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How Trent Williams’ holdout could impact the Redskins in training camp

By Jacob Camenker

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 23: Trent Williams #71 of the Washington Redskins enters the field to take on the Philadelphia Eagles during their game at Lincoln Financial Field on October 23, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 23: Trent Williams #71 of the Washington Redskins enters the field to take on the Philadelphia Eagles during their game at Lincoln Financial Field on October 23, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – OCTOBER 04: Trent Williams #71 of the Washington Redskins celebrates after beating the Philadelphia Eagles 23-20 at FedExField on October 4, 2015 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Evan Habeeb/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – OCTOBER 04: Trent Williams #71 of the Washington Redskins celebrates after beating the Philadelphia Eagles 23-20 at FedExField on October 4, 2015 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Evan Habeeb/Getty Images) /

The impact Williams’ holdout could have on the Redskins

If Williams doesn’t return before the start of the regular season, the Redskins are going to be very thin at tackle. On the right side, they will be set, as they have Morgan Moses. Moses has started all 16 games in each of the past four seasons and has been one of the more solid right tackles in the league.

But beyond Moses, there is a lot of uncertainty.

With Williams out, former 2018 third-round pick Geron Christian will be the starter at left tackle. And that’s a big risk. While the Redskins invested a Day 2 pick in Christian, he didn’t look ready for the NFL last season. He struggled in the preseason and barely played in the regular season before suffering a season-ending knee injury. He was limited in OTAs and minicamp this year as a result, so he’s still coming back from that as well. The team will probably keep a close eye on him in training camp, as they won’t want their projected swing tackle to reaggravate that injury.

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And if you thought the dropoff from Williams and Moses to Christian was big, just check out the dropoff after that. The team’s fourth tackle is likely to be a battle between human turnstile Ereck Flowers, who the team wants to move to guard but may have to play at tackle because of their lack of depth, and a plethora of unproven, undrafted players like Tyler Catalina, Timon Parris, Brian Wallace, and Blake Hance. It’s possible that one could emerge as a solid contributor, but at this point in time, that is far from a guarantee.

Of the bunch, Catalina and Parris have the most experience in the Redskins system with two and one years on the squad respectively. Catalina got some praise during OTAs, so maybe he is making the leap.

In terms of actual NFL experience, Flowers has the most with 59 games (55 starts) mostly at left tackle. But again, he has struggled immensely at that position and the team wants to move him to left guard. So, he can’t be counted on.

Unless one of the Redskins’ deep backups shows very well, the team won’t be in good shape without Williams. Trusting one as a fourth tackle is one thing. But utilizing one as a swing tackle, even in the preseason, could be a disaster as the team looks to protect their rookie quarterback, Dwayne Haskins (or whoever the starter may be).

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