49ERS BIG WINNERS
The San Francisco 49ers came out the big winners in the trade for former OU star Trent Williams
The Washington Redskins' Trent Williams saga came to an end Saturday after a trade with the San Francisco 49ers on Day 3 of the NFL draft.
The deal gives the seven-time Pro Bowler both the liberation and championship-caliber team he desperately craved. Meanwhile, the Redskins and their fans are left with feelings of resignation, disappointment and bitterness as the longtime franchise cornerstone and fan favorite departed for paltry compensation — a 2020 fifth-round pick and 2021 third-rounder.
Both parties should count their blessings that the dispute is over. The divorce is at least seven months overdue.
But had the Redskins pulled the plug on the soured relationship when they first had the chance, they could have received handsome compensation that would have greatly assisted in the rebuild of an organization that is again hitting the reset button after missing the playoffs for the 16th time in the last two decades.
Since-fired team president Bruce Allen badly botched the situation last fall when multiple teams expressed willingness to fork over premium draft picks for Williams at the trade deadline. So determined to win the staredown with Williams, Allen killed Washington's leverage and hamstrung the franchise for years to come. Quite the parting gift.
Regardless of which side you backed amid Williams' push for a contract extension and subsequent allegations that team officials dismissed the severity of his cancer scare, even after the tumor removed from his scalp was deemed malignant, there's no denying how badly Washington misplayed this.
A first- or secondround pick, which was possible compensation last fall, would have equipped Washington to acquire a much more highly-rated a replacement for the former Oklahoma star than LSU's Saadhiq Charles, whom they drafted in the fourth round.
But instead, Washington very well could have to use an early-round pick in next year's draft to find their long-term answer at left tackle if Charles doesn't pan out.
Give credit to Washington's new regime, led by coach Ron Rivera and vice president of player personnel Kyle Smith, for managing to get multiple picks for Williams and finally ridding the franchise of the dark cloud that the situation created.
But the only real winners in this situation are Williams and the 49ers.
This is a steal of a deal for the Super Bowl runner-ups.
With 13-year veteran Joe Staley due to retire amid health concerns, Williams slides right in and represents an upgrade. The seventime Pro Bowler possesses a combination of athleticism, physicality and smarts that few at his position can match. NFL pass-rushers often describe him as a nightmare matchup.
Opponents and teammates alike marvel at Williams' toughness and ability to play through the many injuries that he sustained during his career.
In Williams, the 49ers also are getting a player with whom they have great familiarity. Head coach Kyle Shanahan served as Washington's offensive coordinator in 2010 when his father, Mike Shanahan, drafted the Oklahoma product with the No. 4 overall. San Francisco's running backs coach Bobby Turner, who is heavily involved in the planning of the 49ers' rushing attack, held the same title in Washington in 2010, and run game coordinator Mike McDaniel also was a member of that Redskins staff. The pre-existing relationships will give
Williams additional comfort.
Williams had no hard feelings toward Rivera, or even to Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, whom he said was sympathetic upon learning of his cancer scare.
But the damage was done. Williams needed a fresh start, and in that next chapter of his career, he badly wanted the chance to contend for a Super Bowl, an opportunity his nine seasons in Washington rarely ever offered. At 31 and nine seasons in, enduring another rebuild was unappealing.
Now, he starts anew with a team that ranks among the best in the NFC. He joins an organization devoid of the dysfunction, conflicting philosophies, everchanging approaches and distractions that have become synonymous with the Redskins in the last 20 years. And after a year on the sideline, his body has had time to heal from whatever lingering ailments plagued him last year.
Williams' contract status remains unresolved. He has one season remaining on his deal, which the 49ers could rework or extend. Williams, however, always maintained that his dispute with the Redskins wasn't just about the money. More than anything, he wanted peace of mind and organizational stability.
Williams appears to be positioned for a happy ending. And although this will sting for a while for the Redskins, their franchise also is better off now while also being positioned to move on from yet another embarrassing chapter.