Why Trent Williams Could Stay With the 49ers
Trent Williams is poised for an enormous payout in free agency.
And even though the salary cap space for the 49ers received a sweet spike, they still might not be able to afford him. However, they can offer him something that could be of value to him that no other team can.
That is the comfort and trust of being with the 49ers.
Remember, Williams and the Washington Football Team had a falling out. The two sides could not stand each other. Williams knows that an organization can conduct themselves in shady ways. Being in an uncomfortable workplace is not something he will want to go through again.
With the 49ers, he knows he has the transparency and unity from top to bottom. The 49ers even gave him all the leverage when they restructured his contract to forfeit their ability to franchise tag him. That was the 49ers way of saying, "We want you to trust us."
Considering the team he had just left, that could definitely mean something for Williams. In fact, it should mean something. Teams NEVER want to surrender that power over players, yet the 49ers did it as a relationship building gesture.
Now that the 49ers do have some cap space to work with, they could up their offer and entice Williams to re-sign. It most likely still won't be the lucrative deal that he would love, but I am sure the 49ers will pay him a fair salary along with knowing he has a place of belonging.
There is still a strong chance that Williams is very willing to forgo that sense of comfort in order to get cashed out. Like he said at his exit presser, being able to be on a contending team means something, but so does money. Williams knows that this is likely his last time to maximize his value as he is getting older, so there is no better chance to cash in.
Still, his experience with Washington is one that no other player in this league should endure. He could very well view the 49ers' offer as sufficient value, while knowing he can go to work without the concerns.
