New York Giants to re-sign franchised Leonard Williams to three-year, $63 million deal, sources say

The New York Giants and twice-franchised defensive lineman Leonard Williams reached agreement on a three-year, $63 million deal that includes $45 million fully guaranteed on Tuesday, sources tell ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Giants placed the franchise tag on Williams before the March 9 deadline, the second straight year that Williams was tagged. He was scheduled to make $19.4 million for the 2021 season on the franchise tender without an extension, which the two sides had until July 15 to agree upon.

The Giants entered the negotiating period approximately $4 million under the salary cap. Their flexibility to make moves was going to be contingent on striking a long-term deal with Williams.

The first-year cap hit in this deal is expected to land in the $11 million range, a source told ESPN. That provides the Giants an additional $8 million in cap space in addition to a restructuring of the contract for veteran offensive tackle Nate Solder.

The Giants immediately went to work with the newfound flexibility and agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $2.5 million with $1 million guaranteed for former Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick John Ross, according to a source. He provides the Giants with some much-needed speed and depth for a thin wide receiving corps.

NFL Network was first to report the Ross deal.

Williams is coming off a career-best season in which he finished with 11.5 sacks and 30 quarterback hits, good for third in the NFL. His 41 quarterback pressures was seventh among interior defensive linemen, according to NFL NextGen Stats data.

It was quite the turnaround for the 2015 first-round pick of the New York Jets in his first full season with the Giants. He thrived under coach Joe Judge and in the defensive system of coordinator Patrick Graham.

Williams, 26, was credited with half a sack the previous season, which he split between the Giants and the Jets. It was the latest in an unspectacular first five seasons in the NFL after being the sixth overall selection out of USC.

Regardless, the Giants traded a pair of middle-rounds draft picks for Williams midway through the 2019 season, just months before he was set to become a free agent. They placed the franchise tag on him last offseason, and he played on the one-year deal worth $16.126 million.

With his first double-digit sack season, Williams proved he was worth that and much more as one of the NFL's most productive defensive linemen. His previous high for sacks in a season was seven in 2016.

For his career, Williams has totaled 323 tackles and 29 sacks.