Cleveland Browns: Jason Peters, Trent Williams should be avoided

The Cleveland Browns have a clear need at offensive tackle but they should fill it in other ways than signing Jason Peters or trading for Trent Williams.

Offensive line play was chief among the Cleveland Browns‘ issues in the 2019 season. To be sure, it was not the only problem. But if you break down the struggles of Baker Mayfield and even, to a lesser degree, the performance of former head coach Freddie Kitchens, the substantially subpar performance in the trenches made everyone’s lives more difficult.

Naturally, the biggest need for the Browns in the 2020 offseason is to fix the offensive line. With only Joel Bitonio and J.C. Tretter seemingly locked into starting jobs, they can address that need in a variety of ways. But it should all start at the tackle spots as they have severe holes on both sides of the offensive line.

So as news broke that the Eagles were letting veteran tackle Jason Peters test free agency and that long-time Redskin Trent Williams was being allowed to seek a trade this offseason, the Browns appeared to be a natural landing spot for both players. Moreover, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported that the team could explore both players as options.

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But despite the need, new Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry should avoid both Peters and Williams.

In the case of Peters, it’s not difficult to make the case why the Browns should stay away. This is far from getting the long-time Eagle in his prime. He’s 38 years old and has struggled with injuries over the past few seasons, playing in 36 of a possible 48 games over the past three years. And even when he’s been healthy, his play has declined, albeit marginally and from a Pro Bowl-caliber player.

There’s no question that Peters, even at his age, would be an upgrade from Greg Robinson, Chris Hubbard and the other tackle options Cleveland tried out in 2019. However, this isn’t completely about upgrading but also about finding long-term viability. Peters most certainly isn’t that coming into his age-38 season.

With Williams, things are a bit more complicated. He’s younger than Peters by a substantial margin as he’ll be only 32 years old when the 2020 season kicks off. Williams also has a similar pedigree, a seven-time Pro Bowler at left tackle. However, he does come with some cautionary measures as well.

For starters, in the midst of a dispute with the Redskins last season which has led to a possible trade, Williams sat out the entirety of the 2019 season, meaning he hasn’t played NFL football in over a year. And while that may mean he’s healthier than ever, it does add the risk factor of rust to the equation.

Beyond that, landing Williams would likely require giving up valuable draft capital. As the Browns own a top-10 pick and Washington won’t want to let their former franchise left tackle go cheap, any pick Cleveland would give up would have quite a bit of value, even if it isn’t their first-round selection.

Unless the price is something in the fourth-round pick range, the cost-risk analysis of trading for Williams makes you believe it wouldn’t behoove the Browns to make the deal. Instead, they can target one of the strongest offensive line classes in the draft in recent memory and give themselves a long-term investment that can still upgrade their offensive line.

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If Cleveland were to sign Peters to a modest contract or give up a mid-round pick for Williams, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. And, frankly, the Browns would be better in 2020 with either of those players on the field. There are better avenues for them to pursue answers on the O-line, however, which is why they should try to avoid Peters and Williams if possible.

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