A superstar defensive lineman is on the move. Ahead of tomorrow's trade deadline, the Seattle Seahawks officially announced the acquisition of New York Giants defensive lineman and one-time Pro Bowler Leonard Williams in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick.
The @Seahawks have agreed to terms with DE Leonard Williams. #GoHawks https://t.co/8CvsWFVvwr
— Seahawks PR (@seahawksPR) October 30, 2023
According to ESPN's Field Yates, the Giants restructured nearly all of Williams' remaining $10 million in salary into a signing bonus, leaving the Seahawks to pay less than $650K for the remainder of the season. He'll be a free agent this offseason.
Williams will start immediately for the Seahawks and will be expected to offer true difference-making as a run stuffer and pass rusher into the postseason. Williams has been underwhelming this season for a struggling 2-6 Giants squad, but at the peak of his powers, he has provided overwhelming length, power, and explosiveness inside. Trading him away is an admission from the Giants that they don't expect (or intend) to compete this season.
Williams is a former sixth-overall pick and one of the league's premium interior defenders, even at 29 years old. Given the substantial trade compensation the Seahawks gave up for him, he can expect an extension that places him among the highest-paid defenders in the league or a franchise tag in 2024, barring an absolutely catastrophic back half of the 2023 season. The Giants' unwillingness to pay that hefty price is likely one of the reasons they parted with their veteran leader.
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