Giants Place Franchise Tag On Leonard Williams

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Dave Gettleman is not letting Leonard Williams walk away.

The Giants announced Monday they have placed their franchise tag on the 25-year-old defensive lineman Monday.

Big Blue acquired Williams from the Jets in a trade in October, giving up a 2020 third-round draft pick and a conditional 2021 fifth-rounder that would become a fourth-round selection if Williams signs a new contract by Wednesday.

It was a surprising trade-deadline move by Gettleman, the Giants' general manager, because his team was virtually out of playoff contention and Williams was set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.

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When asked in December about the Williams trade, Gettleman said: "We felt he could be a disruptive force inside, and he has been."

Williams is being tagged as a defensive tackle, which guarantees him a one-year, $16.1 million contract, ESPN's Jordan Raanan reported. Williams, who lines up as a defensive end in 3-4 packages and at defensive tackle in 4-3 alignments, reportedly preferred to be tagged as an end, which would've guaranteed him $19.3 million in 2020. SNY's Ralph Vacchiano reported last month that Williams would likely file a grievance if he were tagged as a defensive tackle.

Monday at 11:59 a.m. was the deadline for teams to place franchise and transition tags on players. The Giants have until July 15 to sign Williams to a mulityear contract.

Since being drafted sixth overall in 2015 by the Jets, Williams has registered 266 tackles and 17 1/2 sacks. The 6-foot-5 302-pounder's best season came in 2016 when he had career highs in tackles (68) and sacks (seven). In 2019, he accounted for 46 tackles and a half-sack.