Jets approaching curious crossroads with future of Leonard Williams

Leonard Williams is quick, and he is big. The Big Cat, in fact.

But he has not made enough of an impact as yet and despite the fact that he is in his prime, and he is strong physically, as such assessing his production is proving a rather confusing issue.

He leaves no void behind when he is not in the field playing.
He causes disruptions among the quarterbacks some bad some with positive repercussions.
While he is actively participating in a game, positive effects are not due to his influence.
Pass defense has been notably more pronounced at those occasions when Williams was not in the game.
His salary is getting to be in the elite level, but not so his performance, with just 17 sacks in a four-year period.

On the other hand, could this be the year Williams hits another gear, and reaches his full potential? There’s evidence that could be the case.

Last season, he proved himself as one of the best defensive players in the Jets team.
He created the necessary pressure that led his team to pull itself together.
He is seen as a sign of the team moving forward; to achieve that they need strong players.
In the locker room, he has that positive effect that keeps a team going forward.
He is still in those years that have seen other great players make a leap for a shining career.
Currently, he is counted among the best players on the Jets roster.

A difficult situation by all standards, the Jets need such young talent, and Williams is among the team’s better players, but it seems he needs some other factor to bring out his best. Sending him away before tapping all his potential might not only prove detrimental to the Jets, and it might also send out a bad message to other players.

The Jets still have a year where they have control over Williams, and it would be the best option if they give him this year to show his potential especially as his star has been rising lately, and he is a good influence on teammates.

Time will tell.

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