Tag: Trent Williams

Trent Williams agent suggests Redskins have been ‘unwilling’ to trade him

Trent’s agent posted to Twitter that he and his client are frustrated that the Redskins have yet to accept a trade for Williams.

It appears that Washington Redskins left tackle Trent Williams is getting a bit fed up with there being no action on the trade front, according to his agent.

In a Twitter post on Tuesday morning, Vincent Taylor said that it was time for the Redskins to either release or trade the seven-time Pro-Bowler, as he thought that they had not been acting in good faith to the soon to be 32-year-old.

“Although Trent Williams will always love and respect Dan Snyder, his teammates, and the Washington Redskins fans, he wants to be traded or released,” Taylor wrote. “It’s time for the organization to act in a manner that is in both Willliams’ and the team’s best interest.”

The agent went on to claim that the team has been unable or unwilling to trade Williams, though they gave him the chance to negotiate his own trade with other teams.

“Williams’ representatives provided the team with trading options, but the Redskins have shown no interest in negotiating in good faith, and, in fact, have given inconsistent demands on what it wants in return for a trade,” Taylor wrote.

It’s pretty easy to see both sides of the argument here. Williams is tired of being “strung out” by the Redskins and wishes to find a new team, but that team isn’t willing to give the Redskins a high enough draft pick in compensation for the LT, on top of a contract extension that they’ll have to give Williams. You can’t blame the Redskins for lowering their asking price for Williams, when Williams could just as well lower his asking price.

At this point, what we have is a two-year-long staring contest, and neither side appears to be ready to blink.

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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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Trent Williams demands a trade or release from the Redskins

Trent Williams demands a trade or release from the Redskins

The Trent Williams drama in Washington has taken another turn, one that will no doubt pique the interest of Andrew Berry and the Cleveland Browns.

After months of trade rumors — notably with heavy interest from the Browns — have not gone anywhere, Williams has finally, formally requested a trade or release from the Redskins. The veteran left tackle wants out.

From Williams’ agent, Vince Taylor (via Mike Garafolo on Twitter),

Throughout the process, Williams has maintained his silence and not spoken negatively about the team nor has he pursued potential legal actions. This seems to not be a successful strategy. Players who are outwardly critical of the team do get traded. 

Although Trent Williams will always love and respect Dan Snyder, his teammates, and the Washington Redskins’ fans, he wants to be traded or released. It’s time for the organization to act in a manner that is in both Williams’ and the team’s best interest.

Since the failed John Dorsey efforts to bring Williams to Cleveland, the Browns have changed regimes and added Jack Conklin to solidify the right tackle spot. With the No. 10 overall pick in a draft class loaded with premium offensive tackle prospects, there is less of a glaring impetus to give up assets to acquire Williams. He’s now 31 and in the final year of his contract that will pay him $12.5 million in 2020.

It’s hard to know just how much Berry, the team’s new GM, and the Kevin Stefanski coaching staff value one potential year of Williams. Expect there to be interest from the Browns but not at the desperation levels exhibited by Dorsey.

 

Report: Redskins place CB Quinton Dunbar on the trading block

The Redskins have apparently been unable to repair the relationship with Quinton Dunbar, who is now officially on the trading block.

The Washington Redskins now have two high-profile players on the trade market, and they’ll look to get rid of them before April’s NFL Draft.

According to a report from Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, the Redskins have officially placed cornerback Quinton Dunbar on the trade block as of this weekend. The team will now take calls on the young CB who rose to become one of the best pass-defenders in the NFL in 2019.

It’s unfortunate that the situation with Dunbar has gone down this road, as his growth in the NFL since transitioning from WR to CB has been encouraging to watch, but the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement on a contract extension in the end. Dunbar, who is due just $3.25 million in 2020, is arguably worth a much higher salary than that, and he believes he should be paid as such. Ron Rivera, on the other hand, wants players who are all-in on his team, and he reportedly doesn’t feel inclined to extend Dunbar just yet.

