Latest On Trent Williams
Trent Williams reported to the Redskins on Tuesday, but his contract could still toll by a full year, Mike Florio of PFT writes. It has been assumed that by reporting before Week 10, Williams will ensure that he still gets credit for the 2019 year. However, the precedent of the Joey Galloway ruling doesn’t necessarily cover him – the Redskins could delay him by using a roster exemption for up to three weeks, giving him fewer than eight weeks on the roster. And, if they do that, the Redskins could argue that 2019 does not count on Williams’ contract, which would push his free agency entry all the way to 2021.
Here’s more on the Redskins and Williams:
- By reporting before 4pm on Tuesday, Williams ensured that the Redskins will not have to petition the commissioner for his reinstatement this week (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s John Keim). That’s at least one hurdle cleared for Williams, who wants to protect against the possibility of the Redskins robbing him of an accrued season.
- Near the deadline, the Browns tried, and failed, to get the Redskins to take a second-rounder and a current player for Williams (via John Clayton of 710 Seattle). The Browns had Giants tackle Nate Solder as their fallback option, but they were unable to beat the buzzer.
- No deal for Williams was ever close, Mike Jones of USA Today (via Twitter) hears. That may, or may not, make the Browns feel better.
Trent Williams Reports To Redskins
Trent Williams has reported to the Redskins, according to former teammate DeAngelo Hall (on Twitter). However, this doesn’t mean that everything is a-OK in D.C. 
The Redskins refused to part with Williams before the trade deadline, unless they were presented with a Godfather offer. That offer never came, and Williams appears to be stuck with a franchise that he can no longer stand. At least, for the time being.
Williams’ arrival doesn’t mean that he’ll take the field – the tackle might not be ready to play and, in any case, might not be willing to suit up for the Redskins. But, by showing up for work, Williams has ensured that his contract will not toll. He’ll earn $5.8MM in base salary the rest of the way, plus ~$15K for each game he’s active. After that, he’ll have one year left on his contract, worth $12.5MM.
Williams, a seven-time Pro Bowler, has missed 13 games over the last three seasons due to various injuries. Still, he stands as one of the better left tackles in a league that doesn’t have a whole lot of great tackles. Williams graded out as the league’s best overall tackle in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus, and still managed to place No. 21 in a down 2018.
Latest On Redskins, Trent Williams
The NFL trade deadline is just a few hours away, and one of the biggest name players on the block is Redskins tackle Trent Williams. Williams hasn’t played or practiced this season as he continues to hold out due to his unhappiness with Washington’s management, and the ‘Skins just recently became open to trading him.
Washington got the trade ball rolling very late in the process, and it could end up ruining their chances of getting a deal done. The Redskins haven’t budged off their asking price of a first-round pick, according to John Keim of ESPN.com. Williams is 31 with a somewhat significant injury history, so it’s unclear if anyone will meet that asking price. Additionally, we have another report that suggests Washington’s front office isn’t taking a realistic approach here.
The Redskins “aren’t just asking for draft picks,” and are “big-game hunting” while asking for players like Browns cornerback Denzel Ward in a potential trade, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). As Rapsheet points out, that’s a “non-starter.” Cleveland just drafted Ward fourth overall last year, and he’s shown a ton of promise.
The Browns have been the team most heavily linked to Williams for a while now, as they continue to search for offensive tackle help. They’re still in the mix but the Browns have expressed concern about including a first-round pick due to a potential Williams injury, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com.
Redskins’ Derrius Guice Returns To Practice
Redskins running back Derrius Guice returned to the practice field on Monday. With that, the Redskins are hoping that he’ll be able to take the field for Week 11, when they take on the Jets. 
Guice underwent knee surgery earlier this year and landed on IR for a second-straight season. All along, the Redskins planned to bring Guice back from IR using one of their two allotted slots, and that’s exactly what they’ll do, barring any setbacks.
