They finally did it. The Washington Redskins traded 7-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Trent Williams to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a fifth-round pick and a 2021 third-round pick. In the past few days, rumors came up again that Trent Williams was being used as trade bait for a pick this week in the NFL Draft.
Finally: The #Redskins have agreed to terms on a trade of LT Trent Williams to the #49ers, per me, @TomPelissero & @MikeGarafolo. It took until Day 3 of the Draft, but Washington gets it done, and SF gets help at a position of need. It’s for a 5th this year and 3rd next year.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 25, 2020
Trent Williams Can Finally Play Again
For over a year, Trent Williams has not hit the field. Trent Williams had a growth on his head forming since 2013. However, the Redskins medical staff said it was nothing to be concerned about. During a doctor’s visit, he was diagnosed with Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, a rare skin tumor.
This made Williams upset. He refused to show up for mandatory mini-camp and demanded to be released or traded, due to the misdiagnosed tumor by the Redskins’ medical staff. The Redskins placed him on the reserve/did not report list after. While the Redskins missed him, they played Geron Christian and veteran Donald Penn in his absence.
After the Redskins failed to trade him at the deadline, he was reinstated on October 30th, 2019. Williams would still not play though as he failed a physical. He complained of discomfort with his helmet, resulting from scalp soreness. After that, he was placed on the non-football injury list and did not play at all in the 2019 season. Last month, his agent and he were given official permission to seek a trade with another team.
What will the Redskins do at left tackle?
Last year, the Redskins had veteran Donald Penn at left tackle, who played in all 16 games. He is now a free agent and unlikely to be re-signed at 36 years old. Currently, they have 2018 3rd-round pick Geron Christian and former Bears swing tackle Cornelius Lucas. Lucas gave up only 12 pressures in 507 snaps last year (not all pass-blocking snaps). Christian gave up one sack in 141 snaps in 2019.
The Redskins have had trouble developing Christian, as his main weakness is against big defensive linemen and powerful edge rushers. Christian is still only 23 years old and with a change in offensive line coach and offense, this could be a new beginning for Christian.
With a defensive line and secondary ready to win and a quarterback in Dwayne Haskins to protect, the Redskins are ready to compete in the NFC East. They do not need a hole at the left tackle position holding them back. Christian is younger than Lucas and could be a long-term solution for this offensive line.
Unless they take a tackle like Prince Tega Wanogho or another tackle for the future and give up on Christian, Christian seems like their answer for Williams’ replacement with more development coming along.
What are the 49ers getting in Williams?
There are pros and cons to trading for Trent Williams. He is a 7x Pro Bowl left tackle and started 99.1% of the games he played in. He only allowed one sack in 2018 and scored a 75.6 Pro Football Focus grade. Unfortunately, he was suspended multiple times for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. He also has had quite an injury history.
Trent Williams, however, is one of the best offensive lineman in the game. A huge acquisition for the 49ers.
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