Leonard Williams,sick of losing, says if Giants don't offer him top-tier money, he'll hit free agency

[joewilly12]

Leonard Williams, sick of losing, says if Giants don’t offer him top-tier money, he’ll hit free agency | Bad news for Dave Gettleman?

Updated 6:08 AM;Today 6:00 AM 

 

 

 

 

By Darryl Slater | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Despite his modest career sack total, Leonard Williams believes he deserves to be paid like an elite interior defensive lineman. And if the Giants don’t offer him top-tier money, he is prepared to hit free agency, he told NJ Advance Media.

Williams is sick and tired of losing. The Jets traded him to the Giants earlier this season, and Williams is 1-10 this year, entering Monday night’s Giants-Eagles game. Over the past three-plus seasons, Williams is 15-44. He hasn’t played for a winner since 2015, his rookie year.

As Williams prepares for his sixth season in 2020, he knows the clock is ticking on his career, if only because the NFL’s earning window is so short. Williams turns 26 in June. He is ready to finally start winning, and he needs to determine if he can do that with the rebuilding Giants.

“I know that I want to get a big contract, and I know that I am worth a lot,” Williams said, adding that it’s “definitely a logical possibility" that he will test free agency.

The Giants have exclusive negotiating rights with Williams until March 16. But they can’t force him to re-sign with them.

“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.”

And Williams said he deserves to get paid like that.

Still, here’s the reality for Williams, a former No. 6 overall draft pick: He has zero sacks this season and just 17 in his career, compared to 97 quarterback hits (including 12 this year).

The Giants could be the team doing that paying, since Williams is potentially opening to re-signing with them before March 16, when league-wide free agency negotiating opens.

“Yeah, I would be, if I felt like they were offering me something that I think is worth it,” he said.

While testing free agency would make perfectly reasonable sense for Williams, he appreciates that the Giants traded for him.

“I like to be committed to where I’m at," Williams said. “I like the fact that the GM and the owner wanted me here. I think it speaks volumes that they were willing to trade for me in a rebuilding year. I think that shows that they want me to be a part of this program."

Giants general manager Dave Gettleman sent a third-round draft pick to the Jets, plus a fifth-rounder that becomes a fourth-rounder if Williams signs a contract extension with the Giants. So Gettleman can ill afford to lose Williams in free agency. He paid a large price for Williams.

Wherever Williams winds up next year, he desperately wants to win. He went 10-6 as a rookie in 2015 with the Jets, and then 5-11, 5-11, and 4-12, before this year’s 1-10, two-team mess.

“This has definitely been one of the hardest years,” Williams said. “I want to win, and I think it’s time. I want to be able to have some winning years, even if that’s just making it to the playoffs. I at least want to do that. I think it would be hard for me to sit back in retirement and think about never being able to have played in the playoffs.”

He knows that a good chunk of his NFL career is already gone, five years in.

“I’ve thought about that,” he said. "I’m tired of losing. It’s near the end of the season, around this time, when it’s cold — and you’re not playing for the playoffs. You’re putting your body through all this stuff, and you want to have something to show for it. It kind of sucks to have nothing really to show for it.

"You want to be able to be playing for a championship near the end of the season, after all this mental and physical stuff that you go through. That’s really it — the payoff to the hard work. Literally every year, I feel something more and more getting banged up on my body.

“Mentally, it’s tough being in this league, and then also knowing how short of a span this career really is. I definitely want to be able to have something to walk away from this game with. I don’t want to beat my body up and only walk away with money, because it’s not just about money for me. I want to be able to have some things to walk away with, some accomplishments."

Even though the Giants are rebuilding and might not be ready to win big next season, Williams understands the NFC East is a fairly weak division right now. That could play in the Giants’ favor, as Williams considers their contract offer.

“I do know that this team is rebuilding and has a lot to work on," Williams said. "But the division itself does as well. It adds a little bit of hope to what this team is able to do next year. You have to look at all the possibilities.”

[ScarletKnight89]

Leonard Williams never talked like this during his time with the Jets. Maybe he felt more loyalty to the team that drafted him then he does his new team but I wouldn't be shocked if Shurmur has lost that locker room. 

[Apache 51]

Just STFU and play football. Play well and you will get rewarded. Who breeds these people?

[Losmeister]

i think his awakening might just be rude

[Jetsfan80]

Hahahahahahahahahhahahahahahah

 

*** Pause, deep breath ***

 

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[Jetsfan80]

Joe Douglas >>> Dave Gettleman

[jmat321]

Dude’s probably going to be out of football in 2 years

[Sarge4Tide]

[Sarge4Tide]

1 minute ago, Jetsfan80 said:

Buster Douglas >>> Dave Gettleman

Fixed

[SR24]

[The Crusher]

So he’s ok with losing as long as he gets paid top tier money?  Can anybody say,” bidding war?” 

