Tag: Trent Williams

Andrew Whitworth was willing to play guard if Rams traded for Trent Williams last year

Andrew Whitworth told the Rams to trade for Trent Williams last year and would’ve been willing to play guard.

The Los Angeles Rams’ offensive line was a major weakness in 2019 as the team shuffled through a number of players across every position except left tackle. Andrew Whitworth remained healthy and played at a high level when protecting Jared Goff’s blindside, but the other four spots were almost revolving doors.

That led to the team making some changes in 2020. But before the Rams landed on their starting five, they explored the possibility of trading for All-Pro Trent Williams, who Washington was looking to deal. According to Mike Garafolo, Sean McVay “dabbled with reuniting with Trent Williams as a guard,” but Washington wound up trading him to the 49ers.

Whitworth has only played left tackle with the Rams since 2017, but he told the front office and coaching staff last year that he would move to guard in order to make room for Williams.

“When we lost Rodger Saffold, there was an opportunity out there where Trent Williams was still getting the mill of trades and all that stuff,” he told the LA Football Podcast. “I can remember at one point being like, ‘Go trade for the guy. I’ll move to left guard, I don’t care. We would monster mash people.’”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taDQRTogwI8

A pairing of Williams and Whitworth along the left side of the Rams’ offensive line would’ve been absolutely incredible. Williams is a perennial Pro Bowler, being selected eight times since 2012. Whitworth is still one of the top left tackles in football and certainly has the strength and skill set to play guard.

He remains open to playing guard if the Rams need him to, even at this point in his career.

“I was always open to that throughout my career because I always kept it in the back of my head, like, ‘All right, early in my career I did that and I’m built with the strength to be able to play in there,’” he said. “For me, that fits my game a little better than probably some tackles and edge guys. But I’ve always kept that in my head and it’s one of those things that I prepare myself mentally if that happens. And it could happen, you never know. Right now, that’s the unique thing with the depth we have. You really look at it between our guys with Joseph Noteboom, Bobby Evans, Dave Edwards, (Austin) Corbett, (Rob) Havenstein. Brian Allen has played for us and got injured but is now back healthy. You really look at it, we’ve got an opportunity to create some competition at some positions. Who knows what happens? What if Joe Noteboom all of a sudden in the next six months is the best player we have and he’s a left tackle only? Where can you go beat out somebody and play beside him?

“I’ve got to go earn the position again, and if I don’t, I want to earn another one. So it’s one of those things where that depth helps. We’re gonna be able to create some competition up front and really get to get out there and hopefully if guys stay healthy with our best five, which is going to be an experienced group, finally in Year 3 of this group being together, so I think we’re excited about that.”

Whitworth is being modest, of course, because there’s almost no chance he’ll lose his starting left tackle job. Noteboom might be the future, or it could be Evans, but Whitworth remains the team’s best offensive lineman regardless of position.

Hearing him say he’s so open to moving around as needed is great, though, and just goes to show his dedication to helping the Rams any way he can.

49ers 2021 salary cap hits low for Trent Williams and Alex Mack

The 49ers won’t get hit too hard with the cap hits in Trent Williams and Alex Mack’s contracts.

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The San Francisco 49ers made a couple of much-needed free agent signings on their offensive line when they added left tackle Trent Williams and center Alex Mack. It looked as though the 49ers might tap out their limited cap space with the two deals, but the immediate cap hits on both are both surprisingly low.

To re-sign Williams and add Mack, the 49ers issued two contracts worth up to $152,910,000. Their salary cap hits for 2021 will come in at just $11,226,250. That number comes in $3 million below what Williams’ 2022 cap hit will be.

Structuring contracts for players like Williams and Mack in a way that would allow the 49ers to continue making additions was going to be important. The Williams deal alone is so gargantuan that it could’ve derailed San Francisco’s entire free agency and left them without any room to fill out the rest of the roster.

While the Williams deal in particular gets more expensive as it ages, having small cap hits in 2021 was an important aspect of the contracts the 49ers were handing out. With the NFL’s salary cap dipping to $182.5 million, they were going to be up against it no matter how they went about the free agent period. Getting Williams and Mack for cheap this year let the 49ers bolster their offensive line while maintaining flexibility to revamp their defense and add depth to a roster they hope can be Super Bowl-ready by September.

Trent Williams’ contract structure reveals manageable deal

The 49ers didn’t get Trent Williams for cheap, but his contract structure shows it’s not as expensive as the initial price tag.

Contract details for Trent Williams’ monster six-year, $138 million deal emerged Thursday morning via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. The structure of the contract reveals the exorbitant $138 million price tag doesn’t match up with what San Francisco will actually pay over the life of the deal.

As Breer laid out, Williams will earn $30.1 million up front with his signing bonus. He’ll ultimately earn $40.5 million over the first two years, $60.75 million in the first three, and $81.65 million through four.