The 2018 second-round pick suffered multiple setbacks in his recovery from last year’s knee injury, so his latest one was a major source of frustration. Despite it all, Guice has kept up the fight, with an eye on fulfilling his enormous potential.
Without Guice, the Redskins have turned to Adrian Peterson, who turned in yet another solid performance on Thursday night against the Vikings. Facing his former friends, Peterson ran for 76 yards off of 14 carries, good for 5.43 yards per tote. Over the last three games, Peterson has averaged 4.82 yards per carry, which isn’t too shabby for a 34-year-old that has been counted out on multiple occasions. Still, the Redskins know that their backfield will be even better with Guice on hand.
Redskins Shopping Josh Norman
While the Redskins finally seem ready to discuss Trent Williams, they are also eager to see if a taker for Josh Norman‘s contract emerges. Washington has called teams about the veteran cornerback, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Obstacles stand in the way of a possible deal, however. Norman is due nearly $6MM over the rest of 2019 and has battled hand and thigh injuries, missing Week 7. Norman played last week against the Vikings, however. The former Panthers All-Pro also has not lived up to the $15MM-AAV contract he signed in 2016.
Pro Football Focus grades Norman as its No. 98 overall corner (out of 112 full-timers), further sliding him down the cornerback hierarchy. Norman will turn 32 in December and is signed through the 2020 season. It would cost Washington just $3MM in dead money to release Norman in the offseason, and the move would save the franchise $12.3MM.
This marks the latest Norman trade rumor; a report last week indicated the eighth-year defender was being floated around. With the Redskins sitting at 1-7 through the first half, it makes sense for the team to consider dealing veterans not part of the long-term picture.
Redskins Open To Trading Trent Williams
Better late than never. The Redskins are now open to trading Trent Williams, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. The asking price: a first-round pick, according to Albert Breer of SI.com (on Twitter).
Williams has been vocal about his desire to get out of D.C. since the offseason, but the Redskins refused to deal him. Now, with 24 hours to go before the trade deadline, they’re at least listening to offers. They’ve begun the process of looking at potential suitors, Rapoport hears, which means that a deal could come together before the buzzer.
Washington has informed teams it has a second-rounder on the table from an unknown team, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. With the team moving off its stance of trading Williams in the offseason at the 11th hour, it certainly seems like the 10th-year blocker will have a new home soon.
The Redskins’ asking price is currently unknown, but they could probably command a decent return given the dearth of quality tackles across the league. If Williams is healthy, he’d automatically represent a colossal upgrade to any front five in the NFL.
The Browns’ pursuit of Williams has been well-documented and they would be a logical partner for Bruce Allen & Co. The Patriots would also make ample sense, though they recently gave up a second-round pick for wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. It’s not clear whether the Pats would be willing to cough up more to land Williams, but it stands to reason that they’ll at least consider it.
Williams, for his part, is planning to show up for work by Week 10 in order for 2019 to count as an accrued season. Whether he’s healthy enough to play by then is a separate matter.
Peterson Confronted Haskins About Issues With Redskins Playbook?
- Adrian Peterson may or may not have directly addressed Dwayne Haskins‘ performance issues with the rookie quarterback, with Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reporting the veteran Redskins running back told Haskins after Thursday night’s loss to study the playbook more thoroughly (video link). While not denying he went to Haskins directly, Peterson addressed the matter on Twitter by saying he believes in the first-round prospect. In two relief appearances, Haskins has thrown no touchdown passes and four interceptions this season.
Trade Rumors: Hopkins, Slay, Hooper
The trade deadline is two days away, so there are plenty of rumors to pass along. Of course, many of those rumors center around this year’s non-contenders, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says that two such teams — the Redskins and Bengals — continue to rebuff inquiries concerning veterans who should be available. Rival GMs have grown increasingly frustrated with Washington and Cincinnati, and La Canfora says opposing clubs have become resigned to the fact that they are not going to be able to swing a deal with those obstinate franchises. That means that a number of big names — Trent Williams, Ryan Kerrigan, A.J. Green, and Carlos Dunlap, to name a few — are looking more and more likely to stay put.
