Tag: Trent Williams

Ron Rivera offers small update on Trent Williams situation

Is Trent Williams any closer to coming back?

It appears the Trent Williams situation continues to edge toward a resolution.

New Washington Redskins head coach Ron Rivera has been slowly working on it, with reports suggesting the team is optimistic they can get the star left tackle back.

Mark Maske of the Washington Post caught up with Rivera briefly after an NFL competition committee meeting and the head coach simply noted he had “nothing to share right now.”

But Maske went on to elaborate in a different tweet about the tone of the conversation and some less-than-direct quotes about the overall interaction that should provide Redskins fans with some hope:

It’s better than nothing, right?

If Rivera can somehow work his magic and get Williams back for the Redskins, it resolves one of the team’s biggest issues this offseason. Not only is he one of the best in the NFL at what he does, the Redskins desperately need stability in front of Dwayne Haskins.

With any luck, the next update will be even more positive.

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Report: Redskins feel confident Trent Williams will return in 2020

After declaring that he would never be a Redskin again, the dominos have started to fall in the right direction as Trent considers a return.

Boy how the tides have turned when it comes to the Trent Williams situation in Washington.

After the seven-time Pro-Bowler held out for much of the 2019 season and declared that he would never be a Redskin again, things have mellowed out quite a bit, thanks in large part to the team placing a new head coach at the helm and ridding of former team president Bruce Allen. Now, according to a report from the Washington Post, the Redskins feel confident that Williams will return for the 2020 season.

New Coach Ron Rivera remains intent on convincing Williams to rejoin the team, according to that person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Getting Williams to play for the Redskins again is “still a huge focus for Ron,” the person said, adding that the “tea leaves” indicate Williams will be back.

Williams’ return to the Redskins would be monumental in many ways. Not only would it shore up one of the team’s biggest needs on the offensive line, but it would also set the tone for a growing culture within the locker room and give the young core a time-tested leader to follow.

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ESPN’s Mel Kiper thinks Redskins can contend for NFC East title in 2020

ESPN’s Mel Kiper thinks that the Redskins aren’t far away from contending for the NFC East title and a spot in the playoffs.

When major news publications tweet out their official mock drafts ahead of April, there’s hardly a reason for fans of the Washington Redskins to bat an eye anymore. If it doesn’t peg the Redskins to select Ohio State defensive end Chase Young with the No. 2 overall pick, then there’s a good chance it’s unreliable, and done just to spark a debate.

Like every other respectable mock draft out there, ESPN’s Mel Kiper has the Redskins selecting Young at No. 2 in his 2020 NFL Mock Draft 2.0 — who would have thought? What’s interesting, however, is the prediction he made soon-there-after.

Kiper says he wouldn’t be surprised to see the Redskins contend for an NFC East title this year.

Am I crazy to think the Redskins aren’t that far away from being a contender in the NFC East? They have some nice defensive pieces such as Jonathan Allen, Montez Sweat and Landon Collins. If they can sort out their offensive line issues — bring back Trent Williams and re-sign Brandon Scherff — and get a Year 2 jump from Dwayne Haskins, Ron Rivera’s team should be much improved in 2020.

There are some big ‘ifs’ baked into that take, such as a reunion of Trent Williams and a re-signing of Brandon Scherff, not to mention a Year 2 jump from Dwayne Haskins. Still though, as a whole, it isn’t a crazy notion to think that the Redskins could win eight or nine games this season. When you look across the rest of the NFC East as well, there is arguably no powerhouse that Washington will have to take down either. Both the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants are operating under a new coaching staff and the Philadelphia Eagles — who hold the belt as division leaders — don’t feel like they’re unbeatable.

It may not happen this year, but it’s not hard to picture a scenario where the Redskins are fighting for a playoff spot come December. Even Kiper thinks so.

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‘Ron will get him back here’: Why Rivera is perfect coach to bring Trent Williams back

Many who know him believe that Rivera is the perfect person to convince Williams to return to the Redskins ahead of the 2020 season.

In an offseason that is ripe with mega-decisions that have the potential to sway the future of the franchise in Washington, one of the biggest puzzle pieces to fall for the Redskins is regarding left tackle Trent Williams.

After holding out for the entire 2019 season due to a number of reasons, involving both a mistrust of the franchise and an inability to reach an agreement on a contract extension, the feeling in the building has started to shift. Williams made contact with head coach Ron Rivera on Tuesday, and it’s starting to feel like the two could piece together a plan to get the seven-time Pro-Bowler back into the locker room in Washington.

For one former Redskins player, this comes as absolutely no surprise. Ricky Ervins, a former Redskins tailback, and Super Bowl XXVI Champion talked to The Athletic recently and explained that if there is anyone who is capable of convincing Williams to come back, it’s Rivera.

