Trent Williams - Pro Football Rumors

Browns Plan To Acquire OT Before Trade Deadline

October 23rd, 2019 at 1:29pm CST by Marc Delucchi

Browns general manager John Dorsey is targeting a number of offensive tackles to ensure the team acquires an upgrade before the trade deadline, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. Cleveland’s offensive line woes have been well documented this season, but they are far from the only team seeking upgrades via trade.

Washington tackle Trent Williams remains the obvious best candidate available. Except, while he continues to hold out with no progress toward a new contract, Washington reportedly has no interest in trading him. In the report, Robinson quotes one source who said “Dorsey has been trying to get Williams for basically six weeks.”

While Williams remains Dorsey’s top target, Robinson reports that multiple league sources have said Dorsey has been “reaching out to a swath of teams about acquiring offensive line help before the deadline.” The report goes on to mention that on top of Washington, he has contacted two other NFC East teams: the Giants and Eagles.

Less than a week away from the trade deadline, Dorsey seems primed to wait until the deadline to see if Washington changes course on Williams’ availability. If not, Giants starting offensive tackle Nate Solder or Eagles swing tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai seem like legitimate fallback options, per Robinson.

Trade Notes: Browns, Broncos, Eagles, Patriots, Saints, Lions

October 22nd, 2019 at 8:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots and 49ers strengthened their aerial groups Tuesday, and the Saints are exploring the idea of doing the same. New Orleans is pursuing pass catchers, according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (on Twitter). The Saints made a late-season addition of Dez Bryant last year but saw the longtime Cowboy go down before playing in a 2018 game. This Saints iteration has surprised many by going 5-0 with Teddy Bridgewater at the controls, firmly placing the team in the contention picture. This offense has long funneled through Michael Thomas, with a steep drop existing between New Orleans’ No. 1 target and its other receiving targets. A.J. Green could be available, but the Bengals wideout may not be healthy by the deadline. Robby Anderson could also be a trade candidate, as could Demaryius Thomas (again).

Here is the latest from the trade market. Seven days remain until this year’s deadline.

Cornerback dominoes have fallen as well, with the Rams, Ravens and Texans making plays for key cogs. The Eagles‘ shaky pass defense features a notable need at corner, and the team has contacted the Broncos about Chris Harris, Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets. The Eagles were ready to send first- and second-round picks to the Jaguars for Jalen Ramsey. Harris is five years older and in a contract year, but it will likely take a Day 2 pick to pry him from Denver. The Texans tried to acquire the 30-year-old standout as well but evidently were not amenable to the Broncos’ asking price.
It does not look like a Trent Williams-to-Cleveland scenario will transpire. The Browns have repeatedly inquired about the Redskins tackle, but Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) they have accepted the fact Washington will stick to its guns and hold onto him. Washington has Williams signed through 2020 but has not seen him budge on his holdout. The Redskins are believed to prefer waiting until the offseason to trade him, in order to learn where every team’s draft capital resides.
The Patriots paid up to acquire Mohamed Sanu from the Falcons, parting ways with a second-round pick for the eighth-year wideout. But they were also in talks with the Broncos about Emmanuel Sanders, Mike Klis of 9News notes. The Pats signed Sanders to an RFA offer sheet in 2013, but the Steelers matched. This marked the second straight year the Patriots wanted one of the Broncos’ starting wideouts, having tried to acquire Demaryius Thomas before the 2018 deadline. San Francisco landed Sanders for third- and fourth-round picks.
The Lions surprised many by dealing starting safety Quandre Diggs to the Seahawks, doing so despite Diggs being signed through 2021. Lions brass viewed Diggs’ play as having fallen off, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link), and called multiple teams about moving him. The Lions landed a 2020 fifth-round pick for Diggs, who is now a Seahawk. The play of young safeties Tracy Walker and Will Harris helped induce the Lions to pull the trigger, Birkett adds. Walker and Harris grade as top-40 safeties, per PFF, which has Diggs slotted outside the top 60. Diggs is only 26, however. This trade gives the Seahawks access to a key part of his prime.

