Cincinnati Bengals left tackle Jonah Williams has requested a trade. The Bengals recently signed Orlando Brown to a massive contract and Williams, now entering his final year, understandably wants the opportunity to start and continue to show the world what he can do. While he never quite played up to his first-round billing, Williams is still an adequate starter, and several teams would likely take the risk on his ability.
Frank Pollack acknowledges he’s heard Jonah Williams asking for a trade. pic.twitter.com/mc9RpGMV6w
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) March 17, 2023
Top 5 Jonah Williams Trade Destinations, Ranked
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears addressed a lot of needs during their free agency binge, but they failed to fix the offensive line. Justin Fields’ style of play naturally invites a lot of pressure, and the Bears need an above-average offensive line if they want a player with that stylistic approach to succeed. Jonah Williams is no superstar, but he’d be a clear upgrade and, entering his age-26 season, could be a part of the long-term picture in Chicago.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots desperately need a good left tackle. After signing Riley Reiff and Calvin Anderson, most expect the team to move Trent Brown back to the right side of the offensive line and have Reiff and Anderson battle for the starting job, along with an early draft pick. However, if they want to eliminate the inevitable uncertainty that the position battle would bring, they could just trade for a proven starter in Jonah Williams. New England prefers to operate a quick passing game, which means that the offensive line won’t need to hold blocks for too long on most plays. You don’t need to be a superstar, you just need to be adequate.
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans had perhaps the worst offensive line in football last year, and they have not done much to improve it. Andre Dillard is a massive risk, and Daniel Brunskill likely figures to be a replacement for the departed Nate Davis. Trading for Jonah Williams wouldn’t singlehandedly fix this offensive line, but it’s an important step in the right direction.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints offensive line struggled in 2022 without Terron Armstead. First-round pick Trevor Penning spent most of the year battling injury and didn’t look particularly great when on the field. While it’s far too early to give up on his entire career, the Saints should have a better backup plan than James Hurst. Acquiring Jonah Williams gives the Saints more flexibility along their offensive line, and cutting Hurst would save $4.7 million in cap space.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs decided to part ways with Orlando Brown and move forward with Jawaan Taylor as their left tackle of the future. This is an interesting move for quite a few reasons, with the main one being that Taylor has almost exclusively played right tackle since his college days. Players have made the switch to the left side of the offensive line in the past, but it’s a major risk to assume that Taylor can make the transition. The Chiefs also lost Austin Wylie in free agency, so they need to find a new right tackle. Instead of making Taylor learn a new position, wouldn’t it make more sense to trade for Jonah Williams and have the two tackles play at their natural positions?
Main Photo: Kareem Elgazzar – USA Today Sports
