The NFL world witnessed the New York vs New York matchup this Sunday. In the game, the New York Giants faced another loss of the season against the New York Jets 10-13 at MetLife Stadium. As a result, the Giants sit at the bottom of the NFC East, similar to before. Hence, thinking about the team’s improvement, Joe Schoen planned to move on from his team of defensive guards.
Leonard Williams, who was the sixth overall pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft, has found another home in another division. He will be moving for the second time in his career to a team whose defense is young and eager, as also said by linebacker K.J. Wright, about 5 years ago. Nevertheless, Williams’ trade is a massive move, with even the 29-year-old defensive tackle feeling happy with his team’s decision.
A move before the deadline!
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Before October 31, the NFL trade deadline date of this season, the Giants decided to move on from their defensive lineman Leonard Williams, whom they acquired in 2015’s NFL draft. According to NFL insider, Tom Pelissero, on X, “DL Leonard Williams’ restructured contract was the only one filed leaguewide today to facilitate a trade.”
Former #Giants-turned-#Seahawks DL Leonard Williams’ restructured contract was the only one filed leaguewide today to facilitate a trade, per sources.
No other trades completed before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline can involve the trading team paying down the existing contract.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 30, 2023
The struggling Giants traded Williams to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday in exchange for a pair of draft picks, a 2024 second-round, and a 2025 fifth-round pick. According to a report, “The Giants paid Williams $9,352,778 in a signing bonus today,” and “Seattle will owe him just $647,222 for the rest of the season.”
Williams was in the final season of his three-year $63 million contract with the Giants, which he signed in 2021. With this new trade, the Hawks will gain some stability in their defensive front, especially gelling well with their current set of players.
Important takeaways after the trade
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The Giants received a second-round draft pick in 2024 and a fifth-rounder in 2025 for the defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who had the highest $32 million salary cap hit this season. Acquiring Williams, the Hawks will get help on their defensive front after placing linebacker Uchenna Nwosu on injured reserve.
The veteran lineman will be likely stepping into rotation with Mario Edwards Jr., Dre’Mont Jones, and Jarran Reed. Adding him will provide the team with a deeper and more versatile defensive front, allowing them a province to play with more experience.
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Williams also took to social media to acknowledge the move, saying “it’s been an honor” to be a part of the Giants for years, and is excitedly looking forward to moving ahead in his career with the top team of the NFC West, the Hawks. What do you think of the trade? Let us know in the comments.
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