“If anybody can talk to Trent, it’s Ron,” Ervins said. “Because you’ve got, not just a coach talking to him, but a player who’s been there and experienced some of the stuff. I’m sure he didn’t have no tumor, but he experienced some of those bumps and bruises. All that stuff, it’s in the past, those guys ain’t here no more. It’s a new slate. Let’s start fresh, and see what we can do. I promise you, Ron will get him back here.”

On top of Rivera taking over the coaching staff, Ervins notes that the addition of offensive line coach John Matsko should also be a heavy factor in Williams’ desire to come back to Washington. Matsko is a veteran coach who is well-respected in the NFL, and he won a Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams in 2000 with ‘The Greatest Show on Turf.” According to Ervins, Matsko is already operating under the impression that he will get to coach Williams in 2020, and a successful marriage will be rebuilt.

“I haven’t asked him anything about how he felt about the line, but I know he has to be excited about it because he believes he’s going to get Trent,” Ervins said. “He has to believe that because when Ron speaks to (Williams), or when Ron speaks to anybody, things happen.”

Rivera has convinced us that he is the right guy to help lift the Redskins from this perpetual state of losing. Will Trent Williams be next?

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ESPN lays path for Bears to sign Bills OL Quinton Spain

Buffalo Bills OL Quinton Spain goes to Chicago Bears in ESPN predictions.

ESPN laid out a set of trickle-down effect signings for the upcoming free agency period in the NFL. There, the Bears find a way to land Bills lineman Quinton Spain thanks to… the Patriots.

In the predictions, Trent Williams lands with the Patriots in the biggest offensive lineman signing of the open market period. From there, the Bears, another potential suitor for Williams, opt for Spain. Even  though Spain is not a tackle, the Bears can stand to upgrade across their whole line, so Spain still makes sense.

Here’s how the potential move is explained:

In need of help at guard after Kyle Long retired and missing several picks in April’s draft, the Bears could look again toward free agency to build support around Mitchell Trubisky. The 28-year-old Spain impressed as a run-blocker for the Bills this past season and has likely done enough to earn a multiyear deal.

In the projected deal, the Bears sign Spain for three years, $21 million total. That’s an average of $7 million a season and would put Spain among the Bills’ too-10 cap hits.

Many praise Spain’s season in Buffalo after he signed a one-year deal in the offseason with the team, however, Pro Football Focus doesn’t exactly hold him in high regard. Overall, Spain graded as the outlet’s 60th best guard in the NFL this past season.

With more than $80 million in cap space free, the Bills can certainly afford Spain. But with nine total draft picks and again, that cap space, Buffalo needs to decide if they’ll go with Spain or a cheaper route. He did previous say at the end of the season that he is open to returning to the Bills.

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Why 2020 is the Redskins most important offseason in recent memory

With the No. 2 draft pick and major roster decisions to be made, the 2020 offseason will go a long way in determining the Redskins’ future.

For any NFL team that is currently closer to No. 32 in the power rankings than they are to the top spot, the offseason is a pivotal time for the franchise as a whole. It offers a chance to regroup, figure out what went wrong, and map out what you can do to fix it.

Sometimes that means getting a new coach, sometimes that means trying to remake your team through free agency, and sometimes that means putting all of your chips into the NFL Draft looking to build a young and solid core. For the Washington Redskins, it will likely be all three of those things.

It may be hard to see the forest through the trees at times, but what happens over the next two or three months for the Redskins is likely to shape the franchise for many years to come. With a new regime in place throughout the front office and coaching staff, a new tone will hopefully be set at the very core as a once-historic team looks to get back to their winning ways.

On top of just cultural changes, the Redskins have a litany of personnel decisions to make in the imminent future. In the wake of cornerback Quinton Dunbar’s request to be traded or released, the team is now responsible for trying to repair relationships with both him and left tackle Trent Williams, hopefully convincing them to return to the team ahead of 2020. The Redskins also needs to make decisions on free agent lineman Brandon Scherff and Ereck Flowers, as well as coming up with a solution for EDGE Ryan Kerrigan’s contract — there’s no way they’re content to pay him $11.7 million this year.

On top of all of those roster decisions that could potentially shape the starting lineup, you have the NFL Draft. The Redskins have the No. 2 overall pick, and a stark majority of the fanbase and sports media has been clamoring for them to select Ohio State defensive end Chase Young with that pick. While that is still the most likely outcome, the Redskins could still choose to trade away the top pick — and potentially the next pick as well — in order to increase their draft capital and help to fill out their roster with young players who have a lot of upsides. We’ve seen Kyle Smith, the VP of Player Personnel and orchestrator of the Redskins’ draft, come away with two highly-successful drafts in the past two years, and it’s not crazy to think he could do it again in 2020.

This isn’t an article that is predicting what the Redskins will do, or even trying to sway them to lean one way or the other. Rather, it is a piece that wants to underline the magnitude of the decisions that will be made over the next couple of months inside the organization. These are potentially franchise-changing decisions that will go a long way in determining what the future looks like in Washington. It could be a return to greatness for a win-deprived fanbase, or it could be continued mediocrity in the Nation’s Capital.

No pressure.

