Leonard Williams 'Definitely a Priority' For Seahawks Entering Free Agency

After handing the New York Giants a second-round pick as part of the trade package for Leonard Williams, the Seattle Seahawks intend for the veteran defensive tackle to remain with the team long-term as free agency looms.

Though trading for Leonard Williams back in October didn't catapult the Seattle Seahawks into the postseason as expected, the organization hopes to keep the veteran defensive tackle as a foundational piece moving forward.

After dealing a second-round and fifth-round pick to the Giants for Williams prior to the trade deadline, Schneider acknowledged in an interview on Seattle Sports 710 on Thursday that the compensation given up to acquire him coupled with his stellar performance after the trade makes the former top-10 pick out of USC a top priority for the Seahawks to lock up on a long-term contract.

"We're gonna try to get him back. We'd love to have him back," Schneider told hosts Dave Wyman and Bob Stelton. "He's definitely a priority for us. We're in the negotiations right now, and the agents know how we feel and so we're trying to retain him, no doubt."

Feasting on quarterbacks in 10 games with the Seahawks, Leonard Williams produced four sacks and 11 quarterback hits, increasing his value heading towards free agency / © Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Following his arrival, Seattle stumbled down the stretch, losing six of its final 10 games with Williams in the lineup and narrowly missing out on a wild card berth. At the center of those struggles, the defense yielded nearly 170 rushing yards per game and gave up more than 25 points in five separate games, including inexplicably giving up 30 points to a hapless Pittsburgh offense in Week 17.

But looking back at those final 10 weeks, Williams wasn't part of the problem for the Seahawks and doesn't deserve blame for the implosion down the stretch. In fact, a strong argument can be made that he may have been the team's best, most consistent defensive player during the final 10 weeks of the season and it's difficult to imagine how much worse the unit would have been without him.

Becoming the first player since the 1930s to play in 18 regular season games, Williams thrived as an interior pass rusher after joining Seattle, finishing tied for 10th among defensive tackles in pressures (32) and 14th in sacks (four) from Week 9 on. According to Pro Football Focus, on true pass sets, he ranked 10th with a Pass Rush Productivity score of 12.1, nearly equaling superstars Chris Jones and Aaron Donald.

As a run defender, Williams had some issues finishing plays, as PFF charged him with five missed tackles in 10 games with the Seahawks. However, his 72.1 run defense grade ranked eighth out of 69 qualified defensive tackles during that span and he lived in the backfield with nine tackles for loss in that span, demonstrating disruptive capabilities up front that the defense sorely lacked for much of the season.

Capable of lining up all over the formation at  6-5, 302 pounds, Williams saw extensive action as a 3-tech defensive end as well as reduced inside as a nose tackle covering the A-gap and a base end covering the tackle. His versatility should continue to serve him well in new coach Mike Macdonald's defense, as the former Ravens coordinator has a history of moving players around interchangeably in the trenches and has always preferred positional flexibility with his fronts.

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Despite missing the postseason, Williams enjoyed his first experience in the Pacific Northwest and per Schneider, he had a "great" exit interview in January, setting the stage for negotiations with hopes Seattle can retain him long-term.

"He played great," Schneider said of Williams' performance. "We gave up that second-round pick, we went for it. We thought that he was going to help change our defense, and he played well. Unfortunately, we didn't make the playoffs, but he's a guy that we want to keep in the mix. You can move him around, you can play him wherever you want, and he's a great guy. He likes it here."

As is always the case during contract negotiations, money will be the deciding factor on whether or not Seattle can afford to re-sign Williams. Earlier this week, Schneider jettisoned veterans Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams, and Will Dissly to create nearly $30 million in cap space, which will help efforts to lock up the Pro Bowl defensive tackle and re-sign other free agents.

Turning 30 years old in June, Williams may not be able to command the same three-year, $63 million contract he signed with the Giants before the 2021 season. But top-tier defensive tackles have consistently been inking contracts worth more than $20 million per year in recent years and considering how well he played after the deadline deal, the Seahawks better be prepared to open up the checkbook in a rare instance where a player could fetch a third massive contract.

With the new league year set to begin on March 13, Schneider and the front office will be working diligently to try to hammer out a deal with Williams before other teams have an opportunity to make an offer to set the stage for the rest of free agency. If they aren't able to agree to terms before then, it may be far trickier for Seattle to keep him with other suitors likely driving up the price, increasing the chances of him becoming a very expensive half-season rental.