Redskins: Five biggest cut day surprises in Washington
By Ian Cummings
No. 2 – The Redskins stood idly by as Houston got fleeced for a tackle
This one stings. Of all the blunders by the Redskins current front office (and there are many), this entire situation might go down as one of the worse ones. Not the worst. But missing out on value for pride alone always spells trouble, and it’s that kind of leadership that keeps franchises from ever reaching their goals.
A few days ago, Bruce Allen appeared on camera and, with blissful ignorance, spoke of how he expected Trent Williams to come back and play football in Washington. Cut day has passed, and theres’ still no sign of the Redskins stalwart tackle. And at the same time, trade prospects are drying up with unforgiving quickness.
The Houston Texans had long been considered the top theoretical trade partner for Washington, in a supposed deal including Trent Williams. The Texans were one of the only teams in the league with Washington’s specific needs in a partner: The Texans had a pressing need at tackle, they have head coach Bill O’Brien in over his head as general manager, and they’re competing for it all in Deshaun Watson’s window, therefore magnifying their willingness to be aggressive.
At the end, none of this theorizing mattered, because Williams wasn’t shipped to Houston. Instead, the Dolphins shipped off Laremy Tunsil. For Tunsil, and some other items of lesser value, the Dolphins essentially received two first-round picks and a second-round pick.
Seriously, how hard could it have been for Bruce Allen to get in on that?
“Hey, is this Bill? Listen Bill, I wanna know what the Dolphins are asking for. Okay, cut that in half, and I’ll give you seven-time Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams. Great, pleasure doing business with you.”
Maybe that’s not how it would’ve gone word for word, but that’s a good place to start. Months ago, getting a second-round pick for Williams was far-fetched. And now, the Redskins stood idly by while an opportunity to get a first-round pick, at the very least, slipped through their fingers. It’s a decision that will cost them dearly, if Williams’ holdout is indeed as terminal as it seems.