2021 Free Agency: How Much Sense Does Leonard Williams Make For the Jaguars?
The Jacksonville Jaguars are entering the 2021 offseason with as many question marks on the roster as available dollar bills in the team's cap space. Well, maybe not quite, but close enough.
The Jaguars have already undergone a lot of change this offseason, hiring a new head coach in Urban Meyer and a new general manager in Trent Baalke. Now the Jaguars will have to undergo even more change by overhauling the roster. The first step of that will come in March during free agency.
Jacksonville leads the NFL in available cap space, so it can be reasonably assumed they will be big spenders on March 17 and beyond.
With this in mind, we are going to look at some of the top free agents over the next month and determine if they fit the Jaguars moving forward. First up is arguably the top free agent available in terms of fit with Jacksonville: defensive lineman Leonard Williams.
Overview
In his first full season with the New York Giants, Williams had the best season of his career. He recorded a career-best double-digit sack total (11.5), and career-highs in quarterback hits (30), tackles for loss (14), and pressures (62).
It is unclear if Williams, who the Giants acquired in 2019 from the New York Jets, would be willing to remain with the Giants or even play on a franchise tag. If Williams hits the free agency market, it will be the first time since he was selected by the Jets with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
In an interior defensive line class that is unlikely to have many players earning large contracts, it is a foregone conclusion that Williams will be the prize of the 2021 free agent defensive tackle class. Williams will likely be the best non-edge defensive lineman to hit the market in 2021, meaning the Jaguars would have to likely fend off several other suitors, including potentially the Giants, for his services.
What Does Leonard Williams Do Well?
Leonard Williams is a prototypical 3-4 defensive end, especially for the modern era. He has the size, strength, and length to play five-technique and anchor against single and double teams against the run.
His biggest asset may actually be his ability to stop the run, as Williams has perfected the art of stacking linemen and then shedding them to make the tackle once he diagnoses the play. Williams has frequently been tapped as a player who is a run-first defender and while this is a bit skewed, there is some truth to how dominant he is in that phase of the game. He can truly control things at the line of scrimmage, whether it is by reacting or attacking.
In 2020, Williams began to cash in on the pass-rush potential that has followed him since he was the No. 6 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Before this past year, Williams' career-high in sacks was seven. He had only hit five sacks in a season twice in his first five seasons. This changed in a big way with the Giants last season as they moved to a more multiple defensive scheme, however.
Williams was a terror as a pass-rusher for the Giants last season. Not all of his 11.5 sacks were high-quality ones, with several coming unblocked, but he was a constant nuisance for offensive lines and quarterbacks with his overall disruption. He showed a good understanding of how to string moves together after making contact, not stopping his feet, and continuing to assert force on the offensive line.
Pair Williams' strength, quickness for his size, and explosion, and it was hard for offensive lines to keep him in check. According to PFF, there were only three games last year in which Williams didn't generate multiple pressures. The inconsistency that marked his pass-rushing productivity before 2020 vanished as the Giants moved to a more aggressive scheme, with Williams often serving as the driving force behind that scheme.
When Williams wasn't generating pressure, his presence alone often demanded extra attention and helped open things up for his surrounding teammates. He was the straw that stirs the drink when it came to New York's exotic blitz packages. His massive wingspan also gives him a chance to affect quarterbacks in the pocket before he is able to fully hit him on his pressure, which comes in handy.
How Leonard Williams Would Fit With The Jaguars
What makes Williams so valuable is what he can do for the other 10 players on a defense, specifically the other players in the front seven. The Giants moved Williams all over the defensive line to put the rest of their front in positions to succeed, something they could only do because of Williams' natural versatility.
From playing as a wide defensive end, to five-technique, to three-technique, to nose tackle, to even outside linebacker, Williams did it all. The Giants were able to move him around their defense to give him favorable matchups, which oftentimes meant offenses had to pay extra attention to stopping him. Due to this attention, other players in the Giants' front were able to make plays.
Considering the Jaguars are set to move to a multiple scheme under new defensive coordinator Joe Cullen, a player like this is desperately needed. Cullen coached up defensive linemen in Baltimore who had similar versatility considering how much is asked out of the defensive front.
This won't be like the last three years where Jacksonville's defensive linemen consisted of two edge players, a nose, and a player shading the guard. The defensive line will move around more to match the opposing offense's weaknesses and strengths, which is where Williams comes in.
The Jaguars got just 2.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and 12 quarterback hits from their defensive tackle group in 2020. In terms of teams who need an interior disruptor, the Jaguars have to be near the top of the list. Williams isn't the prototypical premium defensive tackle free agent since he has just one season of elite pass-rush production, but he fits the Jaguars to a tee considering their scheme change and need for a playmaker inside.
In a way, signing Williams could be a lot like the Jaguars signing Malik Jackson in 2016. Perhaps Williams, like Jackson then, isn't an elite player, but he would bring the traits and value the Jaguars badly need at the time.
Verdict
Williams will likely command a contract similar to the one Arik Armstead signed with San Francisco last season. Armstead was rewarded with a five-year, $85 million contract with $40 million guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $17 million.
This would be a significant investment for the Jaguars, but one they are able to make. There is some risk involved considering Williams has had just one season of elite pass-rush production, but it is a risk the Jaguars can accept considering the potential payoff.
The Jaguars' need at interior defensive line is so great that the only verdict on this is that the Jaguars should pursue Williams. If they don't, they will have to get creative at filling the gaping hole at the spot on the defense.
