Trade rumors are flying and the Cleveland Browns are linked to a move that would improve their offensive line. Washington’s Trent Williams.
The Cleveland Browns know they have an issue on their offensive line. That did not stop them from sending Austin Corbett to the Rams. With that move they have an open roster spot. A spot that could be taken by Washington Redskins left tackle Trent Williams.
Twitter went into a frenzy yesterday after a report that the Browns were close to acquiring Williams.
For those unfamiliar with Steve Doerschuk, he is the one who broke the Odell Beckham Jr. trade first. Steve is a reliable source.
Of course this report does not mean that the deal is official. The use of the word “should” implies that. It just means that from what he has heard a deal should occur soon.
Trent Williams would boost the Browns offensive line
If the Browns do indeed acquire Trent Williams he will help the offensive line out tremendously. Williams is a clear upgrade over Greg Robinson. Robinson played surprisingly well last season but has been rather disappointing this season.
With how often the Browns want to push the ball downfield they cannot have lackluster offensive line play. Williams could at least bring it back up to an acceptable level. A level that would give Baker Mayfield more than enough time to feel comfortable in the pocket and properly read the defense. (This is in contrast to the overall time to throw which is being championed and is a flawed statistic).
Yes, there is concern with Williams. Williams is currently holding out from the Washington Redskins for a variety of reasons. Contractural issues and mistrust of the organization certainly headline the laundry list of reasons for Williams.
The timing for the Browns in regards to this trade rumor could not be better. The team is currently on their bye week. If a team is going to acquire a player who is holding out, this is best time to do so during the season. This is the most amount of time a player and team will have to get a player up to speed with the season already underway.
The only question is how much the Browns will have to give up. Cleveland does not want to give up a second consecutive first round pick. This may or may not be a deal breaker for Washington.
Washington has refuted the report but it is worth noting that Redskins general manager Bruce Allen is a bit of a wild card. Nobody knows what he is going to do at any given time. This includes Bruce Allen.
Will the Browns acquire Trent Williams? Only time will tell.
