3 reasons why SF 49ers won’t re-sign Trent Williams
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: There are cheaper free-agent options elsewhere
Just because Trent Williams was the Niners’ best offensive lineman last season doesn’t mean there aren’t any other likable options out there on the open market.
San Francisco is limited in cap space, yes. But it isn’t in the worst situation across the league. Spotrac currently has 11 teams above the projected 2021 salary cap, meaning a number of cap casualties are going to be made between now and the start of the league new year. And other teams are going to be forced to let some of their own high-profile free agents walk.
The SF 49ers shouldn’t be afraid to take advantage of this.
There are two names worth monitoring here: the Jaguars’ Cam Robinson and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Alejandro Villanueva.
light. Related Story. 5 free-agent tackles who could replace Trent Williams
Yes, Robinson is a Jaguars re-sign target, and they’d be foolish to let him walk. But Spotrac’s market value for him is $11.3 million for a player who is just now coming off his rookie contract at 25 years old.
Both younger and cheaper than Williams.
Villanueva, meanwhile, is nearly an impossible re-sign possibility for Pittsburgh, which is over $6 million above the cap. While Villanueva is older and probably more expensive than Robinson, the former is all but guaranteed to be on the market.
Even if Villanueva costs something in the range of $15 million per year, that deal is much more affordable than Williams’ would be if retained.