49ers Reportedly Have Offered Trent Williams 4 Years, $80 Million Deal

A little nugget has emerged in the Trent Williams saga.

The 49ers reportedly have offered Williams a four-year, $80 million deal, according to 49ers play-by-play radio announcer Greg Papa.

If that is what the 49ers are hoping will entice Williams to forgo free agency, then they are just delusional. The 49ers are trying to nickel and dime Williams. An $80 million deal is NOT going to get the job done. Other teams such as the Colts and Chiefs will gladly park the Brinks truck in Williams' driveway.

The 49ers are playing with fire by lowballing Williams. The longer they continue to play around with the numbers, the less likely it will be that Williams stays. From the very moment Williams starts to listen to other teams, it is over for them. There is just no way Williams won't be swayed by the deals he will be offered in the open market.

Despite Williams teasing to Richard Sherman on Cris Collinsworth's podcast about "barking up the right tree," that ultimately meant nothing. It is a way for him to continue to use the 49ers as leverage for other teams, while also making it a soft landing for him if he does end up re-signing.

Williams is playing both sides here, and he is doing it strategically.

The question now is will the 49ers up their offer? If they don't, Williams is gone. This is his last chance to maximize his value. And if he walks, then the 49ers potentially have to rework any draft strategies. Losing Williams makes left tackle one of, if not the most pressing need for the 49ers.

So drafting and trading up for a quarterback in the first round becomes just a fantasy, not a possibility. The 49ers are kind of forced here to lock in Williams to a lucrative deal, despite the concerns of his age that could lead to a drop off in future years.

It is definitely a risk to re-sign Williams heavily, but it is even greater to let an already questionable offensive line lose its best player.