“No End In Sight” To Trent Williams Holdout
Redskins left tackle Trent Williams is holding out of training camp due to several issues. One, he remains frustrated with Washington’s medical staff because he believes it was not attentive enough to a lump on his head that turned out to be a pre-cancerous growth (Williams ultimately was diagnosed by his own doctors after the 2018 season and had multiple surgeries to have the growth removed).
Second, he wants a new contract, though his current deal still has two years and $24MM remaining. Obviously, the medical issue appears to be spilled milk at this point, but Washington could assuage Williams’ lingering frustrations and get him back in camp if it were to address his contract in some way (extension, pay raise, etc.).
However, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link) says that the situation between player and team has not changed at all, so there is no end in sight to Williams’ holdout. Until something happens on the contract front, RapSheet does not expect Williams to report. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports goes one step further, reiterating his previous report that the relationship between Williams and the Redskins is “totally fractured” and that Williams has indicated he has no intention of playing for Washington again (Twitter link).
Washington is not exactly favored to take home the NFC East crown this year, but not having Williams would be hugely detrimental to the club’s chances of contending. Williams hasn’t played a full season since 2013 and has missed 13 games over the last three years, but he is still an elite LT when on the field. If the Redskins turn to their QB-of-the-future, Dwayne Haskins, at some point this year, they would love to have Williams protecting his blindside.
We also heard earlier this week that a trade or release could be in the cards if the two sides cannot find some common ground.
Redskins To Sign OT Corey Robinson
The Redskins are adding some offensive line depth. The team is signing offensive tackle Corey Robinson, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link). 
Trent Williams didn’t report to training camp and his status with the team is uncertain at best, so it makes sense why they made the move. It’s unclear if this will impact their interest in free agent tackle Donald Penn, who we heard yesterday they planned on working out. In a separate tweet, Keim writes that sources told him there’s “still a chance” the team signs Penn.
Robinson originally entered the league as a seventh-round pick of the Lions back in 2015. He spent the next three seasons with Detroit, and started eight games for them between 2016 and 2017. He got traded to the Panthers just before the start of last season, but was released a few weeks later. He was picked up by the Jaguars in November, and ended up starting a game for them.
The Redskins lost swing tackle Ty Nsekhe in free agency this offseason, which makes the Williams situation all the more unsettling for them. Williams is apparently seeking a new contract, and hopefully they can get him back in the fold soon. Ideally, Robinson won’t be seeing the field very much.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/25/19
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived/injured: WR Quincy Adeboyejo
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: LS Dan Godsil
- Waived: WR Kermit Whitfield
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: S Fish Smithson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: T.J. Green
- Waived/injured: DL Kenny Bigelow, WR Chad Hansen
New York Jets
- Waived: DL Fred Jones
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: CB Alex Brown
- Waived/injured: OL Erik Magnuson
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: S Damon Webb
Washington Redskins
- Signed: RB Shaun Wilson
- Waived: T Brian Wallace
Donald Penn To Visit Redskins
Not much has transpired on the Donald Penn front since the Raiders released him. Trent Williams‘ holdout looks to have changed that. The Redskins will host the former Raiders and Buccaneers tackle on a visit, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Penn will work out for the team, John Keim of ESPN.com tweets.
The Raiders cut Penn more than four months ago, and other than some interest from the Texans, the 36-year-old blocker has experienced a quiet free agency stay. Washington, though, may be ready to move on bringing in a Williams replacement/stopgap. It could also be an attempt to bring the holdout back into the fold.
Washington expressed interest in Penn during his 2014 free agency, Mike Jones of USA Today tweets. Redskins president Bruce Allen was with the Bucs when they drafted Penn.
Penn profiles as a far more proven player than Ereck Flowers, who slid over to left tackle during Washington’s minicamp. Flowers has struggled at tackle throughout his career, and although the Redskins were planning to try him at guard, it looks like they will keep him on the edge for the time being, Jay Gruden said (via Les Carpenter of the Washington Post, on Twitter).
The Raiders deployed Penn as their left tackle starter for four seasons, then moved him to the right side for what turned out to be a short stay. An early-season injury shelved Penn for most of the 2018 season. Prior to that, he had started 174 of a possible 176 regular-season games since entering the league in 2007.
While the Williams situation is unique, based on the 10th-year tackle being at odds with the Redskins because of their handling of an injury, Penn has been through multiple holdouts in recent years. It’s interesting another standout’s absence could create an opportunity for Penn.
It makes sense for the Redskins to protect themselves at left tackle, but Penn coming in would point to the team considering a Williams trade. The Redskins can begin fining their nine-year left-edge blocker, who also wants a new contract, for camp absences. Williams’ contract demand also comes after he has missed extensive time in recent seasons. Regardless, Washington’s left tackle spot remains in flux. Penn’s involvement complicates this situation further.
Trent Williams Does Not Report To Training Camp
Redskins LT Trent Williams did not report for training camp today, as John Keim of ESPN.com writes. This was the expected outcome after a report on Monday indicated that Williams would stay away from the team.
We kept hearing that Williams did not like how the Redskins handled his “medical situation,” and Keim says that Williams had a growth removed from his head this offseason and was upset with how many years it took for Washington to address the situation. However, a team source said the Redskins did make appointments for him over the years, but Williams did not keep the appointments.