With that structure, the 49ers are actually shelling out about $20 million annually through the first four years, which is closer to the range many expected the deal to land. Plus, his salary cap hit this year will be a very reasonable $8,226,250 according to Over the Cap.

While the deal never necessarily becomes cheap, its becomes far more manageable after that fourth year. San Francisco can part ways with their left tackle for just $6.02 million in dead cap in 2025, with $23.35 million in savings.

The sticker shock of Williams’ contract made it seem like the 49ers were going to handicap themselves financially for the foreseeable future. However, with the salary cap expected to get a massive hike in the coming years, Williams’ deal will continue to look relatively team friendly throughout his tenure in San Francisco, especially if he keeps playing like one of the best blind side protectors in the NFL.

Candlestick Chronicles: 49ers checking right free agent boxes

The San Francisco 49ers gave a massive contract to LT Trent Williams. The Candlestick Chronicles podcast discusses 49ers free agent moves.

ESPN’s 49ers reporter Nick Wagoner joins Chris and Kyle and this episode of Candlestick Chronicles.

The guys run down the list of 49ers’ moves, including the early-morning additions of Trent Williams and Alex Mack. They assess the size of the Williams deal and what it means for San Francisco’s future, and they take a look at which offseason additions will have the biggest impact this year. Chris, Kyle and Nick also run through some still-available free agents who could wind up with the 49ers.

Packers O-lineman David Bakhtiari lets Trent Williams know he noticed mammoth contract beats his own by just $10K a year

Ha!

Green Bay Packers offensive lineman David Bakhtiari signed a deal back in November that was worth an average of $23 million a year, a big price to pay to keep Aaron Rodgers protected.

But that record has been broken by The San Francisco 49ers, who gave Trent Williams so much money — a reported six years and $138 million ($55,100,000 guaranteed). But the yearly average is $23,010,000.

That’s right, Williams beat out Bakhtiari’s number by just $10,000 a year. And Bakhtiari definitely noticed with a tweet congratulating Williams while also calling him out jokingly for being “petty AF.”

Here’s the tweet, with some reaction from current and former O-lineman having a laugh over it:

https://twitter.com/DavidBakhtiari/status/1372178196406267909?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1372178196406267909%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpackerswire.usatoday.com%2F2021%2F03%2F17%2Ftrent-williams-passes-david-bakhtiari-just-barely-as-highest-paid-ol-in-nfl-history%2F

LOL.

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Trent Williams passes David Bakhtiari (just barely) as highest paid OL in NFL history

Trent Williams signed in San Francisco for just over $23 million per year. And Bakhtiari certainly noticed.

David Bakhtiari’s run as the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history didn’t last long.

On Tuesday night, Trent Williams re-signed with the San Francisco 49ers on a deal worth $23,010,000 per year, just passing Bakhtiari’s deal with the Green Bay Packers worth $23,000,000 per year in new money.

Williams’ deal is for $138.06 million over six years, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Bakhtiari’s contract –signed in late November – was $92 million over four years.

The difference in value per year is just $10,000.

Don’t think the Packers offensive tackle didn’t notice:

Without a doubt, Williams used Bakhtiari’s record-setting contract as a guide to his own new deal with the 49ers.

Williams might be 32 years old, but he was going to be a highly-coveted an unrestricted free agent, increasing his leverage in negotiations with the 49ers, while Bakhtiari re-signed with the Packers during the season, before his contract expired.

Bakhtiari, a five-time All-Pro and a first-team All-Pro in 2020, is recovering from an ACL injury suffered before Week 17 last season. The Packers are happy with his recovery so far, but the 29-year-old could miss the start of the 2021 season.

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49ers re-sign LT Trent Williams

The San Francisco 49ers will get left tackle Trent Williams back on a new contract.

The 49ers’ biggest offseason question has been answered. Left tackle Trent Williams will return to the club on a 6-year, $138 million contract, according to ESPN’s Dianna Russini.

This was the most significant domino left to fall for San Francisco’s offseason. With Williams’ deal settled, they now have a better view of what kind of finances they have to work with through the rest of free agency.

The 49ers acquired Williams from Washington on Day 3 of last year’s draft. In exchange they sent a 2020 fifth-round pick and a third-round selection in 2021. Williams after missing all of the 2019 campaign knocked off a little rust early and put together arguably his finest season as a pro.

Williams, 32, made it clear he wanted to test his value on the open market, but barring an unforeseen Godfather offer from a needy club like the Colts that had a ton of cap space, it’s hard to believe the 49ers’ intention all along wasn’t to go as high as they needed to to keep the eight-time Pro Bowler in red and gold.

Report: Chiefs involved in talks for pending free agent LT Trent Williams

A new report says the Chiefs are among the teams involved in talks to sign LT Trent Williams.

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The Kansas City Chiefs appear to be among the team vying for San Francisco 49ers’ pending free agent LT Trent Williams.

According to a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Chiefs are one of the teams who have been getting involved in talks with Williams throughout the legal tampering period. Williams is largely viewed as the prize of the free agency period and per Pelissero’s report, he also expects to be paid as such.

