For the second consecutive year, the Giants protected themselves against Leonard Williams as a free agency.
On Tuesday, the Giants are expected to put the franchise label on their defensive linebacker, someone familiar with the decision told NJ Advance Media. The news was first reported by Nan Network’s Ian Rapoport. If players are tagged in the back-to-back years, the value of the label should be 120% of the total of the previous year. For Williams, he will earn $ 16.1 million on the franchise tender in 2020, rising to about $ 19.3 million this year.
The Giants and Williams tried to reach a new agreement, but it did not happen. The franchise chose to brand him and restrict him from hitting free agencies, at least for now. The Giants can simply use it as a negotiation tactic to spur talks on a multi-year deal.
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Williams is coming off a best season in his career (11.5 sacks) and is likely to earn a salary in the series of best defensive suits in the NFL if he hits a free agency, in the region of $ 20 million per season or more.
The downside to branding Williams now is that the Giants will be forced to carry the tender as a cap of $ 19.3 million, making it harder for the team to get anything done in the free agency. As of Monday night, the Giants would have only about $ 7.3 million on the cap amount against a salary cap of $ 180.5 million per Over the Cap. The actual limit could end up being a few million higher than that.
The Giants, who prefer to mark Williams, could also have consequences for another important defensive line. Dalvin Tomlinson also plans to hit the free agency, and the Giants, who prefer Williams, make it clear who their top priority is. The giants may still sign Tomlinson, but it seems less likely if they intend to pursue any other free agents.
To free up the gap, the Giants had already cut wide receiver Golden Tate, wide receiver Cody Core and linebacker David Mayo before Monday and also restructured the contract of Levine Toilolo, who is on the tack.
To mark Williams, the Giants must have enough headroom to carry the $ 19.3 million amount. That likely means the Giants will soon make more moves, including left-wing tackle Nate Solder and a decision on right-back Kevin Zeitler. The Zeitler cut would save the Giants $ 12 million, which would be enough to do the job.
The giants could significantly reduce the $ 19.3 million cap by signing Williams for a new deal. They can also technically trade with him now that he’s tagged, though that seems less likely.
However, if the Giants want to do something in the free agency next week, they will quickly have to sign a deal with Williams. Otherwise, they have a holding pattern.
For a team with so many holes – especially against a wide receiver, a winger and offensive line – they can not really afford to sit on their hands this off-season.
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Zack Rosenblatt can be reached at [email protected]. Tell us your coronavirus story or send us a tip here.