Where there is smoke there is fire, as they say. And that smoke turned to fire on Monday as the New York Giants sent two draft picks to the New York Jets in exchange for defensive end Leonard Williams.
In exchange for the former No. 6 overall pick, the Giants will send their crosstown rivals a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and a fifth-round pick in the 2021 draft, which will become a fourth-round pick should the Giants sign Williams to a contract extension. Williams is in the final year of his deal.
It is the first time in NFL history the Giants and Jets have agreed to a trade.
That’s a steep price to pay in the event that Williams is a mere eight-game rental for a 2-6 team, but you have to believe that general manager Dave Gettleman will look to keep him in town for several years to come.
The 6-foot-5, 302-pound Williams will slide into a defensive line rotation alongside rookie Dexter Lawrence, Dalvin Tomlinson and B.J. Hill, who has seen a substantial decrease in his defensive snaps despite a quality rookie campaign in 2018 in which he set the Giants’ all-time rookie record for sacks (5.5).
Leonard excelled as a rookie, earning a spot on the PFWA All-Rookie Team, before erupting in his second year, recording 68 tackles, seven sacks and two forced fumbles en route to the Pro Bowl.
However, Leonard has fallen off the map since then, recording just 109 tackles and seven sacks over the previous three seasons.
The Jets will pay a portion of Williams’ remaining salary, leaving the Giants roughly $3.5 million to pick up, which will require a corresponding transaction as they have just $1.8 million in remaining space, according to the NFLPA.
The Giants and Jets will meet at MetLife Stadium on Nov. 10.
