Trent Williams is now openly begging for a trade, but it’s Washington that looks ridiculous

Trent Williams has been looking for a way out of Washington for nearly a year.

We didn’t need a statement from Trent Williams’ agent to know Washington had damaged its relationship with the veteran left tackle beyond repair, but we got one on Tuesday morning.

Williams, who put in a request to be traded during the 2019 offseason, remains on Washington’s roster in spite of the fact that several NFL teams have reportedly sent offers for the disgruntled player. Washington’s asking price — which at one point last season was supposedly a first-round pick — has apparently been a bit too high for any teams to strike a deal.

In his statement, Williams’ agent Vincent Taylor says he has presented the team with several trade options but Washington hadn’t “negotiated in good faith.”

I don’t know if Washington was ever going to get good value for Williams after his very public disagreement with the team, but this statement all but seals it. Now that teams know that the relationship is “irreconcilable,” there is no need to improve trade offers. Eventually, Williams will come available.

Washington has only itself to blame. Williams had lost trust in the team’s medical staff after he was diagnosed with dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP), a rare form of cancer. Williams says the medical staff examined a growth on his head and wrote it off as something minor. He would later get the cancer diagnosis. Can anyone blame him for never wanting to play for Washington again?

For now, Williams’ career is on hold as Washington refuses to move him — an awfully petty move for a franchise that could use all of the good publicity it can get. At this point, Washington’s stubbornness is just self-destructing. If Williams isn’t going to play, the team might as well get something in return for him. Letting him rot on the bench hurts the player, the team or its reputation around the league and in the eyes of the general public. Everybody loses.

Had Washington granted Williams’ very reasonable wish back when he first made it, the team likely would have landed a top draft pick. The Patriots reportedly offered Washington a first-round pick for the seven-time Pro Bowler but were turned down, lending credence to Taylor’s claims of bad-faith negotiating.

Franchise left tackles are rarely traded or allowed to hit the open market. Teams covet those players when they get ahold of one. Washington clearly covets Williams being on its roster … just for all the wrong reasons.

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