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Trent Williams and Ron Rivera ‘touched base’ about potential return to Redskins

Rivera reported had a conversation with Williams about a potential return to Washington ahead of the 2020 season, which is a positive step.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Washington Redskins have had contact with left tackle Trent Williams about a potential return to the team in 2020 under Ron Rivera and a new coaching staff.

Rapoport reported on Tuesday morning that the two sides, Williams and Rivera, had a positive conversation about bringing the seven-time Pro-Bowler back to Washington ahead of the 2020 season. The meeting was not in person, but that would be the next domino to fall if this is to continue to progress.

There has been a lot of speculation over the past month as to what the new regime in Washington would mean for Williams, as he declared under Bruce Allen that he would never play for the Redskins again. However, once Rivera was hired, and a new medical staff was brought in, there were rumors that Williams might be open to the possibility of returning to the Redskins.

Now that both sides have had a chance to chat, that possibility seems like it has a greater chance of happening, which is something that would greatly benefit the Redskins going forward. Just ask quarterback Dwayne Haskins for his thoughts on the matter:

Williams is one of the biggest relationships that Rivera is going to need to repair this offseason, and it’s off to a great start. Now, it would seemingly behoove Rivera to have a chat with CB Quinton Dunbar and see if he can patch things up there as well.

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Quinton Dunbar joins Trent Williams as fires Ron Rivera needs to put out

Can Ron Rivera fix this?

Everyone knew Ron Rivera had a tough gig on his hands when he agreed to be head coach of the Washington Redskins.

One of the most prominent issues, obviously, was the impasse between the team and left tackle Trent Williams. With the front office and training staff overhauled and Rivera at the controls though, it seemed like the new head coach would be able to pull it off.

Adding Quinton Dunbar to the mix wasn’t something anyone widely predicted.

From the sounds of Dunbar’s request to be traded or released, he and his reps felt like he had an extension on the way this offseason. That has changed since Rivera took over.

And that’s a big problem for a Redskins team that has spent significant time developing Dunbar into a quality cornerback — after he joined the team as a wide receiver.

The Redskins already have big questions in the secondary thanks to the question that is Josh Norman and the unsteady play elsewhere. So in an ideal world, Rivera will be able to get in here and rehab this issue to the point it’s a strength again.

But as is usually the case for the Redskins lately, nothing has been perfect. Now Rivera has to tackle the impasse between Williams and the team — be it medical concerns, money or otherwise — as well as fix the money issue between the team and Dunbar.

Rivera is often cited as the right man for the job, so we’ll see if he can put out this new, unanticipated fire in the middle of February.

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3 players the Redskins should let walk in 2020 free agency

The Redskins are unlikely to retain these three players once free agency rolls around, allowing them to find a new team.

As the free agency period in the NFL starts to draw near, we’ve focused a lot on the players that the Washington Redskins need to try and retain, and several more that they need to try and bring in from outside of the team.

Just as important, however, are the decisions that they need to make on current players who are set to become free agents in 2020. While it seems crucial for the Redskins to try and keep players like Brandon Scherff and Ereck Flowers around, who can Washington allow to walk on to the open market? These top three names might be free to look elsewhere once March 18th rolls around.

Chris Thompson — Running Back
NEW ORLEANS, LA – OCTOBER 08: Chris Thompson #25 of the Washington Redskins runs with the ball as Kurt Coleman #29 of the New Orleans Saints defends at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on October 8, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Things never really worked out for Thompson in Washington, unfortunately, and it seems that he’s likely missed his window to be a feature back in the Redskins’ offense. When healthy, Thompson was a solid piece for seven years with the Redskins, but he only amassed five total touchdowns in that time, and he often struggled to fight off injuries. missing 46 games over that period.

While he still holds value as a third-down back when he’s on the field, it’s likely that the Redskins will be able to move away from him in 2020, as they have Adrian Peterson and Derrius Guice shouldering much of the load, and a wildcard in Bryce Love will be available as well. Love, who is virtually a younger and more decorated version of Thompson, has a high ceiling that is almost guaranteed to give the Redskins the confidence to let Thompson walk in free agency this year.

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The suggested Trent Williams timetable could center around the draft

Could the Redskins move Trent Williams before the draft?

The Washington Redskins don’t have long to iron things out with left tackle Trent Williams.

But that seems to be the plan, as Ron Rivera has made it clear he wants to try and fix the relationship between the team and the star offensive lineman.

Is it possible? Hard to say, though things seemed to take a turn once the Redskins reshuffled the front office, the most notable move being the dismissal of Bruce Allen.

If a meeting and mending of the relationship is to take place, it sounds like it will have to happen before the upcoming draft. Here’s a note from ESPN’s John Keim:

In other words, expect contact between the two sides soon. If nothing comes from the potential meet(s), the Redskins might move quickly to acquire more draft capital while offloading a guy who doesn’t want to be with the team.

Or put another way, the weeks and months before the draft are much more interesting thanks to factors besides free agency.

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