Super Bowl trophies in the lobby no longer carry the weight they once did when it comes to swaying players to don the blue.

Unfortunately, they will have to overpay to land some of these big names, just like they had to do with Nate Solder a few years back. Look at how that has worked out.

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Giants’ Leonard Williams being mentored by Richard Seymour

New York Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams is spending his offseason in Atlanta, working alongside Richard Seymour.

New York Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams appears to be headed toward free agency, but he’s not waiting to sign a big contract before he gets to work on improving himself.

Williams sought the help of retired New England Patriots defensive lineman Richard Seymour last week, meeting up at his Atlanta home to go over game film and identify some of the weaknesses in the 25-year-old’s game.

“I’ve worked with guys in the past — not so much on-the-field work, but just mentality, mindset,” Seymour told ESPN. “Here’s the thing: In my mind, anybody can be good if they have a certain amount of talent. But what I try to give guys is the mindset of what it takes to be great, and to be great consistently. To develop a mentality over the course of your career. I’d say Leonard has all the tools for what it takes to be great.”

It hasn’t clicked for Williams just yet. Rather, he’s viewed as a fringe player who is still somewhat one-dimensional based solely on sack numbers alone.

“I’ve been working with him, assessing what I think his strengths and weaknesses are, and what does he need to do to take that next step to be the perennial All-Pro player that he has the ability to be. He’s 25 years old. He’s young. Athletic. Can run like a deer,” said Seymour.

“My heart has always been whatever I can do to lend a hand to the young group of talent in the league, I’m willing to do that.”

Williams, who initiated the contact with Seymour, intends for these film sessions and workouts to continue for at least the next several months.

“I respect the hard work of guys that come in the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh round, but it’s different when you are the guy and have to perform at that level, basically with a target on your back the whole time and live up to that. And exceed expectations,” Seymour said.

“I’ve been telling him, it’s really about competition. Competing. And hanging around and being around people who have the same mindset, being in that environment all the time. It helps in terms of what you’re trying to accomplish.”

There had been some reports that Williams was seeking $15 million annually from the Giants, but he’s since come out and shot those rumors down. Still, he’s likely to command a substantial pay day and given their previous investment in acquiring him, the Giants will have no choice but to play ball.

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Giants’ Leonard Williams listed among best free agents under age of 25

New York Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams has been tabbed one of the best 25 free agents under the age of 25.

According to a list recently published by Bleacher Report, defensive lineman Leonard Williams is the eighth-best NFL free agent out of 25 players under the age of 25.

Five years ago, many considered getting Leonard Williams with the sixth overall pick a steal for the New York Jets, but his career hasn’t gone exactly as expected.

At the time, a legitimate argument could be made that Williams was the top non-quarterback prospect in his class, and certainly the best defender. Yet three position players, including another defender, heard their names called first.

The Jets even traded the player once viewed as a franchise building block to the New York Giants prior to the 2019 deadline.

The Giants valued Williams differently than the Jets and moved him all along their defensive front to capitalize on his skill set as something more than a run defender.

“It means a lot when they want you to be one of those guys to make the plays,” Williams said, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.

Despite the renewed confidence, Williams didn’t produce to the level of his 2016 and ’18 campaigns. He may never develop into the player he was once projected to be, but that potential keeps him among the most intriguing options in this year’s free-agent class.

One of Dave Gettleman’s more puzzling moves was trading a third- and fifth-round pick to the New York Jets at last year’s trade deadline in exchange for Williams, who was a pending free agent.

Jets general manager Joe Douglas is looked at as the clear-cut winner of the trade given the assets he acquired, although the anticipation was that the organization would let Williams walk in free agency. If the Giants were to re-sign Williams prior to March 18th, the fifth rounder would turn into a fourth.

Following the deal, Williams was moved all around the Giants’ line and was solid with 26 tackles, 11 quarterback hits, two tackles for a loss, but only half a sack in eight games. Despite reports emerging that Williams is seeking an annual salary of $15 million, it is clear he is not a game-changing player, which the Giants defense so desperately needs.

While the Giants are projected to have upwards of $60 million in cap space to spend this offseason, they will likely look to allocate these funds elsewhere. If this is Williams’ final asking price, Gettleman should consider the risk that comes with signing Williams long-term as the Giants have various other glaring positional needs specifically on the defensive side of the ball.

Williams was selected by the Jets with the 6th pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. The best season of his career came in 2016 when he recorded 68 tackles, seven sacks, 20 quarterback hits, and 11 tackles for a loss. Unfortunately, he has not lived up to his potential and these numbers have steadily decreased since his career season.

As Bleacher Report noted, it is possible that Williams will never become the player he was expected to be, but his ceiling is what keeps him as an intriguing option on the market earning him a spot on their list.

