While general manager Dave Caldwell has been reluctant to call out the Jacksonville Jaguars offensive line, the fact of the matter is that it could afford to be upgraded. That said, in the end, it still wouldn’t be shocking to see them add some additions to the unit in the draft and free agency.
Another route the Jags could go is through the trade market. A name that especially comes to mind and also one with ties to the Jags is that of Washington Redskins tackle Trent Williams. According to reports, the veteran has been granted permission to seek a trade after losing his trust in the organization’s former president and medical staff last season.
Washington OT Trent Williams has been given permission to seek a trade through his agent Vincent Taylor, as @diannaESPN has reported. Here is video of Williams working out this week. pic.twitter.com/FwAeT5ELMO
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 5, 2020
As most are aware, the Jags hired Williams’ former head coach of five seasons, Jay Gruden, to be their offensive coordinator this offseason. Additionally, Williams is someone who could be on the Jags’ radar for the simple fact that they’ve been very active on the trade market. Last year, they sent cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams for two first-round selections (2020-21) and a fourth (2020), then traded their other star cornerback, A.J. Bouye, to the Denver Broncos for a 2020 fourth-rounder.
Several cases could be made for the Jags to take a swing at Williams, but the most obvious is because Cam Robinson has struggled at left tackle. As a seven-time Pro Bowler, there clearly would be a significant difference on Gardner Minshew’s blindside and Williams even be an upgrade over Robinson in the run game, too. Acquiring Williams could also allow the Jags to kill two birds with one stone when it comes to their woes on the line because they could then kick Robinson in to guard, where the Jags may be arguably worse off.
As for the cons of adding Williams, it would definitely come with a huge financial hit. Per Over the Cap, his cap number will be $14.5 million on the year and it seems the Jags are in a stage where they want to add cap space and replenish it with young talent. Williams, who is currently 31, doesn’t fit that description although his résumé says he’d be well worth the money.
Additionally, the Jags would have to give up draft compensation for Williams. It’s unknown what the Redskins want, but it wouldn’t be shocking if they asked for a second-round pick — and some possibly. While they are stacked with picks for April’s draft (10 to be exact), the draft would offer them a significantly cheaper option and one on a long-term deal. They are particularly in a good position to land one of the best offensive tackles in the draft with their No. 9 overall pick as Georgia’s Andrew Thomas could be available, as could others like Mekhi Becton of Louisville, Tristan Wirfs of Iowa, or Jedrick Wills Alabama.
Now, we’d like to hear from you all at home. Should the Jags reunite Gruden and Williams or should they pass? Feel free to cast your vote in the poll below.
[protected-iframe id=”3cc9dbb38e5c3b556627d6e69272d79a-105974738-159322853″ info=”https://static.apester.com/js/sdk/latest/apester-sdk.js” height=”360″ class=”apester-media”]