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Folks, the time is coming for the New York Giants to make a decision on which defensive tackle they’re going to keep when it comes to Dalvin Tomlinson and Leonard Williams. It’s been a highly debated topic this offseason amongst Giants fans and we are finally about to get some answers within the next couple of weeks.
Here’s the thing though: If the Giants want to be a complete and competitive football team then they can’t sign both Leonard Williams and Dalvin Tomlinson. The entire planet knows that Dave Gettleman loves defensive tackles more than Tom Brady loves winning Super Bowls or losing to Eli Manning in the Super Bowl so he probably wants to sign them both. But he can’t. Not with a limited amount of cap space and not with the holes that they have on the roster.
So I’m here to break down and state the case for signing each one and give a verdict on what I think will happen. As far as I see it, only one of these players is really worth keeping on a long term deal worth the money that both of them will ask for.
The Case For Signing Leonard Williams
The case for signing Leonard Williams is simple: He had double digit sacks last year as an interior defensive lineman. That doesn’t happen very often in today’s NFL. When you get someone who can push the pocket like Williams can it makes the entire defense more dangerous. If the Giants could somehow get an edge rusher to pair with Williams then the defense can raise their game to the next level.
By keeping Williams, the Giants could restructure their interior defensive line and still make things work. Dexter Lawrence can slide into nose tackle and BJ Hill can take back the starting spot that Leonard Williams took from him.
Without Williams last season the pass rush would have been completely anemic. Unless the Giants have a plan to replace his production then they absolutely can’t let Williams walk.
The Case For Signing Dalvin Tomlinson
The case for signing Dalvin Tomlinson is also simple: Dalvin Tomlinson will be cheaper than Leonard Williams. That’s it. That’s the case.
Giants fans will also say that he’s a leader on the team. He’s a team captain. He’s a quality player. But when it comes down to comparing him to Leonard Williams as a player, the only area where he wins at is that his cap hit will be lower.
The Verdict: The Giants Sign Leonard Williams to a 4 year/$18M per year deal
I mean this is what has to happen, right? Dalvin Tomlinson is a fine player but he’s replaceable. Just like Jonathan Hankins was before him. And just like Linval Joseph was before Hankins. Tomlinson simply can’t make enough of a difference in the pass rush to be worth a significant dollar amount, especially if it causes the Giants to lose a double digit sack guy.
On top of that, Dave Gettleman will always side with his own player over a player from a previous regime. Dalvin Tomlinson is one of the last roster holdovers from Jerry Reese’s tenure. Dave Gettleman LOVES the sound of his own voice and absolutely isn’t willing to let a guy who he gave up a third round pick for (when he could have just waited until free agency to sign him) walk for a guy that Jerry Reese drafted.