The Bengals should continue their aggressive approach by pursuing a trade for Trent Williams
The Bengals shocked the football world this offseason by committing nearly $150 million to eight players in free agency.
They aren't known for their spending, but they added six potential starters in an effort to turn around a team that finished 2-14 last season. The Bengals desperately needed an infusion of talent and they got it with their 2020 free agent class.
Cincinnati still has plenty of needs heading into the draft, even though they plugged multiple holes. They need help at linebacker, wide receiver and in the trenches.
The Bengals should continue to attack their weaknesses. Instead of waiting to address the offensive line in the draft, they should pursue Redskins offensive tackle Trent Williams.
The 7-time Pro Bowler has had issues with the Washington front office and medical staff dating back to last year. He didn't play a snap in 2019 and the disgruntled tackle publicly demanded a trade.
"The relationship between [Washington] and Trent Williams has reached a point where it's in the best interest that [Washington] trade or release him," agent Vincent Taylor said in a statement last month.
When healthy, Williams is one of the best tackles in the NFL. He would be an instant upgrade for the Bengals and fortify a position group that has struggled since 2016.
"I don’t think you ever want to take anything off the table," Zac Taylor said last week when asked if the Bengals could add to their team before the draft. "If something comes available, I don’t think it’d be wise to take that off the table."
Williams, 31, is available and the Bengals should be interested in his services. He didn't play last season, but only gave up one sack in 2017 and 2018 (1,407 snaps).
Williams was the NFL's third-best left tackle according to Pro Football Focus from 2016-2018. He posted an 89.1 PFF grade over that three-year stretch, which was better than Andrew Whitworth and Tyron Smith. Only David Bakhtiari and Joe Staley posted better overall grades during that span.
Despite his stellar play, Williams isn't without flaws. He's missed three or more games in each of the past four seasons and has dealt with various injuries, including a rare form of soft-tissue cancer on his head. Williams' relationship with the Redskins soured after he claimed the team misdiagnosed the lump and left it untreated for almost six years.
Bengals fans may look at his situation in Washington and think of Cordy Glenn, who was released this offseason. Glenn's effort was a question mark and he wasn't liked by some of his teammates.
It isn't fair to compare Williams' situation with the Redskins to Glenn's with the Bengals. Williams was a team captain in Washington. He was one of the best players in the league and well liked by his teammates. Yes, he's dealt with some injuries, but he felt the medical staff lied to him. It's hard to recover from that, especially when it's something as serious as cancer.
"Trent Williams is the best I've ever seen," Vernon Davis told NFL Network last season. "I've never seen a tackle that can run like him, block like him — he's strong, he's physical. He's just a dominant player. He's probably the best offensive lineman I've ever seen."
The Bengals should call the Redskins and offer the No. 65 pick for Williams. He's much better than any offensive lineman they're going to take in this draft. A deal like this fits Cincinnati's offseason mentality. They attacked their weaknesses in free agency. Why should they stop now?
Cincinnati would have to agree to an extension with Williams, but that will become much easier with Joe Burrow and tackle Jonah Williams on rookie deals. They can offer Williams a three or four-year extension. Once his deal expires, that money can go towards extending Burrow and/or Williams (Jonah) assuming both players earn a second contract.
The Bengals could take an offensive tackle early in the draft or hope that Fred Johnson continues to grow. Why not go after a proven commodity like Williams? He's an elite talent that feels disrespected and has a chip on his shoulder. Trading for Williams would finally give the Bengals a proven anchor on an offensive line that has struggled to replace veteran leaders like Andrew Whitworth and Clint Boling.
Williams is scheduled to make $12.5 million in 2020. He'll want a raise and a new contract. The Bengals could offer him a 3-year, $47 million extension, which would make his deal worth nearly $60 million over the next four seasons.
A $15 million per season average is comparable to other to left tackles like Joe Staley and Taylor Lewan. There was some talk about Williams wanting up to $20 million annually, but his agent denied the report.
Trading for Williams would probably force the Bengals to release Andy Dalton and his $17.5 million that remains on the books for 2020. They could trade him, but it's hard to imagine a team giving up an asset for Dalton when Cam Newton and Jameis Winston can be had in free agency.
The Bengals drafted (Jonah) Williams with the No. 11 pick last season to be their left tackle of the future. They can keep the Alabama product on that side and move (Trent) Williams to the right side if necessary. Jonah did play right tackle in college and Nick Saban believes he's versatile enough to play all five spots in the NFL.
The biggest concern about trading for Williams is the physical exam. Obviously the Bengals would want their doctors to be able to look at him, given his lengthy injury history. That is next to impossible during the COVID-19 pandemic. Could both parties agree to use an independent doctor like Tom Brady did before he signed his deal with Tampa Bay? The physical exam would be the biggest hurdle of them all, especially if the Bengals tried to get a deal done before the NFL Draft on April 23.
Cincinnati should be able to acquire Williams for the No. 65 pick, but he's worth more than that when he's healthy. The Redskins were probably hoping to get more for Williams, but they held onto him too long. They would've gotten more in a trade last summer. The Redskins may not want the No. 65 pick. If that's the case, they may be more tempted to trade Williams and the No. 66 selection (third round) to the Bengals for the No. 33 pick (second round). Washington doesn't have a second round pick in this years' draft. In that scenario, Cincinnati would still have seven picks after acquiring Williams.
The Bengals have found a way to bring in defensive players like D.J. Reader, Vonn Bell, Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander, but one of their biggest needs remains.
Bringing in Williams, even if he's 90 percent of what he's been in the past, is the Bengals' best chance of turning a major weakness, into a strength.