[ZachEY]

At least he said, “not Aaron Donald level, unlike...”

[jetstream23]

He wants to play for a winner yet a common thread on these losing teams has been him.  Force an INT, get a sack, make a TFL on 3rd and short to win a game and that 1-10 suddenly becomes 2-9 or 3-8.

[Jetstream]

Tired of losing?  Maybe he should use some top tier money on one of theses 

[FlightBoyz]

[Ohio State NY Jets fan]

sounds very familiar - like the 2016 locker room - Leo is actually sounding like Mo (without the sacks)

Bowles and Mac should have been fired after that implosion - ruined Leo's career but at least JD traded this dude before he had too much time with QW 

 

 

[jgb]

32 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

Hahahahahahahahahhahahahahahah

 

*** Pause, deep breath ***

 

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Credit where credit is due.

Next question: do you think Macc drafted Leo 2.0 knowing he was going to try to trade Leo himself?

[shawn306]

1 hour ago, joewilly12 said:

Leonard Williams, sick of losing, says if Giants don’t offer him top-tier money, he’ll hit free agency | Bad news for Dave Gettleman?

Updated 6:08 AM;Today 6:00 AM 

 

 

 

 

By Darryl Slater | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Despite his modest career sack total, Leonard Williams believes he deserves to be paid like an elite interior defensive lineman. And if the Giants don’t offer him top-tier money, he is prepared to hit free agency, he told NJ Advance Media.

Williams is sick and tired of losing. The Jets traded him to the Giants earlier this season, and Williams is 1-10 this year, entering Monday night’s Giants-Eagles game. Over the past three-plus seasons, Williams is 15-44. He hasn’t played for a winner since 2015, his rookie year.

As Williams prepares for his sixth season in 2020, he knows the clock is ticking on his career, if only because the NFL’s earning window is so short. Williams turns 26 in June. He is ready to finally start winning, and he needs to determine if he can do that with the rebuilding Giants.

“I know that I want to get a big contract, and I know that I am worth a lot,” Williams said, adding that it’s “definitely a logical possibility" that he will test free agency.

The Giants have exclusive negotiating rights with Williams until March 16. But they can’t force him to re-sign with them.

“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.”

And Williams said he deserves to get paid like that.

Still, here’s the reality for Williams, a former No. 6 overall draft pick: He has zero sacks this season and just 17 in his career, compared to 97 quarterback hits (including 12 this year).

The Giants could be the team doing that paying, since Williams is potentially opening to re-signing with them before March 16, when league-wide free agency negotiating opens.

“Yeah, I would be, if I felt like they were offering me something that I think is worth it,” he said.

While testing free agency would make perfectly reasonable sense for Williams, he appreciates that the Giants traded for him.

“I like to be committed to where I’m at," Williams said. “I like the fact that the GM and the owner wanted me here. I think it speaks volumes that they were willing to trade for me in a rebuilding year. I think that shows that they want me to be a part of this program."

Giants general manager Dave Gettleman sent a third-round draft pick to the Jets, plus a fifth-rounder that becomes a fourth-rounder if Williams signs a contract extension with the Giants. So Gettleman can ill afford to lose Williams in free agency. He paid a large price for Williams.

Wherever Williams winds up next year, he desperately wants to win. He went 10-6 as a rookie in 2015 with the Jets, and then 5-11, 5-11, and 4-12, before this year’s 1-10, two-team mess.

“This has definitely been one of the hardest years,” Williams said. “I want to win, and I think it’s time. I want to be able to have some winning years, even if that’s just making it to the playoffs. I at least want to do that. I think it would be hard for me to sit back in retirement and think about never being able to have played in the playoffs.”

He knows that a good chunk of his NFL career is already gone, five years in.

“I’ve thought about that,” he said. "I’m tired of losing. It’s near the end of the season, around this time, when it’s cold — and you’re not playing for the playoffs. You’re putting your body through all this stuff, and you want to have something to show for it. It kind of sucks to have nothing really to show for it.

"You want to be able to be playing for a championship near the end of the season, after all this mental and physical stuff that you go through. That’s really it — the payoff to the hard work. Literally every year, I feel something more and more getting banged up on my body.

“Mentally, it’s tough being in this league, and then also knowing how short of a span this career really is. I definitely want to be able to have something to walk away from this game with. I don’t want to beat my body up and only walk away with money, because it’s not just about money for me. I want to be able to have some things to walk away with, some accomplishments."

Even though the Giants are rebuilding and might not be ready to win big next season, Williams understands the NFC East is a fairly weak division right now. That could play in the Giants’ favor, as Williams considers their contract offer.