Trade Rumors: Seahawks, Broncos, Beasley

October 20th, 2019 at 12:18pm CST by Rory Parks

In the wake of Will Dissly‘s season-ending Achilles tear, the Seahawks are in the TE trade market, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Of course, Seattle already traded Nick Vannett to the Steelers earlier this season, and the club’s TE depth chart is so thin that they used several backup DEs as blocking tight ends in practice this week and may do so against the Ravens today.

Now for more trade rumors from around the league as we approach the October 29 trade deadline

No surprises here, but the Broncos are getting trade calls on WR Emmanuel Sanders, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes. Though Denver GM John Elway has refuted the notion that any of his players are on the trade block, Schefter says the Broncos will listen to offers for Sanders, though they are expected to ask for at least a third-round draft choice in return.
Another member of the Broncos that could be on the move is cornerback Chris Harris Jr. The Eagles made a strong offer for Jalen Ramsey, and Harris would still be a welcome addition to Philadelphia’s secondary and would not require the team to part with nearly as much draft capital. Former NFL agent Joel Corry (among others) wonders if the Eagles will make a push for Harris (Twitter link).
The Falcons have put Vic Beasley on the trade block, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Beasley’s play has tapered off dramatically since his breakout 15.5-sack performance in 2016, but he’s a former first-round pick and is only 27, so he could be a low-risk, high-reward target for a team in need of pass rushing help.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com believes the Browns still have a chance of landing Redskins LT Trent Williams, but she concedes that it will take a first-round pick and more to land him.
Schefter tweets that the Raiders will be buyers in advance of the deadline and have already begun looking for LBs and pass rushers.

Latest On Trent Williams

October 19th, 2019 at 12:27pm CST by Ben Levine

Another day, another nugget on Redskins left tackle Trent Williams. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (via Twitter) that the Redskins are refusing to trade the seven-time Pro Bowler this season. This somewhat echoes a report from earlier this week that indicated that the Redskins continue to “stonewall” inquiring teams.

However, Washington has reportedly told potential suitors that they would explore a trade this offseason. The rationale is that the front office will have clarity on other teams’ draft positions. With the team sitting at 1-5, the Redskins believe they have nothing to gain by trading Williams right now. Understanding where prospective draft-pick acquisitions fall will allow them to opt for the best possible offer.

However, despite the Redskins apparent assertion that they won’t be trading Williams, that hasn’t stopped the Browns from aggressively pursuing him. Garafolo notes that Browns general manager John Dorsey has inquired on Williams every week for the past month and a half. Dorsey previously said that “it takes two to tango” when discussing a Williams trade, indicating the Redskins aren’t especially interested in moving the lineman.

Williams, 31, has spent all nine years of NFL career in the nation’s capital. A seven-time Pro Bowler, Williams is under contract through next season. He’s due the remainder of a $10.85MM base salary in 2019 and $12.5MM in 2020.

Latest On Redskins OT Trent Williams

October 16th, 2019 at 9:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Redskins continue to “stonewall” rival clubs that have inquired on the availability of left tackle Trent Williams, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter link), who adds Williams’ trade value is difficult to ascertain given that Washington hasn’t truly engaged in any substantive conversations with other teams.

Just last week, Redskins president Bruce Allen reiterated his club has not had any “dialogue with any other team” regarding Williams and indicated Washington is not actively shopping the veteran offensive lineman. The Redskins have long maintained that they have no interest in dealing Williams despite his season-long holdout and his displeasure with the team.

The Browns have been mentioned as a likely suitor for Williams in the event he does become available, and despite Allen’s assertion, Cleveland has had talks with Washington about Williams. Asked today about his talks with the Redskins, Browns general manager John Dorsey said, “We’ve had a few conversations,” as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. However, Dorsey also said “it takes two to tango,” once again indicating the Redskins aren’t especially interested in moving Williams.

Cleveland is currently deploying Greg Robinson at left tackle, but that could soon change. Robinson either has been or will soon be benched, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Pro Football Focus grades Robinson as the No. 22 tackle among 73 qualifiers, the former No. 2 overall pick doesn’t have a record of above-average production. As a unit, the Browns offensive line ranks 19th in adjusted line yards and 24th in adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders, but ninth in pressure rate allowed.

Williams, 31, has spent all nine years of NFL career in the nation’s capital. A seven-time Pro Bowler, Williams is under contract through next season. He’s due the remainder of a $10.85MM base salary in 2019 and $12.5MM in 2020.

