The Giants have traded for Jets DE Leonard Williams, SNY's Ralph Vacchiano confirmed.
The Giants will be sending a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and a fifth-round pick in the 2021 Draft to the Jets. That fifth-round pick actually becomes a fourth-round pick if the Giants are able to sign Williams to a contract extension, a source told Vacchiano.
The Jets are picking up $4 million of Leonard Williams' remaining salary this season, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, which will leave the Giants with roughly $3 million to pay. The Giants currently have $1.8 million in cap room, so another shoe will have to drop.
The 25-year-old Williams is in the final year of his rookie deal and is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
News of the trade broke while Giants head coach Pat Shurmur was on a conference call with reporters. Asked about the report, Shurmur said he would not have reaction until the trade was official.
Vacchiano reported last Thursday that the Jets were willing to listen on trade offers for Williams.
"They seem a little more open to it than in the past," one NFL source told Vacchiano. "They always wanted to keep him before and give his talent a chance. But clearly they know time is running out."
After Sunday's loss to the Jaguars dropped the Jets to 1-6, Williams talked about the trade rumors.
"I thought about it, obviously," Williams said, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. "It's something that's being talked about, but at the same time I can't let it hinder my play on the field." I can't let it affect anything that I can control myself. It's something that's out of my control and it happens a lot more now in this league and you see trades occur way more often. I try to take my emotions out of it and let what happens happen."
For the 2-6 Giants, one would have to think that the trade for Williams was done with an eye on locking him up beyond this season -- when Big Blue's cap situation clears significantly.
The Giants need a ton of help on defense, and one of their glaring areas of need is the front seven.
Williams has underwhelmed this season, with zero sacks and 20 combined tackles through seven games.