Here’s a look at what Pelissero said in a recent appearance on NFL Network:

“Well, the expectation is certainly not just that Trent Williams is on that list— the best free agent— but he’s going to be the highest-paid of the remaining free agents. We already saw two other offensive linemen, Joe Thuney and Corey Linsley, get big-time deals. Trent Williams is in line for that too. He wants to be paid at the top of the market. Despite his age, despite the fact that he had taken a year off before making his comeback last season with the 49ers, he wants to be in line with the top players at his position which— were talking upwards of $20 million dollars per year. So while the 49ers have prioritized this— trying to wrap up a deal with Trent Williams— there have been other teams, including the Chiefs, who already spent that big money on Joe Thuney, getting involved. Still, some moving parts here, but one thing that Trent Williams has made clear, he’s not going to play for a discount. He wants what he sees as his fair market value. And to this point, again, what you said, Andrew, we’re not far into this, only a good 24 hours or so, but he’s willing to wait to get that money.”

Williams appears to be willing to wait things out to get the contract that he believes he’s due. Are the Chiefs willing to spend what he’s asking for? Also how long are they willing to wait? The Cardinals re-signed OT Kelvin Beachum today, and there are only so many viable options in free agency that can play left tackle. Could Kansas City fall victim putting all their eggs in one basket?

This situation certainly warrants monitoring as we approach the end of the legal tampering period and the official start of free agency.

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ESPN labels Colts as ‘sleeper team’ for OT Trent Williams

ESPN believes the Colts could go after Trent Williams.

As free agency arrives this upcoming week, there have been a few teams mentioned as potential landing spots for offensive tackle Trent Williams. The Indianapolis Colts have been among those teams.

Because of the abundance of salary cap space and a need at left tackle, the Colts are automatically thrown into the conversation as a team that may sign Williams.

ESPN labeled the Colts as a “sleeper team” to keep an eye on in the sweepstakes for the elite left tackle.

And here’s a sleeper team for Williams if he does leave the Niners: Indianapolis. That connection has some traction in league circles. Williams would seamlessly replace Anthony Castonzo — he announced his retirement in January — on the left side for a playoff team. Indy could fill the tackle spot in the draft, but with Carson Wentz in the fold and more than $40 million in cap space once Wentz’s deal hits the books next week as part of the trade with Philly, a big move or two could be in play. The Colts’ big splash last offseason was a trade that brought in defensive lineman DeForest Buckner from the 49ers. Could they pluck the star of San Fran’s other line this time around?

It is unlikely the Colts go after Williams. They may like him as a talent, but there may not be much they can do in terms of paying him $20 million per year, which is likely what he’s going to get.

With a few extensions coming up, it’s hard to see the Colts paying so much on the offensive line. Ryan Kelly is the highest-paid center in the league while Braden Smith and Quenton Nelson will be as well in the next two seasons. Adding Williams on top of that isn’t feasible no matter how big the need.

The Colts, instead, should be expected to go a bit cheaper at offensive tackle while also looking to draft a young prospect in April.

Williams would be a fantastic addition if he didn’t cost so much and if the Colts do wind up going to get him, they will cap-strapped when it comes to doing much else.

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Free agent LT Trent Williams hints at return to 49ers

Trent Williams didn’t commit to a return to the San Francisco 49ers, but he sure hinted at it on the Cris Collinsworth Podcast.

Free agent left tackle Trent Williams is expected to test the market rather than re-signing with the 49ers before the NFL’s legal negotiating window opens March 15. That doesn’t mean he’s not aiming to return to San Francisco though, and he hinted strongly on the Cris Collinsworth Podcast featuring Richard Sherman that he was leaning toward staying in the Bay Area.

He didn’t outright announce his return, but his response when Sherman made a prediction for Williams’ impending free agency lent some hope that the left tackle would be back in San Francisco.

“I’ve got San Francisco,” Sherman said. “I’ve got him staying in San Francisco for the faithful. I think he stays in San Francisco. I think he makes you guys happy for another 5-6 years and gets his gold jacket, and then decides whether he wants it in Washington or San Francisco.”

Williams’ response after host George Chahrouri and Sherman both made their prediction for Williams to go back to the 49ers:

“That’s not a bad take, fellas. That’s not a bad take. Y’all are barking up the right tree.”

The 49ers acquired Williams from Washington last year for a fifth-round 2020 draft pick and a third-round pick in the 2021 draft. He seemed to indicate after the season he wanted to stay with the 49ers, but also said he’d explore the market to find out what he’s worth in what could be the 32-year-old’s last big pay day of his career.

It’d behoove Williams not to make any declarative statements one way or the other with free agent negotiations just around the corner, and a comment on a podcast is far from a binding commitment. The answer was good news for the 49ers for the time being though. They may just need to wait until after free agency unofficially begins on March 15 to get a real answer on Williams’ future.

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