Best potential Trent Williams trade partners for Redskins to look into
Cleveland Browns
At one point, it seemed like the Browns were a shoo-in to land Williams. They even reportedly offered a first-round pick for him at one point. Had the Redskins traded him, they’d have possession of that first-round pick, which currently sits at No. 10 overall.
But Bruce Allen declined to trade Williams. And now, it seems likely that the team will get less than that for him.
That said, it’s not a foregone conclusion that they won’t get a first-rounder for Williams’ services. As Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com notes, the Browns may have to consider giving up their first-round pick to land Williams.
"The Browns will likely also have to weigh giving up the No. 10 overall pick for Williams as opposed to drafting one of the top blindside protectors in this tackle-rich draft, but ideally they’d keep their first-round pick."
Frankly speaking though, it would be shocking if Williams could still fetch that price especially considering that the Redskins no longer have leverage in any trade talks, as it’s clear Williams wants out and there isn’t a time crunch (i.e. trade deadline) coming soon to drive up the price. Maybe there’s a chance that a team like Miami would consider giving up the 26th pick, their third first-round pick, in exchange for him. But getting a top-10 pick? That’d take a lot of work.
The Browns would certainly be interested in giving up a package centered around the 41st overall pick in the draft, and maybe they’d consider giving tight end David Njoku a change of scenery. They have the cap space needed to sign Williams to an extension and he’d be a massive upgrade at left tackle. They could then target a right tackle in the 2020 NFL Draft and may be in position to land one at No. 10 overall.
If the Browns can upgrade those two spots, that would go a long way toward ensuring that Baker Mayfield stays upright and has enough time to throw this season. That was one of the biggest issues with him last season, getting scared in the pocket and being unable to complete easy throws. And the overall shape of the offensive line before last season was one of the reasons that many felt the Browns were being overhyped heading into the 2020 season.