Although Williams has potential, the Giants already have a trio of young defensive linemen in Dalvin Tomlinson, Dexter Lawrence and B.J. Hill in their rotation, who are all fighting for snaps.

If the team plans on going after an expensive defensive end in free agency, it would be wise to get their money’s worth by spending a little extra to obtain an already elite player of Matt Judon, Jadeveon Clowney or Yannick Ngakoue’s caliber.

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Pro Football Focus: Giants’ Leonard Williams not worth the money

Pro Football Focus looked at the financials surrounding New York Giants DL Leonard Williams and determined he’s not worth $15M annually.

New York Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams is poised to become an unrestricted free agent in March, and while general manager Dave Gettleman surrendered quite a bit of draft capital to obtain him, Williams isn’t keen on giving any sort of discount.

Rather, Williams will reportedly command upwards of $15 million annually when negotiating his next contract, which would be a substantial chunk of change to invest in a rotational defensive lineman that ultimately pairs with three others.

Still, Williams has proven himself to be a legitimate talent against the run and an underrated pass rusher based on the analytics (apparently we now ignore certain analytics when they’re counter-productive to an argument). But still, $15 million  per season?

Even to the non-cap expert that seems steep and Pro Football Focus agrees. Despite routinely praising Williams as a talented defender, PFF argues that at the current reported cost, the defensive lineman simply isn’t worth it — especially for the Giants.

NO DEAL: DI LEONARD WILLIAMS (5 YRS – $15M AVG/YR)

$43m guaranteed, $75m total

Similar to the argument for Clowney, Williams is a defensive lineman who has always added more as a run-stuffer than he has as a pass-rusher. Though he was a better pass-rusher in 2019 than his one sack would indicate, Williams still only recorded a pass-rushing grade of 66.2, and he has recorded a pass-rushing grade of over 70.0 only once in his career (2018, 71.4). If the primary thing that you’re bringing to the table defensively is your ability to stop the run — something that Williams does do at a high level — then you’re not going to be worth a $75 million contract with $43 million guaranteed. Add in the fact that the 2019 season saw him produce the lowest grade of his career at 70.6 overall, and I would be hesitant, as a general manager, to pay him something in this vicinity.

What more needs to be said? Williams is an elite run-stuffer and average, albeit underrated pass rusher. Still, that’s not enough to warrant $15 million annually.

The Giants can not gamble further on Williams, hoping he suddenly rounds into shape. The investment is already too steep and you’ve got to pay based on what you’ve seen, not what you hope will come in the future.

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Is Leonard Williams a must-sign for Giants?

After dropping the trade chips on him, is defensive lineman Leonard Williams a must-sign for the New York Giants this offseason?

The fate of defensive lineman Leonard Williams will be a major offseason storyline for the New York Giants. After all, the team dropped a substantial amount of draft capital to obtain him last season and he’s now reportedly seeking $15 million annually.

But does that make Leonard a must-sign for the Giants?

Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report recently pondered that very question and came to the conclusion that, yes, Williams is now a must-sign for general manager Dave Gettleman.

The New York Giants surrendered a 2020 third-round pick and a 2021 fifth-round pick to the New York Jets in exchange for defensive lineman Leonard Williams. While that’s now a sunk cost, the Giants would look silly if they let Williams walk just eight games after making that trade.

Besides, while many of the Giants’ in-house free agents are disposable because of their age (Mike Remmers, Michael Thomas) or because a rebuilding team with oodles of cap space can do better (Markus Golden, Cody Latimer), Williams has tremendous growth potential at the age of 25.

The 2015 No. 6 overall pick already has a Pro Bowl on his resume, and he performed well down the stretch in a fresh environment. In eight games with the G-Men, he recorded 11 quarterback hits, 26 tackles and a forced fumble.

The Giants have to double down on their investment and see if Williams can become a star alongside Dalvin Tomlinson, Dexter Lawrence and B.J. Hill.

Any way you look at it, Williams feels like overkill. As talented as he is, is he really worth $15 million per season as part of a four-man rotation?

Had the Giants not acquired him from the New York Jets last season, he likely wouldn’t be considered a top free agent target. However, because Gettleman did what he did, he’s backed the Giants into a corner where they essentially have to pay Williams whatever he wants.

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Report: Leonard Williams could seek $15 million annually from Giants

Defensive lineman Leonard Williams could seek as much as $15 million annually from the New York Giants.

When the New York Giants curiously traded for defensive lineman Leonard Williams in-season, many criticized general manager Dave Gettleman for unnecessarily parting with draft capital on what could turn out to be nothing more than a temporary rental.

“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 told reporters in January. “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.”

