Highlights
- The New York Giants made a smart move by trading Leonard Williams, as they received substantial draft capital and avoided a significant cap hit.
- The Seattle Seahawks strategically added Williams to bolster their defensive front and gain cap flexibility, positioning themselves for success in their division and conference.
- Williams' versatility and potential for a strong performance in Seattle make him a valuable addition, despite his recent drop in productivity.
The NFL trade deadline went off with a bang, thanks to the New York Giants swapping defensive lineman Leonard Williams with the Seattle Seahawks for a 2024 second-round pick and 2025 fifth-rounder. On the face of it, both teams win.
The Giants receive substantial draft capital for a player they never intended to resign. The Seahawks inexpensively bolster their defensive front by adding Williams, who is playing on the last year of his deal. Here’s the breakdown of the Leonard Williams deal for both sides.
New York Giants
Leonard Williams’ fate with Big Blue was decided long before this deal went down. In the offseason, general manager Joe Schoen passed on extending the 2016 Pro Bowler. A potential extension offered cap relief. Instead, the Giants ate the $32.3 million 2023 cap hit, knowing they’d trade him. To further maximize the draft return on Williams, the team also took on the bulk of his contract. As ESPN’s Field Yates reported:
Seattle clearly prioritized cap flexibility by taking on only $647,222 for the remainder of the season. At 2-6, and with Daniel Jones’ gigantic contract hanging over their heads, New York took the pragmatic approach with the future in mind. Although he’s only 29, Williams’ productivity fell off after his 11.5-sack season in 2020, which also just so happened to be a contract year.
If the Giants continue to lose, do they consider drafting a quarterback with their top pick? Moving on from Jones just a year after signing the huge deal would tank their cap. But perhaps they are coming to terms with the fact that last year’s playoff run was built on an unstable foundation.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks must smell blood in the water thanks to divisional rival San Francisco 49ers’ three-game losing streak. Adding Leonard to a team that currently ranks fifth in sacks splashes the pot in the NFC West arms race. While it’s true that Leonard's sack rate dropped off, Seattle's sticky secondary will give him a chance to return to form. And as noted, Seattle is only on the hook for the veteran’s minimum of the contract.
That gives them financial flexibility, and as Pete Carroll noted, positional flexibility as well:
He can play anywhere. He can play five-technique, he can play three-technique, and he plays on the center as well. He’s done all of that. He brings a lot of versatility.
Thanks to the Russell Wilson trade, Seattle owns some extra draft capital, which eased the pain of parting with next year’s second-rounder. As the Seahawks battle with San Francisco for the division, this move also sets their sights on the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys for the conference. Carroll recognized the value of a second round pick but felt Leonard was too good to pass up:
This was one of those situations where we get a rare player, and he's young enough—hopefully we can have a chance to get him back again—and could be a big factor. This kind of a choice reminds us that we don't have these options very often to get a player like that. So when you get player who is that obviously at the head of his class, we like to take a shot at it when we can. We're battling. I hope it works out right, we'll find out. We've had some really good No. 2s the last few years, so we look at it like, 'OK, that could be that guy, it could be that guy.' So we know we're giving up something.
All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference and all contract information courtesy of Spotrac unless stated otherwise.