As expected, starting left tackle Trent Williams has not been present at the Washington Redskins first few days of training camp. He has been placed on the reserve/did not report list indefinitely. Earlier in the offseason, the veteran offensive lineman threatened he would hold out from training camp and demanded to be traded or cut. His threats have come to fruition, leaving the Redskins in a pickle. They can cut him for nothing in return, trade him for assets or hope he caves and comes back.
What to Do With Trent Williams?
According to reports, Williams’ reason for holding out comes from his feelings as well as his teammates’ general attitude towards their medical staff. His initial concern with the matter started after he had surgery to remove a growth on his scalp in spring. Team doctors ‘scared’ him with a misdiagnosis of the tumor, telling Williams it was potentially cancerous when it was not.
Trent Williams has been a cornerstone player and franchise left tackle for the Redskins for the past eight seasons. Fans and coaches could always count on his elite play on the field outside of injury. Now, things have changed decidedly for the worst. The relationship between player and team has become rocky and seems unmendable. The Redskins have no reason to comply with Williams wishes of either a cut or trade.
Cut:
Cutting Williams has its fair share of pros and cons. It would free up room for them to see what they have in younger players, possibly giving them a chance to replace his production with a cheaper salary. Anybody who replaces him, however, will be an immediate downgrade.
Washington has a large hole on one of the most critical starting positions from his omittance from camp. It’s an absence that will immediately affect all aspects of the offense. Offensive tackle is not an easily replaceable position, ESPECIALLY left tackle. Two-year tackle Geron Christian is listed as the back-up on Ourlads, although free-agent signing and twitter meme Ereck Flowers has practiced with the first-team offense.
If he were to get cut, that would open opportunities for younger players. Geron Christian earlier was a third-round draft pick in 2018 and would gain valuable experience in an expanded role. He could even figure to replace Williams as their franchise left tackle if he plays up to his draft position.
Cutting Williams would save Washington around nine million after dead cap money. That cap space could be useful in the future, but in the middle of July, it’s useless. Front office personnel historically do not like to give into players demands, especially in hostage situations like this one. Stated plainly, the Redskins lose more than they gain by straight-up cutting him.
Trade Trent Williams
Trading Williams is the second-most ideal option on the table for Washington. Williams changes teams as he desires and the Redskins gain capital back, whether it be a pick or player. There is always a market for offensive linemen, so finding a suitor wouldn’t be difficult. His age does hamper some of the return, but at 31, he still has a decent amount left in the tank.
A problem is teams know that he wants out. If Williams were to hit the open market, teams would quickly be in hot pursuit of his talents. He would be the perfect plug-and-play veteran for a contender needing a slight boost on the offensive line (CC: Los Angeles Chargers). So, if the ‘Skins were to engage in serious trade talks, they would likely not get an equal return due to other teams lowballing their offers in hopes they get him for cheap.
In 2017, the Houston Texans traded disgruntled left tackle Duane Brown to the Seattle Seahawks in return for a second and third-round draft pick in the following year. Like Williams, Brown was in his early thirties and wanted out. A significant difference in their situations is timing. The Seahawks made that trade mid-season as they were gearing up for a playoff run and believed a left tackle was their missing piece. This trade should serve as the base for talks between the ‘Skins and other teams. A return of two early-round draft picks would be the best-case scenario for Washington, but not one that is likely.
Nothing
While its the easiest option, it’s also the most boring. The Redskins could do nothing and hope Williams ends his holdout as early as possible. Training camp holdouts are nothing new to the NFL. Often players will come back once they start losing millions of dollars from their game checks and practice incentives. As the mad titan Thanos once said, “the hardest choices require the strongest wills.” Le’Veon Bell successfully held out all of the 2018 training camp and season but lost over $855,529 weekly in the process. If Williams and Washington both choose to play the long game, waiting for each other to blink first, Redskins fans (and whoever has to play under center) could be in for another long season.
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