Trent Williams appears hell-bent on departing the nation’s capital, but don’t expect the seven-time Pro Bowl selection to wind up in Foxboro.
Williams, whose relationship with the Redskins reportedly is “fractured,” continues to hold out of Washington’s training camp with no end in sight. His absence from summer practices has prompted speculation the Redskins might try to trade the 31-year-old, and the New England Patriots quickly emerged as a potential landing spot.
The hypothetical made sense. Isaiah Wynn, a 2018 first-round pick, was supposed to be New England’s starting left tackle last season but lost his entire rookie campaign due to a torn Achilles. Furthermore, the Patriots gained the financial means to put themselves in position to pursue Williams by “extending” Tom Brady, which freed up a reported $5 million in cap space.
But despite these factors and more, it sounds like we shouldn’t expect New England to make a run at Williams.
The Redskins reportedly wouldn’t settle for anything less than a first-round pick for Williams, who has two years remaining on his current contract. It would be pretty uncharacteristic of the Patriots to part ways with such a high-end asset, even for a player of Williams’ caliber. And as Yates notes, New England seems awfully high on Wynn’s potential.
So, where might Williams wind up? Peter King, for one, believes the Houston Texans “need” to find a way to acquire the 2010 No. 4 overall pick.
