Trent to Return to Redskins?

The Redskins hired a new head athletic trainer on Saturday, Ryan Vermillion, last of the Carolina Panthers to replaced the now disposed of Larry Hess. They fired Hess on the same day they canned Bruce Allen.

Now, could an arch-nemesis of Allen's be inching towards a return? Trent Williams could come back to his only NFL home. A source told Redskins Maven/SI.com that it was a "good day" and "time will tell" when asked about a possible return for Williams.

Per the Washington Post, the effort of the Redskins is going to be sincere and a top priority.

Coach Ron Rivera plans to attempt to convince Trent Williams to return to the Redskins, source says, after hiring Ryan Vermillion as the team's new head athletic trainer.... https://t.co/bkam94PKMh
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) January 4, 2020

Rivera should make Williams a target. It would reset a clear wrong by Allen and the old regime. It would be popular with the fans and in the locker room.

Oh by the way, their current starting left tackle, Donald Penn, is 37 and a free agent. Geron Christian is clearly not ready to be a full-time starter so the Redskins are in a pinch. Brandon Scherff and Ereck Flowers are also free agents.

If Rivera is able to connect with Williams, and I'm sure Trent will listen to Rivera's pitch, great! However, they could mesh well and Williams could still say thanks but no thanks.

If Williams were to come back, the most interesting scenario would be what the Redskins did with his contract. It currently has one year left, at $12.5 million base and a $14.5 million cap hit.

Williams has said he doesn't really want more money, but he does want guaranteed money.

Here's what I would offer if I was the Redskins: I would try and guarantee $10 million of the $12.5 as a good faith gesture, on March 1st. The contract for a vested veteran becomes guaranteed if on the week one roster, right around September 8th or so.

You're not getting Williams in the door, in my opinion, for anything less than that. You also can't tell him 'hey come back' and then slam the door in his face.

If you are going to meet with him - you have to be willing to at least come close to meeting his demands.

Don't even bother, if you're not willing to do something along those lines as a good will gesture.

I would much rather guarantee, if I'm the Redskins, a large chunk of 2020 as opposed to having to tack on extra years or cash.

It's a gamble either way but the bet has a better chance of turning up aces this upcoming year than beyond.

If Williams wanted all $12.5 million fully guaranteed as of say March to get him back in the building, I would probably be tempted to do that.

Remember, Williams sacrificed around $14-16 last year and possibly more in fines and signing bonus, per every indication media received during the fallout.

If Williams is not ready to commit or says no, you must trade him right away. You can not have this lingering situation hanging over your head.

If Williams wants a significantly more bucket of guaranteed money, in addition to his 2020 salary, I politely decline and immediately try and work out a trade.

My fear for Williams when Allen was still in charge was that the Redskins were not going to trade him again, or would be looking for too much compensation and Williams might have been forced to play for Allen again or sit out another year.

I would be stunned if Rivera operates in that manner. I would think the Redskins would find a trade partner fairly quickly and close the door.

At this point, Washington probably would only get a mid to late second-round pick or maybe even a third round selection. I'd be very surprised if a team would surrender a first round pick for Williams, with no guarantee that he can comfortably wear a helmet, his age, injury history, desire for guaranteed cash and the fact that he hasn't played football since December 2018.

One other element to factor into all of this: From what I was told, Dan Snyder was very upset at Williams for throwing the organization under an 18-wheeler in late October and early November.

Snyder, who was never blamed by Williams, was said to be irate about that situation and that's why he didn't stand in the way of the Redskins putting Williams on the non-football injured reserve list and choosing not to pay Williams the rest of his base salary.

Allen, to my knowledge, didn't make that decision exclusively on his own. Or if he did, Snyder had to give his blessing in any reasonable scenario.

If the anger is still there from Snyder, it could prevent the Redskins from making a legitimate offer and attempt to bring back their anchor on the offensive line.

Chris Russell is the Publisher of Maven & Sports Illustrated's Washington Redskins channel. He can be heard on 106.7 The FAN in the Washington D.C. area and world-wide on Radio.com. Chris also hosts the "Locked on Redskins" Podcast and can be read via subscription to Warpath Magazine. You can e-mail Chris at russellmania09@Gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @Russellmania621.