Getty The New York Giants can swap a "prized trade acquisition" for a third-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
The New York Giants already traded a pretty penny to gain a Pro-Bowl player, but the struggling franchise could flip that player for a third-round pick. Defensive tackle Leonard Williams is carrying a hefty contract, and Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports believes the Detroit Lions would give up premium draft capital to acquire the 29-year-old.
Benjamin believes the Lions would have plenty of incentive to strike this deal: “Detroit’s defense is on the rise, and with a legit playoff push in sight thanks to a 5-1 start, Williams could be a bonus addition next to Aidan Hutchinson, giving them a more fearsome front.”
The Giants have their own motivations. Understandably, Benjamin puts their focus on events beyond this season after a 1-5 start: “New York’s own ‘D’ is staying relatively competitive, but at 1-5, the G-Men should be selling, and their former prized trade acquisition is on an expensive, expiring contract.”
Those are all valid reasons why the Giants and Lions ought to get together to discuss Williams. Yet, there’s also a solid argument for why Big Blue should keep No. 99. At least for the remainder of this season.
It concerns the uninspiring performances of the other veteran defensive tackles on the roster.
Giants Lack Credible Replacements for Leonard Williams
General manager Joe Schoen was obviously not unaware of Williams’ contract situation this past offseason. That awareness likely inspired the deals to sign A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunze-Roches in free agency.
Both have Super Bowl-winning experience and both were expected to toughen up a soft run defense. All fine in theory, but things haven’t worked out in practice.
The Giants yielded a whopping 5.2 yards on the ground last season. This year that number’s down to 5.1 per carry, hardly cause for celebration.
Robinson has played just 30 percent of the snaps through six games. It’s not the workload the Giants paid $5 million to get.
As Dan Schneier of the ‘Big Blue Banter’ podcast pointed out, Robinson played just six snaps against the Buffalo Bills, despite earning more than the Atlanta Falcons paid Calais Campbell.
Things haven’t been much better from Nunez-Roches. He’e been in on a mere eight tackles and registered just a single pressure, per Pro Football Reference.
Robinson and Nunez-Roches struggling this much shows why the Giants still need Williams. Working it so he’ll remain a Giant beyond this season will be tough.
Leonard Williams’ Contract Still an Issue
Williams’ contract isn’t going anywhere. He’s still counting for $32,260,000 against this year’s salary cap, according to Spotrac.com. The Giants weren’t able to restructure before the season, and Williams wasn’t about to take a pay cut.
While he’s still a big-ticket item, Williams is also an enduring force up front. He puts offensive linemen on skates to create pressure, the way he did to split a sack against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3, a play highlighted by Nick Falato of SB Nation’s Big Blue View.
Leonard Williams (right) and DJ Davidson (left) split a sack on Brock Purdy on a first-and-ten in the third quarter
Leo grabbed both of 74’s wrists and lifted to avoid contact…he then resank his hips, double-swiped to the inside, and swam his outside arm over the top to…
Rushes like this helped Williams log a career-high 11.5 sacks in 2020, the year he earned his lone Pro Bowl nod. That breakout season justified the decision for the Giants to send two draft picks to the New York Jets, including a third-rounder, for the defensive lineman.
Williams has never matched his 2020 output, but his power inside helps others to make plays. He’s a big reason why fellow D-tackle Dexter Lawrence has become such a disruptive force in recent years.
The Lawrence and Williams partnership remains the foundation of any success the Giants have on defense. It’s a double act Schoen should keep together for as long as possible.