For a brief moment, after Dunbar asked to be released or traded earlier this year, it seemed that the two might be able to work some things out, and it was reported that Dunbar was expected to show up at offseason workouts this spring and summer. That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore, as Dunbar will now join Trent Williams on the trading block.

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Report: Redskins LT Donald Penn is willing to return to Washington

Penn stepped up for the Redskins admirably in 2019, and he now says that he’d be willing to do it again in 2020.

The Washington Redskins currently don’t have a strong answer at the left tackle position. Assuming that Trent Williams will get his wish and be traded away before the 2020 season begins, Geron Christian Sr. is currently atop the depth chart at the second-most important position on the offense. That’s not likely to stand throughout the summer.

However, the player who Washington leaned on when put in the same position in 2019 is willing to come back and do it all over again. Veteran LT Donald Penn played decently for the Redskins in 2019, and according to ESPN’s Josina Anderson, he’s planning to push retirement off for one more year, and he’d be willing to continue his career in Washington.

Of course, there are scenarios in which Penn might not be needed in Washington. For instance, it’s still not COMPLETELY out of the question that Williams and the Redskins reach an agreement, should the trade market and sizeable roster demand leave the seven-time Pro Bowler alone on the dance floor. This is highly unlikely, but I’d be lying if I said it were impossible. Then there are also other signings that could put the Redskins in better positions, like if they were to bring in former New York Jets LT Kelvin Beachum, or Jacksonville Jaguars LT Cedric Ogbuehi. Those are still two feasible options.

But should the Redskins strike out on all three of those things, Penn will likely be around, ready to step up when called upon once again. You’ve got to love him for that.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers could rise to top of Trent Williams trade market

With Tom Brady now on his way to Tampa Bay, it would make sense for the Bucs to acquire a veteran LT to protect his blindside.

The best friend of a veteran quarterback is a talented and reliable left tackle protecting his blindside. So, in the wake of the news that longtime New England Patriots QB Tom Brady will be signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it’s fair to wonder if another veteran player could be packing his bags for Florida in the near future as well.

Could Trent Williams be a good fit for the Bucs?

We know that Brady has an affinity for Williams, as the Patriots were reportedly in talks to acquire the seven-time Pro-Bowler ahead of the trade deadline in 2019, though it never got as serious as some would make it. But while Brady’s new team is ripe with offensive weapons — Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, O.J. Howard, Cameron Brate — the offensive line is a bit underwhelming, especially at the left tackle position.

Trent is easily the best player that Tampa could plug into that position, but they would have to make two big commitments right off the bat. First, they’d have to reach an agreement with Williams on a future contract, which will likely range between $18-20 million per season; then the matter of fair compensation for the Redskins comes into play. Washington is not willing to just give their blue-chip asset away, and they are asking for a second-round draft pick in return. In 2020, the Bucs hold picks in the first round (14), second round (45), third round (76), and two in the fourth round (117, 139). They also have two later round picks, but those would be unlikely to come into play for a potential trade for Trent.

So far, it’s been hard to find any trade partner that will part with a second-rounder, could it be possible that the Bucs are willing to give Washington a third- and fourth-rounder instead? At the moment, that doesn’t seem to be enough for Washington, but as this dance drags on, they may be willing to take whatever they can get for the veteran left tackle.

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Joe Thomas predicts Chargers to make pair of splash moves in free agency

Will the Los Angeles Chargers make a splash in free agency?

The free agency frenzy is in full effect.

The Chargers have been fairly quiet on Monday as we are hours into the legal tampering period.

While Los Angeles has yet to make an acquisition, speculations and predictions continue to be made.

Former NFL offensive tackle and NFL Network analyst Joe Thomas is the latest notable to project what the team could do.

“Don’t be surprised if the LA Chargers make two big splashes here during free agency,” Thomas said.

The first is one that’s been brought up quite a bit, with that being the franchise signing quarterback Tom Brady.

But since the 42-year old will need some protection, Thomas wouldn’t be surprised if Los Angeles trades for and signs offensive tackle Trent Williams to the monstrous contract extension that he is desiring.

