The New York Jets know they will have to pay top dollar to keep Quinnen Williams in Florham Park for the foreseeable future – the problem is the longer they wait, the higher that number is going up.
Thanks to the Giants securing Dexter Lawrence with a four-year, $90 million extension of their own, the lone stalwart defensive tackle from the 2019 class without a top deal is Williams.
That, and the fact that Williams’ is coming off a better year will sure to alter how the former third-overall pick looks at negotiations with the team that drafted him. Comparing both Lawrence and Williams is difficult. While Lawrence has a fellow defensive tackle in Leonard Williams to take the attention away from him, Williams hasn’t had that kind of luxury. Putting up 12 sacks as an interior rusher for a defense that finished top-five is another notch in the former Alabama product’s belt. There is also a consistent increase in cash flow for players who are named First-Team All-Pros (as Williams was), and second-teamers (Lawrence).
Luckily for the Jets, the deal that keeps Lawrence in East Rutherford for the next four seasons shouldn’t alter the price point for their own tackle. The Giants are paying Lawrence the third-most money in the NFL for defensive tackles with over $60 million guaranteed.
Behind Aaron Donald making $30 million per year, the next highest-paid tackle is Jeffrey Simmons who signed his extension over a month ago for $23.5 million per year. Expectations are that Williams will be looking for a deal north of Simmons but behind Donald.
Williams has remained consistent that he would skip voluntary offseason workouts until he had a new contract. His brother Quincy, after signing his own three-year deal, stated that Quinnen wasn’t at the start of OTAs due to the arrival of his baby girl in the next couple of weeks.
And so the negotiations between the Jets and their best defensive player continue on after another team locks up their own star at the same position. The longer it takes New York to come to an agreement, the more leverage they lose over a player that is seen as one of the top young leaders on a contending roster.
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