Two of the NY Giants’ most dominant defensive players, and foundational pieces along the defensive line could become unrestricted free agents when the new league year begins next month.
Dalvin Tomlinson, a homegrown talent that the NY Giants will pull out all the stops to try to keep, will likely have to wait until the organization comes to terms on a long-term contract with Leonard Williams, who is coming off his best season and both the front office and coaching staff are intent on keeping.
If Tomlinson hits the open market, he’ll have plenty of suitors, at age 26 and coming off a 49-tackle and 3.5 sack 2020 campaign.
Pro Football Focus projects the Jacksonville Jaguars as a possible destination for Tomlinson:
"Prediction: Jacksonville Jaguars — four years, $52.5 million ($26.5 million guaranteed)There is a world in which New York retains both Leonard Williams and Tomlinson, but that’d be an extremely difficult scenario for the cap-strung Giants to pull off. Jacksonville will be in the market to bolster its below-average interior defensive line, and the franchise has the money to make a push for one of the best on the open market. After Williams, that player is Tomlinson.Up until this past season, Tomlinson was the same player as Williams — a great run defender and a subpar pass rusher. This year, Tomlinson was solid in both facets, as he notched a 70.0-plus grade in each area. Only 11 other interior defensive linemen accomplished that in 2020. And at nose tackle, in particular, Tomlinson was one of the most productive pass-rushers in the league, putting together the second-best such grade at the alignment."
The Jaguars are flush with cap space, entering the offseason with a league-high $77.5 million in spending flexibility under the projected $180.5 million salary cap. Jacksonville also has a pressing need along the offensive line, after generating just 18 sacks, the second-fewest in the NFL last season.
As much as the Giants would like to keep Tomlinson in place alongside Williams, the fact that the organization currently has just $1.33 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap, it just might not prove feasible.
An argument can be made that it would be a mistake to keep both players together rather than allocating resources to adding offensive playmakers around Daniel Jones in a make-or-break year for the quarterback.
But, if Tomlinson shakes loose, he’ll be among the most sought after players at the position.
Matt Lombardo is the site expert for GMenHQ, and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday for FanSided. Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL.