Trent Williams’ Window To Find A Trade Rumored To Be Closed By Washington Redskins

Trent Williams has supposedly been told by the Washington Redskins that his window to seek a trade has closed, according to a new report by NFL insider Mike Garafolo that he posted to Twitter Wednesday morning.

Garafolo said his sources told him the team wants “full control” of the situation as they head into the draft. The analyst pointed out this is often the norm in these types of situations.

The Redskins have spent the better part of the last year trying to work out a deal for Williams. The offensive lineman made it quite clear his treatment by the team was unwelcome and he wanted a change of scenery. After the franchise was unsuccessful in coming to an agreement with a trade partner, it told Williams he and his agent could attempt to find a deal.

With the NFL Draft kicking off on Thursday, the team wants to make sure all talks go through the front office, especially since those talks could come down to the final seconds of a selection window.

While it’s not clear what teams have had the most contact with Williams and the Redskins, the Cleveland Browns are thought to have shown the most interest in a deal. For the second-straight offseason, the Browns reworked their roster both on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

Analysts believe one final piece of the puzzle would be getting an offensive lineman who could protect quarterback Baker Mayfield’s blindside. Williams fits that mold.

When healthy, the offensive lineman is considered among the best in the NFL at his position. The flip side of that consideration is that he hasn’t been truly healthy for several years. Williams claims he is back to normal and ready to go for whatever team takes him away from the Redskins.

Most in and around Cleveland believe the holdup for a deal has been the Browns hoping the asking price from the Redskins goes down. As is the case with most players who voice their desire to leave a team, there has been a “wait and see” attitude from other NFL teams who hope Washington will abandon hope of a trade and outright release the player.

At that point, the cost of acquiring the offensive lineman would merely be money, rather than another player or draft pick. As the Redskins retake the helm in trade negotiations, it appears the team still believes it can acquire something of value for him on draft day.