Getty New York Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams celebrating after a massive play versus the Miami Dolphins.
This offseason the New York Jets will have the first opportunity to extend one of their brightest stars in Quinnen Williams.
The talented defensive tackle is eligible for a new contract starting this offseason, although the rubber won’t officially meet the road for several more seasons. Williams still has two more years left on his rookie deal.
There is another option for Gang Green to consider this offseason that seems to be picking up a lot of steam with a certain portion of the fan base.
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A Potential Trade on the Horizon?
The Jets have a tough choice to make, to pay or not to pay?
Williams has proven to be a really really good player for the green and white, but is he great?
Well, he is certainly going to want to be paid that way. In his three seasons with the Jets, Williams has accumulated over 15.5 sacks, 21 tackles for loss, and 32 quarterback hits.
The going rate among the top defensive tackles in the NFL is north of $20 million per season.
If they feel that is too rich for what Williams provides there will be no shortage of suitors that would line up in droves to acquire his services.
The idea of a potential trade was brought up by Nick Spano of UStadium on Twitter.
His argument centered around the lack of consistent sack production and Williams being a part of one of the worst run defenses in the NFL. The Jets have allowed 2,119 rushing yards this season, which is the second-most of any team in the NFL (through Week 16).
Spano suggested the best option is to “trade him this offseason”:
Think @uSTADIUM has a strong case here, it’s at least a debate worth having.
Thoughts? ⬇️
Time to End the Narrative
The potential trade conversation continued during some recent Twitter time with Jets analyst Joe Caporoso when he asked fans about Williams and expectations through three years.
Fans were split with some saying he has met expectations while others argued he hasn’t lived up to the billing as a former No. 3 overall draft choice.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap gave an interesting comparison linking the former Alabama star to an ex-Jets defender and former first-rounder Leonard Williams.
@JCaporoso He’s a lot like Leonard Williams. Solid, not a star. Probably selected too high but not a bust. Jets can pay him but if the team flops he’s probably going bear an unfair burden of the blame if he’s at 20m a year
Caporoso was later asked if he had a gun to his head and only had two choices: pay Williams elite money or trade him, what would he do?
The Jets analyst and co-host of Badlands copped out of but said if the Jets are proactive they can get him on a discount and that he would much rather pay Williams than trade him:
Two very interesting points were raised there.
As we mentioned off the top, the Jets can extend Williams as early as this offseason, although they control his rights for a minimum of the next two years and can exercise the franchise tag after that if they see fit.
Although if the Jets brass chooses to wait, it’s a risky game.
If Williams doesn’t keep up his statistical dominance, the Jets could get him on a good deal. However, if he blows up and looks even better than he has, Gang Green will be on the hook for a much bigger payday.
There is a real argument to be made for the Jets to lock up Williams as soon as possible and perhaps with that they can get him at a friendlier number.
The other interesting point is simply paying for your talent instead of letting it leave. Sadly the Jets have a reputation for letting their players walk out the door: Jamal Adams, John Abraham, and Jonathan Vilma to name a few.
All of those players were destined for big paydays and for one reason or another, the Jets decided to hit the eject button instead of opening up the checkbook.
It is good business, especially when you have an overflowing amount of assets, to just pay your players and build a winning culture. One of the ways to do that is to draft good players, develop, and then retain that talent.
We will see what the Jets decide to do in this very pivotal offseason.
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Speculation of Quinnen Williams Trade Mounts, Bevy of Suitors Await