Just because the Washington Redskins have agreed to allow left tackle Trent Williams to see a trade does not mean that this situation is coming to a close any time soon. There is still much to be done before Williams finds himself in a new uniform, playing somewhere outside of the nation’s capital.

While a legitimate trade market has been set for Williams, with suitors like the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Denver Broncos reportedly inquiring about a potential deal, fair compensations for the Redskins remains key in any agreement. On top of that, whichever team Williams lands with will need to work out a contract extension with the seven-time Pro-Bowler as well, something that Washington was able to get done.

According to ESPN’s John Keim, this three-person dance may last for quite some time.

The Redskins won’t just give Trent Williams away, which leads to one big question: What if they can’t make a trade? That will lead to interesting decisions and possibly another summer of wondering whether Williams will report. The process just started and several teams already have contacted Williams’ side. But it’ll take not only a team getting a contract worked out but then fair compensation for Washington. Otherwise both sides will have a decision to make about continuing this relationship.

It’s an important question to bring up: what happens if nobody wants to both sign Williams to an extension AND give Washington a worthy asset in return? It’s no secret that the Redskins are high on the 31-year-old’s ability, and his recent workout videos show that he is still in prime shape. The team reportedly is searching for an early-round draft pick in return as well, if not more.

That’s quite a price to pay for an aging left tackle, but Williams is quite the player.

The point is, just because things seem to be coming to an end with the Trent Williams situation doesn’t mean it will be over before you know it. This could draw out through the offseason, and potentially into the 2020 season as well. If that happens, who knows what the two sides will choose to do.

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Trent Williams is as close as he’s ever been to finally getting out of Washington and playing for a new team. After holding out for most of the 2019 season and declaring that he would never play for the Redskins again, the seven-time Pro-Bowler’s wishes are likely about to come true.

That doesn’t mean he’s about to take a discount to get out of town, though.

The biggest reason why Williams is seeking to be traded out of Washington is that the two parties were unable to come to an agreement on a contract extension. As a 31-year-old who has some good years left, Williams reportedly desires to become the highest-paid left tackle in the NFL. According to a report from ESPN’s John Keim, his number has been set at $20 million per year.

Multiple sources said they believe he would like to become the highest-paid tackle, given his résumé. That title currently belongs to Philadelphia’s Lane Johnson, who signed a deal in November worth $18 million per year. Houston could extend Laremy Tunsil, which would push that top number higher. Several sources say Williams wants more than $20 million.

The Redskins have the available salary cap to give Williams such a deal, should they desire, but they obviously have no intention of doing that. However, it wouldn’t be a shock to see a team like the Cleveland Browns or Denver Broncos pony up that type of cash for the superstar lineman. Once he is on the roster, your team is that much closer to title contention.

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The Washington Redskins have given Trent Williams their blessing to seek a trade, and it could be a matter of weeks, if not days before the seven-time Pro-Bowler is lifted out of Washington and placed on a new team. After about a year, this long saga between the two parties seems to be coming to an end.

But what does the next chapter hold? We know for the Redskins, they will be forced to fill a major hole at the LT position, likely doing so in free agency while also trying to draft and develop a young blocker. As for Williams, we know that it will be a trade that gets him out of Washington, but the question is where he goes.

In the days following the public trade announcement, several teams have popped up as potential trade destinations that are likely to make an offer for the 31-year-old LT. Here are our rankings of which path is most likely.

It should be noted that both the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans are said to have interest in trading for Williams. I’m not sure why. The Cardinals just handed a $45-million extension to their LT in February, and the Texans are less than a year removed from trading several draft picks for LT Laremy Tunsil, who is one of the better blockers in the NFL. Because of this, I did not rank either team below. 

No. 5 —New England Patriots

The Patriots were said to have a lot of interest in Williams last season as they looked to bolster their offensive line ahead of Tom Brady’s last guaranteed season with the team. When Williams was being shopped ahead of the trade deadline, a report surfaced that the Patriots were offering a first-round pick for Trent, but that has since been vehemently refuted by New England. This time around, though, not much has changed, other than the potential offer. The Patriots still need a star left tackle, no matter who their starting QB is come September. They have Isaiah Wynn at the position now, but the young player has struggled to stay healthy so far in his career.

Would Bill Belicheck part with a draft pick in order to put a blue-chip piece on his offensive line? My guess is yes, giving Trent the instant chance to be in a position to contend for a title.