Why Trading Trent Wiliams is Off of the Table for the 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers have a big decision to make with Trent Williams. With an abnormally high cap hit, the 49ers have entered contract negotiations with Williams to lower his cap hit and ensure his longer term security.

The team also considered the idea of trading him. However, when John Lynch talked to the media, the discussion was nowhere close to around trade discussions and much more centered around how they can keep Williams for the rest of his career.

Are San Francisco 49ers close to extending Trent Williams this offseason?

John Lynch noted that they have been moving forward on discussions with Williams and they are on the precipice of a deal. Lynch noted that there have not been many complications or issues, they are just working out a unique situation.

It is a tricky line to walk because of his age and ability. His ability says that he should be one of the highest-paid players at his position. He wants the security to show that. His age says that any season is going be the year where he falls off and he has been injured in each of the past couple of seasons. Betting on him to stay healthy and active into the future is risky.

Still, every move the 49ers have made indicates that they want him on the roster this season. The 49ers added Mike Evans, an all-in move to win with this roster. They added Dre Greenlaw and a few other players with a win-now mentality.

Their roster is aging, and they are more interested in going all-in to win with the stars on their roster than hedge their bets and try to replace them or think about life without them.

If the 49ers need to stall out for a season after guys such as Williams, Christian McCaffrey, and George Kittle are gone and try to find their starting left tackle down the road, it is not the worst option, especially because they’d pick high.

If it meant winning a Super Bowl with this core of players while they are still together, it would be worth it. It will be interesting to see what the numbers are and how the deal works as the two slowly come together on a deal. They have plenty of time to work things out, and both sides are motivated enough that it seems to that it will get done at some point.