Pros and Cons of Trading for Jets Defensive End Quinnen Williams
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The New York Jets have already reached the point of the season in which the focus has shifted to the roster moves off of the field instead of the play on the field.
After starting the 2020 season 0-6, Jets general manager Joe Douglas is now embarking on a major rebuild.
Veteran nose tackle Steve McLendon and a 2023 seventh-round pick was recently traded to Tampa Bay for a 2021 sixth-round pick.
Could Douglas now be considering trading away defensive end Quinnen Williams, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft?
The NFL trade deadline is Nov. 3, and the Lions could be in position to upgrade their struggling pass rush.
Here are the pros and cons of trading for Williams.
Pros
Upgrading the pass rush
Through the first six games of the 2020 season, Williams has recorded 24 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.
Detroit's pass rush in 2020 has still not produced at the level needed to worry opposing offenses.
Despite the defensive line's impressive performance against Jacksonville, Patricia & Co. must be wondering how to achieve the desired consistency on defense as the season moves forward.
He's a fundamentally-sound defensive lineman
Detroit's staff has been fond of players coming out of Alabama, with good reason.
Williams' scouting report provides a glimpse of the type of defensive player Patricia looks for in his scheme.
He has the ability to dominate blockers one-on-one, and possesses the sheer strength to hold up at the point of attack.
Williams' presence would upgrade the run defense instantly, and would give Detroit another option in its defensive line rotation.
© Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Cons
The cost to acquire Williams would be high
It is widely believed that it would take a second-round pick to get Douglas to even consider moving on from such a young player that the Jets have under team control for the next three seasons.
Detroit would likely be reluctant to part ways with high draft picks, as it appears general manager Bob Quinn's strategy has been to acquire more draft capital.
Holes in Williams' game
Through nearly 18 months of his NFL career, critics of Williams have noted the slow start to his career, as he has only totaled 2.5 sacks and 28 total tackles in 13 games overall.
His overall pass-rush grade of 67.0 leaves a lot to be desired, although he had his best performance of the 2020 season in Week 4 against the Denver Broncos.
NFL scouts have indicated that Williams lacks length, and struggles to maintain arm extension.
As a result, attempts to stack and shed can be easily thwarted by opposing linemen.
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