Isaiah Wynn appears on track to start at left tackle this season, but that apparently hasn’t stopped the New England Patriots from looking to upgrade at the position.
The Patriots offered a 2020 first-round draft pick to the Washington Redskins in exchange for Pro Bowl tackle Trent Williams but were rebuffed, according to reports Thursday from Kevin Sheehan of The Team 980 and JP Findlay of NBC Sports Washington.
Per the reports, the Redskins wanted more for Williams, who currently is holding out for a new contract. It’s unclear when this trade offer was made. Earlier reports indicated the Patriots were not expected to pursue the 31-year-old.
Williams is one of the NFL’s premier left tackles, earning Pro Bowl selections in each of the last seven seasons. That position has been a major question mark for the Patriots, following Trent Brown’s decision to sign with the Oakland Raiders for big money in free agency.
Wynn’s progress has provided reasons for optimism, however. The Patriots took it slowly with their top 2018 draft pick after he missed his entire rookie season with a torn Achilles, but Wynn returned to game action Saturday against the Tennessee Titans and looked sharp, playing 19 offensive snaps without allowing a pressure.
Wynn is expected to start at left tackle again when the Patriots host the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night in Week 3 of the preseason. Dan Skipper currently is the leading candidate for the backup swing tackle spot, with Cole Croston also in the mix.
UPDATE (12:09 p.m. ET): A source told NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport that the report of the Redskins turning down a first-round pick for Williams was “unequivocally not true.”
