It didn't take long for teams to start lining up in an effort to land longtime Washington Redskins left tackle Trent Williams. A day after Washington reportedly granted Williams permission to seek a trade out of D.C., the Cleveland Browns have apparently already put the seven-time Pro Bowler on their radar. And now, according to multiple reports, the Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans and New York Jets are among other clubs in on the Williams sweepstakes, eyeing a potential trade for the lineman ahead of 2020 free agency.
The Athletic's Connor Hughes reported Friday that New York is pursuing a deal for Williams, and hours later, The Athletic Redskins beat writer Ben Standig said both the Cardinals and Texans "have expressed interest" in acquiring the tackle.
As soon as Williams hit the trading block, the Jets emerged as a logical landing spot for the 31-year-old tackle. New York's current left tackle, 30-year-old Kelvin Beachum, is on track to hit the open market later this month after missing three games in 2019 and battling injuries for much of the rest of the year. General manager Joe Douglas is also no stranger to investing in older bookends, helping the Philadelphia Eagles re-sign the currently 38-year-old offensive tackle Jason Peters on multiple occasions during his tenure under Howie Roseman. The Jets also boast more than an estimated $55 million in salary cap space entering the new league year.
The Cardinals figure to be in the market for O-line help in order to protect second-year quarterback Kyler Murray. They're also not hurting for cap space with nearly $40 million at their disposal ahead of free agency. But it remains to be seen how, if at all, they'd be able to incorporate Williams considering they just weeks ago handed a three-year, $45 million extension to their own left tackle, 26-year-old D.J. Humphries. A former first-round draft pick, Humphries began his NFL career at right tackle but has been on the left side since late 2016, and it's unlikely Arizona gave him $29 million guaranteed to re-learn his old role.
Like Arizona, the Texans could also stand to bolster OL depth for Deshaun Watson, and they've got more than $60 million to spend, not to mention a recent reputation for bold trades. And yet they're less than a year removed from dealing for another big-name LT in Laremy Tunsil. On the other side of the line, they just this past year invested a first-round pick in Tytus Howard.