Williams did excel against the run and even pass rushed much more effectively than many believe, but the Giants now find themselves in a situation where they’re going to be forced into dropping big money or losing their trade chips.

Ralph Vacchiano of SNY reports that Williams views himself in the elite category and could be seeking upwards of $15 million annually from the Giants.

In fact, the big splash might even come before free agency begins. The Giants are intent on re-signing defensive lineman Leonard Williams, which is the only way to justify the third- and fifth-round picks they sent to the Jets for him (that fifth-rounder becomes a fourth-rounder if the Giants re-sign him before March 18). And that could be costly since Williams has said he wants a “big contract” because he thinks he’s a “top-tier interior defensive lineman.”

That would put the 25-year-old Williams, at least in his mind, in the $15 million per year range.

At $15 million, Williams would not only eat up a substantial chunk of the Giants’ available cap space, but he’d still find himself in a rotation alongside Dexter Williams, Dalvin Tomlinson and B.J. Hill, all of whom have played well and deserve defensive reps.

It has become increasingly difficult to defend Gettleman’s decision to acquire Williams, and now that he’s seeking upwards of $15 million annually, it’s nearly impossible.

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How did former Jets fare in 2019 after leaving New York?

Here’s how some notable players performed a year after playing for the Jets in 2018.

The Jets had a lot of roster turnover between 2018 and 2019 — thanks in part to a lot of organizational turnover — which left a handful of players in new locations this past season.

There were an abundance of notable players from New York’s 2018 roster that were on different teams in 2019. That list includes Darron Lee, Mike Pennel, Morris Claiborne, Buster Skrine, Jason Myers, Leonard Williams, Andre Roberts, Josh McCown, Isaiah Crowell and Jermaine Kearse.

Let’s take a look at how those 10 players performed after leaving the Jets.

Super Bowl Champs

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Three former Jets were were part of the Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs: Darron Lee, Mike Pennel and Morris Claiborne.

Lee found himself in a backup role this season with the Chiefs after being a three-year starter for the Jets. After having three straight seasons of 40+ tackles, Lee only recorded 22 tackles in his first season in Kansas City.

Despite not playing a full season, Pennel had one of the better years of his career. In the Super Bowl, he was one of the players who caused Jimmy Garoppolo to throw his first interception. Pennel had 13 total tackles and one sack during the regular season.

Like Lee, Claiborne was also a backup player. He only played in eight games and had nine tackles to go along with no pass defenses. It was the first time in his eight-career that he didn’t record a breakup.

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After Jets declined his option, Mike Pennel boosted Chiefs’ run defense

After two years with the Jets, Mike Pennel has become one of the best run-stoppers on the Kansas City Chiefs defense

After two seasons with the Jets, Chiefs DT Mike Pennel finds himself on the cusp of a championship in his sixth year in the league.

The Jets claimed Pennel off waivers in 2017 to play alongside Leonard Williams, Muhammad Wilkerson and Steve McLendon. He didn’t play often, recording 35 tackles on 27 percent of snaps in 16 games, but he did enough to earn a three-year contract that offseason. But after a down 2018 season (27 tackles in 7starts/16 games), the Jets declined the option on his contract and sent him to free agency on Feb. 19, 2019.

The Chiefs picked up Pennel midway through the 2019 season after his two years with the Jets and a five-month stint with the Patriots. Though he’s only played in 13.94 percent of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps in 2019, Pennel is a crucial contributor to the Kansas City run defense. Before Pennel joined the team, the Chiefs allowed 148.6 rushing yards per game between Weeks 1-7. But after he signed in October, the Chiefs gave up only 126.1 rushing yards per game. Even better, Kansas City didn’t allow more than 100 team rushing yards during their two playoff games and held Titans running back Derrick Henry to only 69 yards on 19 careers – his lowest total since Week 9.

Pennel’s massive frame – he stands at 6-foot-4, 330 pounds – gave him incredible leverage in the run-stopping game this season and it’s helped him become a great rotational lineman for Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. He hasn’t put up wild numbers in Kansas City with just 24 total tackles, one sack and two quarterback hits, but he’s also never played more than 41 percent of snaps in a game.

Pennel will always be a quality role player, but he likely wouldn’t have seen much action on the Jets this past season after they drafted nose tackle Quinnen Williams third overall. Foley Fatukasi has also been a revelation for the Jets on the defensive line and came at a cheaper price than Pennel.

The Jets didn’t see a use for Pennel after a dip in production, but it appears the Chiefs have found a way to maximize the time he’s on the field. They’ll need all the help they can get against a San Francisco 49er running game that finished second in rushing yards per game in the regular season and tallied 235.5 rushing yards per game and three total rushing touchdowns in their two playoff games.

When the 49ers look to run the football in the Super Bowl, look for ex-Jet Pennel to be on the field.