Rumors: Could the Patriots trade for left tackle Trent Williams?

With Isaiah Wynn still easing his way into the offensive line rotation, does it make sense for the Patriots to try and swing a trade for Trent Williams?

For the second straight year, the New England Patriots look poised to enter the regular season with major questions and uncertainty surrounding one of football’s most important positions.

Quarterback Tom Brady had the luxury of blindside protection from Nate Solder for seven straight years before the ex-Colorado Buffalo departed to join the New York Giants in March of 2018. As a direct response to Solder’s exit, the Patriots drafted Georgia lineman Isaiah Wynn with the 23rd pick of that year’s draft, a player they envisioned starting right away at either left tackle or left guard (with tackle being the more ideal situation, of course).

Fate had other plans in mind, though. Wynn was lost for the season when he tore his Achilles tendon just two weeks into the preseason, and New England was forced to turn to Trent Brown at left tackle instead. Brown, who had previously played right tackle in San Francisco, actually drastically outperformed against expectations; for his efforts, he was rewarded with a new contract in Oakland that made him the highest-paid offensive lineman in the league.

And now, once again, the Patriots find themselves in a familiar but uncomfortable place. Wynn has spent almost an entire year rehabbing and conceivably should be ready to go, but an Achilles tear is also nothing to underestimate. It’s not out-of-the-question at all to wonder if he’ll be the same player he was in the rugged SEC back in his college days. Even if he is, his fit alongside his teammates on the line is still very much a work in progress with the regular season fast approaching.

The Patriots tried to find some insurance at the position by bringing in veteran tackle Jared Veldheer, but Veldheer had a change of heart after just one day in New England’s OTAs program and abruptly decided to retire.

Perhaps the answer to the team’s problems is another veteran. The Washington Redskins’ Trent Williams, a former first-round draft pick with nine years of NFL experience, is reportedly unhappy with his contract situation and wants a change of scenery. Though injury-plagued throughout his career, Williams is still a supreme talent when healthy, and he could provide that same level of insurance and depth the Pats were searching for when they acquired Veldheer.

Is the team interested in a trade? Maybe. The Athletic’s Jeff Howe has reported that “there’s a feeling around the league the Patriots would be involved due to depth issues at the position,” per CBS Sports Boston. All that’s really known at this point is that Williams wants out and the Redskins are open to trading him for the right price… whatever that price may be.

Therein lies another issue for New England, too: price.

Aside from whatever compensation the Patriots would have to send to the Redskins in exchange for Williams’ services, they’d also have to find a way to navigate his contract situation. Williams reportedly carries with him a cap hit of $14.73 million this year, and New England currently only has about $9.3 million in available cap space for 2019.

For these reasons, it’s probably still a long shot that Williams ends up in Foxborough… but you never know. He certainly could provide an instant boost to a position of real need and noted depth scarcity.