The Washington Redskins have given Trent Williams their blessing to seek a trade, and it could be a matter of weeks, if not days before the seven-time Pro-Bowler is lifted out of Washington and placed on a new team. After about a year, this long saga between the two parties seems to be coming to an end.
But what does the next chapter hold? We know for the Redskins, they will be forced to fill a major hole at the LT position, likely doing so in free agency while also trying to draft and develop a young blocker. As for Williams, we know that it will be a trade that gets him out of Washington, but the question is where he goes.
In the days following the public trade announcement, several teams have popped up as potential trade destinations that are likely to make an offer for the 31-year-old LT. Here are our rankings of which path is most likely.
It should be noted that both the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans are said to have interest in trading for Williams. I’m not sure why. The Cardinals just handed a $45-million extension to their LT in February, and the Texans are less than a year removed from trading several draft picks for LT Laremy Tunsil, who is one of the better blockers in the NFL. Because of this, I did not rank either team below.
No. 5 —New England Patriots
The Patriots were said to have a lot of interest in Williams last season as they looked to bolster their offensive line ahead of Tom Brady’s last guaranteed season with the team. When Williams was being shopped ahead of the trade deadline, a report surfaced that the Patriots were offering a first-round pick for Trent, but that has since been vehemently refuted by New England. This time around, though, not much has changed, other than the potential offer. The Patriots still need a star left tackle, no matter who their starting QB is come September. They have Isaiah Wynn at the position now, but the young player has struggled to stay healthy so far in his career.
Would Bill Belicheck part with a draft pick in order to put a blue-chip piece on his offensive line? My guess is yes, giving Trent the instant chance to be in a position to contend for a title.
No. 4 — Denver Broncos
Garett Bolles has been a contentious name for any Denver Broncos fan over the past couple of years. After being drafted in the first round of the 2017 draft, Bolles has really struggled to find his footing in the league, and he’s been one of the most penalized players in that time, drawing 32 flags in three years.
John Elway and the Broncos may choose to ride this out for one more year with Bolles, but it would come as absolutely no shock to see them move away from the 27-year-old and trade for a sure-thing. We saw the struggle with Dwayne Haskins last year; there’s nothing you can do more to help a young quarterback than giving him a solid blocker on his blindside. For Drew Lock, this would be a major helper. Denver has also already been highly active when it comes to roster moves this offseason, following a trade for cornerback AJ Bouye last week. That movement could keep rolling with a deal for Williams.
No. 3 — Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers just pulled off the unthinkable early this week, orchestrating a player-for-player trade with the Carolina Panthers and bringing in Pro-Bowl guard Trai Turner. Of course, they had to give up LT Russell Okung to do so, which now leaves an opening at that spot.
Who better to fill it than Williams? If they were to bring in two highly-rated linemen this offseason, the Chargers would instantly improve at one of the most important positions ahead of the 2020 season. LA is also rumored to be looking for a QB in the draft, and bolstering their front line is arguably the greatest thing you could do for a young signal-caller.
No. 2 — New York Jets
I remarked earlier that it was nearly impossible to put together a player-for-player trade in the NFL anymore, but the Jets actually might be one team that can do that. With LT Kelvin Beachum set to hit free agency in a couple of weeks, the Redskins likely have to take a look at him to see if he could be a fit in Washington. Perhaps a Williams-for-Beachum sign and trade, with the Jets throwing in a pick or two could work?
The Jets are in need of a reliable offensive lineman, as they are running out of time to prove that QB Sam Darnold is the player they thought he was when drafting him with the No. 3 overall pick in 2018. Williams would be a solid addition to the young player’s blindside, and he would surely allow Darnold to up his game.
No. 1 — Cleveland Browns
The Browns have an impressive roster when you look at it, but the offensive line is the one glaring weak spot. So far in his career, QB Baker Mayfield has been one of the most oft-pressured throwers, and the constant duress has undoubtedly caused him to struggle so far in the NFL. If the Browns want their franchise QB to find success, they need to give him more time to operate.
Trent Williams will give you that time.
The Browns were reportedly in talks to acquire Williams ahead of the trade deadline in 2019, but the two sides were unable to get a deal done, presumably because Bruce Allen was never really set on dealing Trent, rather he liked the publicity that came with offering up his blue-chip lineman in the final hour. With a new regime in place, I expect that the Browns and Redskins will quickly resume talks, and I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see Trent kicking it in Cleveland this season