Now for more trade rumors from around the league, starting with another nugget out of Cincinnati:
- Michael Lombardi of The Athletic agrees that the Bengals are likely to stand pat at the deadline for the most part, but he does believe the club will move tight end Tyler Eifert.
- Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is decidedly not on the trading block, but teams have still called Houston to ask about the star wideout, as Jay Glazer of FOX Sports tweets. That obviously sounds like clubs doing their due diligence more than anything else, and Glazer acknowledges that it would take an awful lot for the Texans to move Hopkins.
- The Lions have received calls on CB Darius Slay, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. It would take a big offer to pry Slay from Detroit, but in the wake of Slay’s comments earlier this week, maybe the Lions will be more inclined to move him.
- RB-needy teams have called the Seahawks to inquire on Rashaad Penny, as Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reports (video link). Penny is not on the block, per se, but the 2018 first-rounder is drawing interest. In the same video, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network says Chargers RB Melvin Gordon could also be on the move.
- Schefter reports that the 49ers have received calls on backup QB C.J. Beathard, whom Schefter suggests could be on the move.
- The Falcons have fielded calls on DT Tyeler Davison, per Lombardi, but Atlanta has told other teams Davison will not be moved. The team is also going to hang on to TE Austin Hooper, as Schefter tweets.
- The Giants are likely to cut Nate Solder after the season, so Lombardi believes Big Blue should go ahead and trade him now (though HC Pat Shurmur, whose job could be in jeopardy, would likely resist such a move). The Browns continue to be in the market for OT help, as Schefter writes, and the Patriots may also be interested in a reunion with Solder. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says Solder was not a viable option for Cleveland as of the middle of last week, but that could change in the next couple of days.
- Janoris Jenkins is another member of the Giants who could be on the move, and while he is likely open to joining a contender, he just wants New York to be transparent with their plans for him, as Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post writes. That sentiment was also expressed by former Giants like Landon Collins and Odell Beckham Jr., who both felt as though Shurmur and GM Dave Gettleman were not straightforward with them. Dunleavy names the Chiefs as a potential landing spot for Jenkins.
- Interest remains heavy on Broncos vets Chris Harris Jr. and Derek Wolfe, as La Canfora writes. Denver is open to moving Harris and Wolfe, and rival GMs expect the Broncos to make those trades happen.
NFL Workout Updates: 10/25/19
We’ll keep track of today’s workouts here:
Houston Texans
- DB Picasso Nelson, DB Trevor Williams
New York Jets
- DE Quinton Bell, LB Ukeme Eligwe C Leo Koloamatangi
San Francisco 49ers
Washington Redskins
- LB Tashawn Bower, TE Rico Gathers, LB Porter Gustin, DE Dewayne Hendrix, TE Gabe Holmes, QB Chase Litton, LB Carroll Phillips, TE Will Tye, TE Clive Walford
Redskins’ Prez: “We’ve Heard From Every Agent”
The Redskins’ internal drama has been well-documented, but team president Bruce Allen claims that he’s heard from “every agent” for head coaching candidates regarding the vacancy (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Andrea Kremer). 
[RELATED: Trent Williams To Report By Week 10?]
“Let’s just say we’ve heard from every agent,” Allen said. “They found our phone number.”
The Redskins have seen the postseason since their 2015 playoff exit against the Packers in the Wild Card round. This year, they canned Jay Gruden after an 0-5 start that dropped his career record to 35-49. When Gruden was fired, he was reportedly happy to be moving on from the team and an apparently toxic relationship with club management.
When asked about the Gruden divorce, Allen was terse, to say the least.
“We HAD to fire Jay,” he said (via Kremer, emphasis hers). “The team wasn’t responding.”
There are, at least, two candidates currently in the mix for the Redskins job: interim head coach Bill Callahan and offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell. The Redskins are expected to consider both men for the post before potentially casting a wider net in December.