A potential New York Jets-Trent Williams marriage makes much more sense than it appears on the surface for a 1-6 team.
FLORHAM PARK, NJ—Sell, sell, sell. This is the New York Jets mindset while riding a 1-6, injury-riddled season everybody wants to put in the rear-view mirror.
Such a mindset remains the correct path. There will be no tournament appearance in Adam Gase’s first season. No meaningful games will be played (as per the possibility of a playoff berth, the organization’s first in nearly a decade).
Collecting every asset possible with the express intent for Joe Douglas to turn those draft picks into gold is the vision. He’s already off to a raucous start, having dealt Leonard Williams to the New York Giants for a 2020 third-round selection and 2020 fifth or fourth (depending on Leo’s Jints future).
Perhaps, however, another path has presented itself. The end result remains the same, only the GPS offered a unique route that takes The Turk through D.C.
Information coming out of Washington makes a potential Jets-Trent Williams marriage one to consider.
According to JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington, the Dan Snyder-run franchise is seeking playmakers in return.
Could the Redskins trade Trent Williams? Definitely. But the price is high and sources tell me the team might want a playmaker in return, not just about draft picks. Trying to give Haskins weapons.
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) October 28, 2019
“Could the Redskins trade Trent Williams? Definitely. But the price is high and sources tell me the team might want a playmaker in return, not just about draft picks. Trying to give Haskins weapons.”
First and foremost, the likelihood of a deal involving Williams to Florham Park remains incredibly low. To acquire a 31-year-old, oft-injured left tackle while looking towards the future feels counterproductive.
What feels like something doesn’t necessarily always equal truth.
The Jets are desperate to protect Sam Darnold. The kid is getting hammered on nearly every 5-to-7-step drop, running for his life and his picking up terrible habits. Did you yet scream out the name David Carr?
Nine games remain in the 2019 NFL season. Although Williams hasn’t played a down this season, and may need a week or two to ready himself, employing a left tackle of his stature (seven Pro Bowls) performs nothing short of football magic for the offense.
It cannot be a first-round selection. The package can’t consist of only picks. The only chance a Williams move makes sense is if the report that the Skins want playmakers is actually true, and in that event, both Robby Anderson and Le’Veon Bell should be in play.
According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, the Jets have placed Bell on the block.
“The Daily News has learned that Gang Green is amenable to dealing the perennial Pro Bowl running back for the right price before the 4 p.m. trade deadline. Although it’s unclear what that price tag has been during discussions, there are legitimate buyers. The Jets would unload a big salary as general manager Joe Douglas looks to reshape the roster.”
Could an Anderson and Bell package tickle the Redskins fancy? Could a Bell and second-round offering do the trick? Never put anything past Snyder, the same man who’s pulled off deals like Champ Bailey for Clinton Portis in the past.
Williams is under control through the 2020 season. His cap hit next year is a cool $14.75 million. Fine. That’s the team’s left tackle. Employ Williams while rebuilding the rest of the line with a much-needed youth injection. If acquired by way of some Anderson-Bell package, both Darnold and the Jets would benefit greatly.
Targeting a 31-year-old left tackle makes no sense from afar. Acquiring a veteran while selling the house is Giant-like (hello, Leo). Simultaneously, allowing the hope of the entire franchise to run for his life for the next nine games could run everything the organization is looking to build.
Trent Williams to the New York Jets makes a lot of sense, as long as the Washington Redskins are really after playmakers. A stud left tackle presents value to the quarterback a running back could never dare dream of generating.
The trade deadline will most likely come and go without a whiff of Jets interest in the stud left tackle, and that’s OK. But kicking the tires on the idea based on the Redskins “playmaker” request is something Douglas may explore.