The Chargers currently have $49.9 million in available salary cap space, which is the most that they’ve had in years. But both players mentioned are going to require top dollar.

If Los Angeles was to make a move to acquire Brady and Williams, the team likely wouldn’t have enough money to re-sign their own players or make other acquisitions in free agency.

Who’s being unreasonable, Trent Williams or the Redskins?

A Trent Williams trade isn’t getting completed, and it’s now come to the point where both sides may need to reconsider their asking price.

The Washington Redskins are finding it hard to trade seven-time Pro-Bowler, Trent Williams.

After allowing the 31-year-old left tackle to seek a trade over a week ago, there have been minimal bites from the rest of the league, even though Williams presents a near sure-fire answer to shore up one of the most important positions on the field.

There are a few reasons this could be happening. For starters, Williams is nearing the end of his prime, if he’s not already past it, and he hasn’t played a snap in over a year. On top of that, he is likely to ask for a new contract from the team which sees him as the highest-paid LT in the NFL, one that would pay him at least $20 million per season.

Then there’s the Redskins, who aren’t inclined to just give Williams away for free. Reports are out that Washington is looking for fair compensation for their blue-chip asset, and hoping for at least a second-round draft pick in return. As of late, that seems highly unlikely to happen. 

So the question begs to be asked, whose fault is it that this deal isn’t getting done? Trent Williams or the Redskins?

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the future contract extension that a team would have to give Williams should they trade for him is the biggest obstacle at this point. A team would likely be willing to give up a first- or second-round pick to bring Williams in, but they are gun-shy to give him top-of-the-market money. And understandably so, as well. If Williams wasn’t asking for so much money, the Redskins would be keeping him around in the first place, as the relationship between player and team has reportedly been worked out to good standing.

As time goes on, it’s possible that we could see Williams agree to take less, leading to more legitimate trade offers from prospective teams. We also may see him hold firm, leading to another holdout that lasts through the summer. If we’ve learned anything from the past year, anything can happen.

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Redskins unlikely to receive second-round pick for Trent Williams

A new report has surfaced that the Redskins are struggling to find a trade partner that will give a second-round pick for Trent William.

According to a recent report from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Washington Redskins may see an increasingly difficult time when it comes to landing fair compensation for left tackle Trent Williams in a potential trade scenario.

Garafolo said that in the days since the Redskins give Williams permission to seek a trade, he has not gotten the sense that any team is willing to part with a second-round draft pick in return.

“My understanding is that at that asking price, it’s not going to get done,” Garafolo said. “Until the Redskins are willing to take a little bit less, you can’t get to the second step, which is going to be the contract stuff.”

Not only does a willing trade partner need to give the Redskins fair compensation for Williams, but they will then need to work out a contract extension with the seven-time Pro-Bowler. Williams is reportedly looking for a deal that pays him somewhere near $20 million per season, which is a number that the Redskins were unwilling to give up.

What happens from here is anyone’s guess, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that this situation is nowhere near close to over.

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Report: Redskins could look to sign LT Jack Conklin in free agency

The Redskins have a major need at the LT position going forward, and they could look to fill it by signing the top option on the market.

As the Washington Redskins head into the NFL free agency period later this month, a major point of emphasis for them lies on the offensive line.

Both right guard Brandon Scherff and left guard Ereck Flowers have reportedly been in talks with the team about a potential contract extension that would keep them around but left tackle Trent Williams is likely on his way out of Washington. The Redskins gave him permission to seek a trade earlier this month, and the market surrounding him is growing.

So what will the Redskins do to fill the LT position? Michael Lombardi, a former NFL executive, thinks that Washington could look to sign the biggest fish on the market when it comes to free agency at the left tackle position.

Conklin tops a shallow LT market this offseason, but his work speaks for itself. Conklin has played for four seasons with the Tennessee Titans, and he is expected to receive a contract worth upwards of $15 million per season.

That is still a lot of money to spend on a left tackle, but it’s nowhere near the $20 million that Trent Williams is looking for.

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