“I do know that this team is rebuilding and has a lot to work on," Williams said. "But the division itself does as well. It adds a little bit of hope to what this team is able to do next year. You have to look at all the possibilities.”

New York is tired of your mediocre play. 

[Joe W. Namath]

But he gets double teamed........................

[peebag]

Man, I was so wrong about this dude.

[rammagen]

when do layers start accepting they are part of the e issue with losing..It is not the fans fault he did not get any sacks, he is a decent player but not top tier

[prime21]

Hopefully he resigns with the Giants so we get the 4th in 2021 instead of the 5th.

[Losmeister]

1 hour ago, Jetsfan80 said:

grrrrgrrrgrrr (at LOS)

 

*** Pause, deep breath ***

 

grrrgrrrgrr (at LOS)

above fixed for sound bite for Leo Williams rushing the passer

[JoJoTownsell1]

1 hour ago, Jetsfan80 said:

Joe Douglas >>> Dave Gettleman

That's like saying Darnold >>>>> Geno Smith. 

There is no one dumber than Gettleman. Drafting Barkley. Trading a 3rd plus for a soon to be FA interior lineman when you are tanking. The list goes on.  

[KRL]

Hysterical article on multiple fronts.  First, Williams acting like he's going to be 
a free agent in high demand.  Second, that the NYG are over a barrel and will probably
have to give him anything he wants or they'll look even dumber for the trade they
made

[Jetsfan80]

20 minutes ago, JoJoTownsell1 said:

That's like saying Darnold >>>>> Geno Smith. 

There is no one dumber than Gettleman. Drafting Barkley. Trading a 3rd plus for a soon to be FA interior lineman when you are tanking. The list goes on.  

Yes, but its nice to know we have the better GM even before Douglas has made a single draft pick.  

[Jetsfan80]

1 hour ago, jgb said:

Credit where credit is due.

Next question: do you think Macc drafted Leo 2.0 knowing he was going to try to trade Leo himself?

If Macc wanted to trade Leo, he should have done so this past offseason.  Waiting until the trade deadline should not have even been an option.

Just another instance where Macc had no plan.  

[JoJoTownsell1]

23 minutes ago, KRL said:

Hysterical article on multiple fronts.  First, Williams acting like he's going to be 
a free agent in high demand.  Second, that the NYG are over a barrel and will probably
have to give him anything he wants or they'll look even dumber for the trade they
made

Yeah, trading a 3rd round pick for a half season rental when  you are tanking is almost as bad as drafting a RB with the 2nd overall pick when you need a QB. 

[Losmeister]

5 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

Just another instance where Macc had no plan.  

his plans and his no plans do battle for the bottom of the dung pile....

[Joe W. Namath]

Sadly, we will not be getting that 4th rounders back.  No way do the giants resign this turd.

Its really amazing that he was right in their backyard and they had no clue he was this bad.  They could have picked up the phone and called me and then wouldnt of had to toss a 3rd rounder out the window.  Unreal the ineptitude here.

[mrcoops]

Don't let him get away, Giants.  He's worth the investment.

Yours sincerely,
Jets fans who recall past 4 round picks like Leon Washington, Kerry Rhodes, Jerricho Cotchery and Brad Smith.

[Sperm Edwards]

4 hours ago, jgb said:

Credit where credit is due.

Next question: do you think Macc drafted Leo 2.0 knowing he was going to try to trade Leo himself?

The updated/modernized version of The Art of War will not be written by Mike Maccagnan. 

I'd say that's doubtful, or he'd have gone into overtime trying to move Leo as soon as pick #4 was on the clock (and we'd have heard about it, as such rumors are nearly impossible to keep under wraps). No, he was sure of himself drafting the BPA so he would have again taken the least controversial value pick that would stop people from screaming "REACH!!!!" after this very high selection. 

Sometimes the most likely answer is the correct answer: he is a checkers player.

[Maxman]

2 hours ago, ScarletKnight89 said:

Leonard Williams never talked like this during his time with the Jets. Maybe he felt more loyalty to the team that drafted him then he does his new team but I wouldn't be shocked if Shurmur has lost that locker room. 

He seemed like a good dude here. He did have the quote that was related to Bowles, people may not sign here if Bowles is let go. Something along those lines.

Yeah, Leonard, about that.

[Warfish]

JMO, but bad look talking about money, how much you're worth, free agency and more during a sackless losing season in mid-season.

The off-season will be here soon enough, say all this then.

[Sperm Edwards]

3 minutes ago, Maxman said:

He seemed like a good dude here. He did have the quote that was related to Bowles, people may not sign here if Bowles is let go. Something along those lines.

Yeah, Leonard, about that.

Bowles was the HC draw that got Trumaine Johnson to sign with the Jets instead of other teams. Just imagine if we missed out on that addition.