Williams is also angling for a new contract, and Keim says it’s uncertain whether the club is willing to extend the former first-rounder’s deal — which has two years left — or guarantee some of the remaining money on the deal. The ESPN scribe also suggests that Washington could cut or trade Williams, though a trade likely wouldn’t happen until just before the season.
For what it’s worth, Redskins head coach Jay Gruden is optimistic that Williams will be back soon. Gruden said, “We expect him here shortly. Right now, there are some things he has to work out individually, personally, with his agent … whatever that may be. Love Trent, love what he’s done for this franchise and this team.”
Redskins Release Mason Foster
The Redskins released Mason Foster on Tuesday (Twitter link via Erin Hawksworth). The news comes as a surprise, especially since inside linebacker Reuben Foster won’t be able to play in 2019. 
[RELATED: Reuben Foster Done For Season]
Foster started in 16 games for the Redskins last year and was expected to return to first-string duties following R. Foster’s leg injury. Still, the team had concerns about M. Foster’s ability to play in nickel sets, which may have led to his release.
The 30-year-old tallied 131 tackles, two interceptions, and one sack last season. He’ll now be free to sign with another club as an unrestricted free agent and he likely won’t be out of work for long. By releasing Foster, the Redskins will save $4MM against just $250K in dead money.
Mark Sanchez Retires From NFL
Mark Sanchez is trading in his helmet for a headset. The former Jets, Cowboys, and Redskins quarterback will retire from the NFL to become a college football analyst for ABC and ESPN, according to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post. 
Sanchez, 32, spent ten years in the NFL. His most notable run at quarterback came with the Jets, where he began his career with back-to-back AFC Championship Games under Rex Ryan. Ryan was especially fond of Sanchez and even got a tattoo of his wife wearing Sanchez’s No. 6 jersey.
Sanchez may be best remembered these days for the “butt fumble,” but his early accomplishments should not be discounted. The former No. 5 overall pick was a quality young leader for those early Jets teams and enjoyed a multi-year run as a New York media darling.
Now, the USC product will relive his other glory days in the broadcast booth. We here at PFR wish Sanchez the best in retirement.
Redskins’ Trent Williams Won’t Report
Redskins left tackle Trent Williams is not expected to report to training camp with the rest of his teammates this week, sources tell Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Williams did not report for minicamp in June, so this does not come as a total surprise. 
Williams is dissatisfied with the Redskins’ handling of his medical situation, but he’s also seeking a new contract that pays him as a top player at his position. He continues to be a top performer, though he still has two years to go on his deal and his recently injury trouble may be a concern to the team.
The Redskins extended Williams in 2015 with a five-year, $66MM deal that made him the NFL’s highest-paid tackle. From a AAV standpoint, his contract has not been significantly diminished by recent tackle deals. The 31-year-old still sits seventh among tackles at $13.2MM per year, and $24MM remains on the contract. However, the contract the Raiders gave Trent Brown did change the marketplace a bit. The $16.5MM-AAV pact for a non-Pro Bowler was eye-opening, but the Raiders had plenty of cap space and spent it wildly this offseason.
Redskins president Bruce Allen addressed the situation but declined to go into detail. The longtime Washington executive did say he has spoken with Williams a few times this year.
“I know what Trent told me so I know what the truth is,” Allen said earlier this year. “I’ll leave my conversation with Trent between the two of us. Trent has been a valuable player for us and that’s why we signed him to the contract he has.”
Redskins Eyeing Big Role For Harvey-Clemons?
- The Redskins tabbed Reuben Foster to be a three-down linebacker for them, but following his ACL tear, the team does not have a surefire full-time linebacker. While J.P. Finlay of NBC Sports Washington notes Mason Foster will reprise his role as a starter, it is not certain if he will play consistently in nickel sets. Pro Football Focus did not grade Foster as a solid coverage ‘backer last season. However, the Redskins may have a nickel answer in third-year man Josh Harvey-Clemons. The team plans to use the former Louisville safety as a passing-downs linebacker, Finlay adds. A former seventh-round pick, Harvey-Clemons played just 196 snaps last season.
Nicholson Favorite For Redskins FS Job?
- Several Redskins players missed out on some cash this offseason. By either not showing up, in Trent Williams‘ case, to the offseason program (or failing to be there for 90% of it), Williams, Josh Norman, Landon Collins, Paul Richardson, Quinton Dunbar and Vernon Davis missed out on some bonus cash, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Norman led the way on this front, seeing $200K docked from his 2019 salary. Collins was docked $175K, with Williams and Richardson down $150K.
- Staying with Washington, their free safety job still figures to be Montae Nicholson‘s to lose, J.P. Finlay of NBC Sports Washington notes. This comes despite the Redskins suspending him in December, for an off-field arrest that resulted in dropped charges, and Jay Gruden expressing annoyance Nicholson missed the early portion of Redskins OTAs. Washington did not draft a safety, and Pro Football Focus graded Nicholson as its fifth-worst back-line defender last season. Still, Finlay expects the third-year player to have a major say in who starts alongside Collins.