WHAT A DAY
Lynch works trade magic for Staley’s replacement
The 49ers were operating in the shadows and emerged Saturday morning with a new left tackle, acquired for pennies on the dollar.
Trent Williams is one of the finest offensive linemen in the NFL and a perfect fit for Kyle Shanahan’s wide-zone scheme (which he ran for Shanahan once upon a time). Saturday morning, the Niners traded away their fifth-round draft pick in this draft and a third-round draft pick in next year’s draft to acquire Williams from Washington.
The value of what the Niners received from Washington in comparison to what they sent East is comically incommensurate. A tackle of this caliber should be worth a first-round pick.
On the standard NFL draft pick value chart, a first-round pick — at least the kind that could have been fair for Williams — would have cost between 600 and 1,000 “points.” The Niners sent picks worth an estimated 100 points to Washington.
How did they get away with that kind of robbery?
Well, Williams was effectively retired — refusing to play for Washington without a new contract and changes to the team’s training staff. He also, reportedly, vetoed a trade to Minnesota (another wide-zone scheme team) in the past few days.
Much in the same way Rob Gronkowski was traded from New England to Tampa Bay for a fourthround pick this week, Williams picked his destination — San Francisco — and Washington, not wanting to lose a player of his caliber for nothing at the end of this season (his holdout was likely to continue) had little leverage to extract a fair-market value in trading him.
The peculiarity of the circumstance in Washington allowed the Niners to land an All-pro-caliber offensive linemen for forgettable draft capital — picks that, barring a miracle, wouldn’t have been able to net a player like Williams had they been used by San Francisco.
Williams’ acquisition only bolsters the Niners’ aspirations to return to the Super Bowl this upcoming season. It’s a win-now move
for a team that has no reason to think it shouldn’t be winning now.
For that alone, the trade is a win for San Francisco.
Williams is also coming in to replace veteran left tackle Joe Staley, who announced his retirement on Saturday.
In the immediate aftermath of the trade, Niners fans were no doubt salivating — a front five of Staley, Laken Tomlinson, Weston Richburg, Mike Mcglinchey and Williams would have been dominant.
Staley — a six-time Pro Bowler who was a member of the NFL’S All-decade team — dealt with serious injuries for the first time in his career last year and had been subject to retirement rumors for months. There were plenty of people around the Niners and the league who thought that he’s had taken his last snap for San Francisco.
But Niners fans were fair to think that the Williams trade was a case of the rich getting richer.
Before the NFL Draft, Niners general manager John Lynch said that the team had “kept in good contact” with Staley.
“He’s doing his typical routine down with his family in San Diego working out. We’re encouraged. We’ve heard nothing that would lead us to believe that Joe’s not going to play. We’re encouraged with that and we’ll see where that goes,” Lynch said.
It was all a smokescreen. Staley’s delay in announcing his retirement helped the Niners acquire his replacement. The team’s passing on elite offensive line prospects in the first round of the draft could have been a hint, but amid the relative chaos of a virtual draft, the Niners were able to clandestinely orchestrate a blockbuster deal for a younger player that could be considered an upgrade to Staley.
Financially, acquiring Williams is made far easier — perhaps possible — by Staley’s retirement. Williams is on the final year of his Washington contract, worth $12.5 million against the cap in 2020, but, again, is seeking a new deal. With Laremy Tunsil agreeing to a contract worth $22 million per season with the Texans this week, Williams’ already big cut of the salary cap could increase moving forward. Still, expect the Niners to immediately engage in contract extension talks with Williams.
Taking on Williams’ contract and then giving him a likely raise would have been difficult with Staley on the roster, as he has cap hits of $11.5 million and $12.5 million in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Those come off the Niners books with a retirement.
I don’t believe there’s any reason to be skeptical of a contract extension for Williams, though. He goes months without allowing sacks (he’s allowed four in his last three seasons, per Stats Perform) and in 6117 offensive line snaps in the NFL, has been called for holding 25 times. And coming off a sabbatical year, he has maintained his weight (an issue for many offensive linemen who take time away from the league) and should be healthier than the average veteran offensive linemen as he comes West. If he’s healthy and motivated, he can be dominant.
Perhaps the rich did get richer.
GRADE: A+
There were four — perhaps five — elite offensive line prospects in this NFL Draft. With luck, hard work, and good coaching, they might have developed into what Trent Williams is today in a few years.
Simply put, the Niners gave up very little to acquire arguably the best player to be drafted or acquired during the draft. A tailor-made replacement for Joe Staley and — not to besmirch the likely retired — probably an upgrade, the acquisition of Williams is, unquestionably, the best-case scenario for the Niners, with the only caveat being that they will now have to find a way to pay the big man.