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NY Giants and Leonard Williams agree to massive extension

By Danny Friedman

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 29: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Leonard Williams #99 of the New York Giants in action against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium on December 29, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Eagles defeated the Giants 34-17. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 29: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Leonard Williams #99 of the New York Giants in action against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium on December 29, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Eagles defeated the Giants 34-17. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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The NY Giants re-signed defensive lineman Leonard Williams to a long-term contract, with a hefty payout Tuesday

The Big Cat is staying home.

The NY Giants and Leonard Williams have finally come to an agreement on a long-term contract.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the team had struck a 3-year, $63 million deal with $45 million fully guaranteed. This move has been much-awaited for over a year now since the Giants gave up two draft picks in the middle of the 2019 season.

The Giants used the franchise tag on Williams after the 2019 season and again placed the tag on him in 2021 after being unable to agree to terms on a long-term deal. After some drama and anticipation, the deal got over the hump, and Giants Assistant GM, Kevin Abrams, and Williams’ agents, Roosevelt Barnes and Brandon Parker, put the final details together for the deal to be signed and sealed.

The long-term deal is a massive figure.

Williams’ is the largest extension and salary cap figure for any NY Giants defensive player ever. The expectations will be high for Leo and only raised after Dalvin Tomlinson’s departure to Minnesota.

Williams got a tremendous deal with some big guarantees. The Giants also structured his contract so he would receive a massive pay in the form of a bonus to save the team money and lower his cap hit for 2021.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelisserro tweeted that Williams received a whopping $22.5 million signing bonus. This helped convince Williams to take a lower cap hit this year for only $11 million instead of his current status at $19,3 million. The extension saves the Giants approximately $8 million dollars that they can use immediately. The prudent decision gives the team some much-needed breathing life financially to go out and sign more free agents.

After about two stressful years, Williams has inked a deal to stay in New York for three seasons. He had a career season last year and the team is counting on him to keep getting better and having more seasons like he did in 2020. Most importantly, the Giants locked down their man, rewarded their best player from last season, and kept a key cog in the defense.  The move stabilizes the defensive line again and the team can now focus on other negotiations with other in-house players.

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