No. 2 — Trade or Re-Sign LT Trent Williams (Saves $12.75 Million)
Once again, whatever the Redskins choose to do when it comes to Trent Williams is going to have major ramifications in 2020. After he sat out for the 2019 season and vowed never to play for Washington again, there have been some rumblings that Williams had a change of heart due to the new coaching staff and management that was put into place, and he might consider sticking around with the Redskins, if they’ll have him, of course.
The Redskins should want him, but they know it will have to come at a price. Part of Williams’ decision to not play this past season was due to the fact that he was no longer on a guaranteed contract, and due to his health issues in the past, he wanted to remove the risk of the team cutting him at any point in time. So, if Washington were to keep Williams around, they would need to sign him to a new contract. When healthy, Trent is one of the best left tackles in the NFL, and he is undoubtedly looking to get paid as such. However, at age 31, it becomes a question of how man good years he has left. The seven-time Pro Bowler would likely desire at least $14-15 million per year, so we can work with that number going forward. Our best guess is that Washington would agree on something like a 4-year/$62 million contract, making Williams the second-highest-paid LT in the NFL. Williams could argue that he should be the highest-paid LT in the game, but his year away from football would likely give the Redskins a bargaining chip.
There is also an argument to be made for trading Williams. Washington was a bit late to the game in 2019, but they did try to deal Trent right before the trade deadline, and they reportedly had a few suitors. His value has gone down since then, as he now has one less year on his contract until he hits free agency in 2021. Still, though, the Redskins could deal Williams to a team in need of a pass-blocker, like the Cleveland Browns or New England Patriots, and choose to develop a young LT that they draft and sign in free agency.