Giants make a puzzling trade for Leonard Williams

The Giants don’t appear to be going anywhere in 2019, but that isn’t stopping Dave Gettleman for parting with valuable draft capital for Leonard Williams.

Leonard Williams is being traded, but he’s not going to be required to change home stadiums. In one of the more curious moves ahead of the NFL trade deadline, the Giants are acquiring the defensive lineman from the Jets.

The Giants will give up a third round pick in 2020 and a fifth rounder in 2021 to complete the deal. It’s a transaction that’s easy to understand from the Jets’ perspective. Williams is slated to hit free agency this offseason and the team seemed to have little interest in re-signing him. Dealing him for a couple of draft picks that can help accelerate their rebuild represents excellent business.

Giants GM Dave Gettleman isn’t afraid to make an unorthodox trade, and this one certainly qualifies. His team isn’t going to make a playoff run this season given their current record of 2-6. The Giants, like the Jets, should be in the business of dealing veterans for draft capital to better position their roster for the future. Instead, Gettleman is parting with valuable assets for a player who could easily decide to leave New York altogether before the 2021 season begins.

Williams was drafted by the Jets with the No. 6 overall pick in 2015’s draft, but he’s failed to live up to those lofty expectations. It’s easy to fall in love with the combination of his size and athletic ability, but Jets fans are familiar with his lack of actual production on the field. Evidently, Gettleman feels that his coaching staff can succeed where the Jets could not.

The problem for the Giants is that they have no upside if Williams does start to play better this season. If he does produce down the stretch, Williams is going to expect to get paid handsomely in the offseason. Essentially, Gettleman has given up two draft picks for the opportunity to test Williams out before he hits the open market.

Inevitably, Gettleman will defend this move with gusto, but it’s another example of the Giants front office failing to understand the proper roster machintions of the modern NFL. Credit the Jets for getting one over on their neighbors with this deal.