The Washington Redskins appear to be on the verge of trading Trent Williams and have plenty of teams vying for his services. The Cleveland Browns have been the team linked to Williams for quite some time, but the Washington Post is reporting the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets are also among the teams showing the most interest in the seven-time Pro Bowl left tackle.
Cleveland, the fourth team that has shown significant interest, has competition for Williams. Washington has been asking for a second-round pick, but has been willing to compromise with teams that are offering the Redskins picks in the mid-to-late rounds. The Redskins haven't been able to deal Williams to this point because teams haven't been able to reach a new deal with the offensive tackle, who has one-year and $14.5 million remaining on his contract.
The Eagles are considered a surprise suitor for Williams, considering they are in the same division as the Redskins and have a left tackle they traded up for in the first round of last year's draft in Andre Dillard. Pro Football Talk has reported there is "zero truth" in the Eagles' interest in Williams.
Could Washington be using Philadelphia in an attempt to drive up the trade price? There's some merit to that theory, but it's worth noting Eagles general manager Howie Roseman never had a face-to-face interview with Dillard prior to last year's draft and Philadelphia thought he would never be on the board at No. 22 when the franchise traded up to select him. Per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Dillard struggled to adapt to the city of Philadelphia and the NFL locker room. That could play a factor if the Eagles did inquire about Williams.
Cleveland has been interested in a trade for Williams for some time and former Redskins head coach Bill Callahan is the Browns' offensive line coach. Callahan was the Redskins' offensive line coach from 2015 to 2018, helping Williams earn four consecutive Pro Bowl selections and establishing him as one of the best left tackles in the game. So it appears Williams would be a natural fit to join the Browns. ESPN's Josina Anderson has reported "everything is still open at this point" regarding Williams and the Browns.
The Jets have committed toward revamping their offensive line this offseason, signing Greg Van Roten, Connor McGovern, George Fant, Alex Lewis and Josh Andrews tin free agency. Williams would complete the revamp as the protector of Sam Darnold's blind side.
The Vikings have Riley Reiff at left tackle, but Williams would be an immediate upgrade there. Minnesota could move Reiff to right tackle (where he played in 2016 with the Detroit Lions). Reiff has two years and $27.15 million remaining on his contract, but Minnesota could save $8.8 million in cap space if the Vikings were to release him.
The market is heating up for Williams, as the seven-time Pro Bowler appears close to finding a new home. Williams' saga with the Redskins may have finally reached its conclusion.
