Browns still reportedly in on Trent Williams but ‘nothing is imminent’

The Washington Redskins could trade Trent Williams on Draft Day. And if so, the Cleveland Browns could be interested in his services.

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. If the Washington Redskins trade Trent Williams, the Cleveland Browns are expected to be interested in acquiring him.

Since Williams began his holdout in the summer of 2019, Williams has been tied to the Browns. Cleveland has had a hole at the left tackle position since the retirement of Joe Thomas. And they still have one. They signed Jack Conklin in free agency to shore up the right tackle position, but they’ve yet to add a player that should find success on the left side.

Williams could be that guy. And that’s why it’s no surprise that the Browns are potentially interested in trading for Williams this weekend, per ESPN’s Josina Anderson.

Of course, the wording here is important. “Nothing is imminent.” “Something still may, or may not happen [with] Williams.” In essence, the Browns are interested. But nobody has any clue if a deal will get done. That’s thanks to two factors.

The first would apparently be on the Redskins’ side of things. They apparently want a second-round pick for Williams which would just about match what the Houston Texans got in the Duane Brown deal a few years back. On the surface, that makes sense.

That said, the Redskins have less leverage than the Texans did considering that Williams has vowed never to play in Washington again and sat out all of last season. That has driven down Williams’ value a bit along with some injuries and suspensions he has dealt with over the course of the past few seasons. And also, he’s due for a big, new contract, so that’s working against the Redskins as well, as teams will only want to spend so many resources on Williams.

The other part of this is that the Browns could opt to take a tackle prospect with the 10th overall pick. The 2020 NFL Draft class is loaded at the tackle position and one of the quadrumvirate of Tristan Wirfs, Jedrick Wills, Andrew Thomas, and Mekhi Becton should be on the board.

But if a  top-tier prospect at another position falls into their laps, like Isaiah Simmons or one of the top defensive tackle prospects this year, perhaps they’d be more willing to consider passing on a tackle, trading for Williams, and spending a later pick on a developmental swing option. They could also target a receiver if they are serious about moving Odell Beckham Jr.

The Browns are certainly a team to watch given their interest in Williams over the course of the past year. And especially so when considering former Redskins GM Scot McCloughan’s thoughts on Williams compared to the other tackles in the draft.

"He’d be the first tackle taken this year in the draft, hands down, . . . even at his age. You know what you got. You bring him in, you’re going to get three to four years out of him, and it’s going to be Pro Bowl years. He’s legit one of the top five tackles in the NFL, hands down, right now. … He’s a great guy and a great teammate. Players love being around him."

This is notable because McCloughan did some consulting work for the Browns in 2018. Even though they’ve had some front-office turnover, perhaps some still there value his opinion.

Should Cleveland deal for Williams, it probably won’t happen until after they’ve made their first-round selection. We’ll keep an eye on them and Williams in the coming days as the Williams saga may finally come to an end.