Trent Williams trade bolster 49ers offensive line for title run

The San Francisco 49ers bolstered their offensive line by landing the disgruntled Trent Williams as they try and cash in on their Super Bowl window

Throughout the entire 2019 season, offensive lineman Trent Williams was trying to force his way out of the Washington Redskins. He had grown frustrated with the medical staff and lost faith in the team and nearly was sent to the Cleveland Browns at the trade deadline.

That trade never came through but the rumors picked back up ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft. After Cleveland landed Jedrick Wills, it seemed as though the market for Williams might have dried up. That was until a surprise team came in and traded for the 31-year-old Pro Bowler.

As the fourth round of the draft was kicking off, news broke that the San Francisco 49ers had agreed to send a fifth-round pick this season as well as a third-round selection in 2021 to the Redskins in exchange for Williams.

For Williams, this gives him the fresh start he has been craving and it also puts him on a team that has had much more success than the one that drafted him out of Oklahoma in 2010. It also reunites him with Kyle Shanahan, who was his offensive coordinator at one point in Washington.

As for the 49ers, it allows the rich to get richer. Already a Super Bowl contender after making an appearance in the big game last season, San Francisco now has a remarkable offensive line. Williams joins Mike McGlinchey and Joe Staley, who could slide inside to guard which will only make them a more impressive unit. (Update: Staley reportedly is set to retire due to health concerns.)

Washington then immediately drafted LSU tackle Saahdiq Charles, which will help ease the pain of losing Williams. In the end, it wasn’t the return they hoped for when trying to trade Williams but they got what they could.

Still, the 49ers were the winners in this trade as they remain one of the more complete units in the NFC.