2020 Hoston Texans Offseason: The Texans Are Interested In Trent Williams

At the end of last week, the Washington Redskins announced they will pursue trades to remove Trent Williams from Washington, and into the arms of another franchise. Williams is one of the league’s best left tackles, but sat out last season due to his disdain for ex-general manager Bruce Allen, a growth on his scalp that turned out to be cancerous, hatred for the training staff, and vowed to never play football for Washington again. It doesn’t look like Ron Rivera was able to convince him to either.

Washington is now exploring a trade for him and want fair compensation. Williams is 32. In the last year of his contract. And has a cap hit of $14.5 million. So far three teams are reported to have expressed interest. The Cardinals, the Jets, the Browns, and the, let me see here, wow, the Texans.

There’s a lot to unpack here. First, Washington is going to want at least a first round pick to make this move. The Texans don’t have one of these, and if they were going to trade for Williams, it would take another trade to gather up these selections, or the movement of players. Will Fuller is their best asset. Fifth year of his rookie contract. Always electric. Always injured. Maybe Fuller would be enough? Maybe Fuller could be traded for a first and then exchanged for Williams? The Texans probably don’t have enough currently to make a move like this happen.

Where would Williams play? He’s a left tackle, and so is Laremy Tunsil, the man they pretty much traded two first round picks and one second round pick for. Would they move Williams to right, move Tytus Howard to right guard, and then release Zach Fulton? Or did Bill O’Brien realize that Tunsil isn’t a Bill O’Brien guy and is balking at paying him $20 million a season? Would they trade Tunsil for draft picks and then trade for Williams, or even trade Tunsil for Williams straight up?

It gets a little bit thicker. Tunsil recently fired his agency, and he had shoulder surgery to fix a torn labrum. He’s supposed have a full recovery by the time football begins again.

Personally, I think this whole thing is a whole lot of nonsense. I think Houston is just flipping stones around, which they should do, and just about every team should be interested in a player like Williams. But if we have learned anything this past season, with O’Brien as the emperor, any rumor is a possibility.