Browns Continue To Pursue Trent Williams

October 15th, 2019 at 6:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Some Trent Williams buzz surfaced Tuesday, and he represents a potential solution for a team with a notable need at tackle. The Browns have been engaging with the Redskins in Williams talks for a while now, but Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets the Redskins are still standing firm.

A rumor circulated Tuesday about Williams being Cleveland-bound soon, but the Washington Post’s Les Carpenter notes (via Twitter) the Redskins insist that is not true. Washington has used a different primary left tackle for the first time in 10 years, doing so as Williams’ holdout surpassed the six-game mark.

The Browns viewed the Redskins’ asking price as too high, per Fowler, who adds Cleveland has been inquiring about the nine-year veteran blocker for “a while.” It is not known if the Redskins have dropped their asking price.

Redskins president Bruce Allen said last week the team has not engaged with any of the league’s other 31 franchises about Williams, though reports over the summer insisted Washington had discussed Williams with multiple teams. The 31-year-old tackle is a seven-time Pro Bowler who is signed through 2020. This should naturally generate interest, despite Williams’ recent injury history. Williams rumors should gain steam as the Oct. 29 trade deadline nears.

The Browns continue to start left tackle Greg Robinson, whom they cut just before the season and re-signed days later. Baker Mayfield has endured a notable sophomore slump and would stand to benefit from a tackle upgrade. Washington has been starting veteran Donald Penn in Williams’ place.

Redskins Notes: Gruden, Haskins, Williams

October 7th, 2019 at 6:46pm CST by Ben Levine

This morning, the Redskins did what everyone expected and fired head coach Jay Gruden. The move follows a 33-7 loss to the Patriots, dropping Washington to 0-5 on the season. Besides his disappointing record, there also seemed to be a disconnect between the front office and the sixth-year coach; Gruden reportedly wasn’t a fan of the team’s decision to select quarterback Dwayne Haskins with the No. 15 overall pick.

Needless to say, it’s been a busy day in Washington, and there have a been a number of additional Redskins notes since this afternoon:

Nobody likes to lose their job, but it sounds like Gruden isn’t beating himself up over the firing. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the now-former head coach was expecting the move and is doing fine. Rapoport also notes that the firing allows the organization to be completely transparent about their head coaching search (as opposed to be covert if Gruden was still on the sideline).
During his presser earlier today, team president Bruce Allen deferred to interim head coach Bill Callahan when asked if Haskins would now start under center. The coach later told reporters that the first-rounder is not a candidate to start right now (via NFL Network’s Mike Garafalo on Twitter). The coach did say that they’re currently evaluating the health of Case Keenum and Colt McCoy, but it sounds like one of the veterans will start against the Dolphins on Sunday.
Allen was also asked about the status of offensive lineman Trent Williams, who continues to sit out. The executive told reporters that “there’s been no dialogue with any other team” regarding a trade, and Allen also said the team isn’t actively shopping the veteran. Today’s head coaching move also didn’t move the needle when it comes to a potential return for Williams; a source told ESPN’s Dianna Russini (Twitter link) that the 31-year-old “doesn’t have any plans of returning to the Redskins anytime soon.”
We hate to rub dirt in the wound, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter points out (on Twitter) that the Redskins’ coaching staff once consisted of Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, and Matt LaFleuer. The three current head coaches (with the 49ers, Rams, and Packers, respectively) currently have a combined 2019 record of 10-3.

GMs Expecting Active Trade Deadline

October 6th, 2019 at 9:00am CST by Rory Parks

The NFL has experienced a dramatic rise in significant trades over the past several years, and there may be a few noteworthy swaps going down this month as we get closer to the October 29 trade deadline. Indeed, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says there is a sense among general managers that we may see more trades in advance of this year’s deadline than ever before, largely because there is a larger gulf between pretenders and contenders than in seasons past (indeed, there are still six winless teams, which is the highest number at this point in the season since the 1970 merger).

La Canfora says the teams most actively laying groundwork for potential deals are the Saints, Eagles, Ravens, Chiefs, Patriots, and Seahawks. Of course, a number of those clubs have already been pursuing Jacksonville CB Jalen Ramsey, and the Saints, Eagles, Ravens, and Chiefs are casting a wide net for cornerback upgrades.

