1. Washington Redskins OT Trent Williams
New Redskins’ head coach Ron Rivera is doing what he can to repair the team’s relationship with Williams. But the seven-time Pro Bowler has told the team he wants a new contract or to be traded.
After sitting out all of last season, the rest vs. rust discussion clearly applies to the 31-year old Williams (32 in July). He also hasn’t played a full 16-game season since 2013, with two suspensions for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
But even if Williams is not quite what he was going forward, 80-85 percent of that previous player is still in line to be one of the best left tackles in the NFL. If they wind up trading him, the Redskins are surely going to want a first-round pick and more.
None of the $12.5 million base salary Williams is due this year, the final year of his contract if that wasn’t clear, is guaranteed. That may be driving his desire for a new contract as much as anything, alongside actual dollars in a new deal.
An aggressive trade scenario for the Vikings here is also very simple–wide receiver Stefon Diggs, whose level of happiness in Minnesota has come to the surface again, for Williams in a 1-for-1 deal. The 2020 cap hits for the two players is the same ($14.5 million), and on March 20 Diggs’ $10.9 million base salary for this year becomes guaranteed. Maybe a swap of future draft picks could be worked in.
More likely though, the Vikings would part with a first-round pick and a conditional later pick to bring Williams aboard. As with almost any trade they could make there will be some salary cap gymnastics to do, and what would be done with current left tackle Riley Reiff is a big question (A position switch to left guard? A contract restructuring? Cut him outright?).
Williams would fortify the Vikings most critical weakness, however things had to be shifted around to accommodate his presence at left tackle. It may be far-fetched, but the idea of getting him has to be on the radar.
