Leonard Williams 'Definitely Open' to Giants Contract Extension After Jets Trade

Less than two days after being acquired by the team, New York Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams is already "open" to discussing a contract extension with the club as he is scheduled to become a free agent at season's end.

"I'd definitely be open to it if it comes up," Williams said Wednesday, per Danny Abriano of SNY.

The Giants officially acquired Williams from the New York Jets on Tuesday in exchange for a 2020 third-round pick and a 2021 fifth-rounder, which could become a fourth-rounder. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jets will receive a fourth-round pick if Williams signs an extension with the Giants prior to the 2021 season.

Williams noted he has yet to have contract talks with the Giants, though he expects that to happen at some point:

"There hasn't been any talk yet, but I'm assuming that's something that is gonna be talked about soon or at the end of the season. They knew that it was my contract year. Everyone pretty much knows it. But at the same time, I still have stuff to prove to this team as well."

He has, however, gotten onto the practice field with his new team:

The sixth overall pick in 2015, Williams is in the final year of his rookie contract. The 25-year-old is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent after the season.

With Williams potentially hitting the open market in a few months, the Giants could have opted to wait until the offseason to make a run at him. However, their aggressiveness and willingness to surrender draft capital left an impression on the fifth-year lineman.

"This team definitely showed interest and wanted to go out of their way to get me over here," Williams said Wednesday, per the New York Post's Ryan Dunleavy. "I think it speaks volumes. I have to prove to them why they should want me here."

New York has eight games remaining, giving Williams ample opportunity to earn a future contract.

---

Well look who it is joining Adam Lefkoe and Brian Westbrook for the Wednesday NFL Roundtable: 2x Super Bowl champion with the Giants, David Diehl! Folks, we're talking serious football topics (Leonard Williams trade, Teddy Bridgewater's future, and how the Bengals did Andy Dalton dirty) for the first half, and then things start to meander into a whole host of unexpected topics, from Diehl's Schwarzenegger impression to Westbrook's thoughts on how to get a karaoke room going. It's all here on The Lefkoe Show, every week throughout the NFL season!