One of this year’s still-winless clubs, the Broncos, are reportedly more open to moving veteran pieces than they were last year, as La Canfora writes in a separate piece, with Derek Wolfe, Chris Harris, and Emmanuel Sanders all generating interest. Wolfe could make sense for Baltimore, and the Saints are expected to renew their pursuit of Sanders. Even Von Miller could be on the block, per La Canfora, especially since all of his major bonuses and guarantees have already been paid. Miller, 30, is reportedly open to a change of scenery at this point, but Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network says the Broncos will not trade him (video link). However, the other players mentioned above could be available if Denver continues to scuffle.

But while Denver may be willing to talk shop, rival GMs are skeptical that the 0-4 Bengals, led by old-school owner Mike Brown, will be amenable to moving big-name vets despite their fading fortunes. La Canfora’s sources say Cincinnati could net a first-round pick for WR A.J. Green if the acquiring club is able to work out a new contract with him as a condition of the trade (and if Green recovers from his foot injury soon). The Patriots and Saints could make a push for Green or Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert, and Cincy could also swing deals for players like Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap if the club is willing to listen to offers.

Like fellow winless outfits Denver and Cincinnati, the Jets could be active in shopping veteran players in advance of the deadline. La Canfora specifically names Kelechi Osemele and Leonard Williams as players who could be on the move, though he says there has been no trade chatter surrounding Le’Veon Bell at this point.

Finally, though the 0-4 Redskins have been steadfastly refusing to trade Trent Williams, some believe that the team will relent at some point and will ship Williams to a contender in need of O-line help.

Latest On Trent Williams

September 15th, 2019 at 1:37pm CST by PFR Staff

Disgruntled Redskins left tackle Trent Williams, who has been holding out in hopes of a trade, has already accumulated some hefty fines estimated to be “millions of dollars”, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Despite reports stating that Williams was not concerned about any potential fines, Williams finds himself in a challenging position, as he has a $150K workout de-escalator that kicked in that lowered his base salary from $11MM to $10.85MM. Adding to that, Williams failed to cash in on $653K of salary this past week by continuing his holdout.

The Redskins refused to comment, but league sources told Schefter that Washington will not forgive the fines and will not give Williams a new deal. As previously reported, Washington has no plans to trade Williams.

In Williams’ absence, the Redskins signed veteran Donald Penn to a one-year deal. Penn, who played well in his first start for Washington last week against Eagles, will serve as the starter for the foreseeable future until Williams returns.

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eli, Eagles

September 6th, 2019 at 5:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Let’s take a look at the latest from the NFC East, starting with the Cowboys’ contract situation. The team has now extended four high-profile players over the past several months and remains at work on at least two other deals.

Cowboys VP Stephen Jones was adamant that new contracts with Jaylon Smith and La’el Collins were not done to try to put some pressure on Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott or Amari Cooper. “We’d consider other agreements right now and it wouldn’t affect what we’re doing with Dak, Amari or anyone else,” Jones said (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Jon Machota). The Cowboys now have Smith, Collins, Elliott and DeMarcus Lawrence signed long-term; they are still working on re-ups for Prescott and Cooper.
On his “Hail to the Podcast” podcast with Erin Hawksworth, former Redskins defensive back DeAngelo Hall said that Trent Williams could make his return “sooner (rather) than later.” Despite his holdout, GM Bruce Allen recently confirmed that the disgruntled Pro Bowler will not be traded and that he does not see him retiring.
According to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY, Giants officials have privately told him that Eli Manning will remain the starting quarterback as long as they are in the playoff race. Moreover, sources also told Vacchiano that Pat Shurmur will have a significant say in the matter. “It’s Shurmur’s call,” one team source said. “Let’s just see how it goes. When and if it’s time, we’ll all know.” Manning confirmed this past summer that he is not rushing into retirement.
Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham was thought to be AWOL after missing the team’s preseason finale against the Jets, and the team was “livid” at his absence, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. However, Bradham said he was “under the weather” and needed to communicate better with team officials. Bradham signed a five-year, $40MM deal in 2018 and has been a key contributor to the defense since coming over from the Bills in 2016.