According to Jordan Raanan, the Giants will likely use the transition tag on DL Leonard Williams if they can’t sign him to a long-term deal before the tag window closes.
The transition tag gives the team the right of first refusal should Williams sign an offer sheet with another team but would not give the Giants draft pick compensation.
The two sides have been working on a long-term deal but are reportedly not close to an agreement. New York traded third and fifth-round picks to the Jets for Williams at the trade deadline last year, so it would sting to lose him after just half a season.
However, Williams made it clear last year that he wants top of the market money for his position and will aim to hit free agency if the Giants don’t want to go that high.
“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,” Williams said. “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.”
Williams, 25, is a former first-round pick of the Jets back in 2015. He was in the final year of a four-year, $18.6 million rookie contract and was set to earn a base salary of $2,975,574 in 2018 when the Jets picked up his fifth-year option last April.
Williams will make a base salary of $14.2 million for the 2019 season before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2020.
In 2019, Williams appeared in 15 games for the Giants and Jets and recorded 46 tackles, 0.5 sacks, one forced fumble and three pass defenses. He was rated by Pro Football Focus as the No. 36 interior defender out of 114 qualifying players.
We have him featured in our Top 50 – 2020 NFL Free Agents list.
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