49ers free agency: 3 teams that could steal away Trent Williams
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Chiefs can hurt 49ers again by plucking Trent Williams away
San Francisco fans want nothing to do with any Kansas City Chiefs success, and those fans relished just how problematic the Chiefs offensive was during Super Bowl LV last February.
After making some key roster cuts, Kansas City began to revamp its O-line by bringing aboard former New England Patriots offensive guard Joe Thuney to a five-year, $80 million deal. But with just $8.3 million in cap space at the close of the first day of the negotiating window, according to Over the Cap, how could the Chiefs fill the void at left tackle vacated by the cutting of the veteran, Eric Fisher?
At least according to FanSided’s Matt Verderame, it sure is a possibility when evaluating Thuney’s year-one hit:
The Chiefs paying Thuney $4.5M this year means, if they want to be, they're absolutely in play for Trent Williams. https://t.co/rRghDmoDxr
— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) March 15, 2021
The Chiefs, like the 49ers have done with EDGE Dee Ford and center Weston Richburg, are in the process of restructuring deals, which would open up more cap space in the wake of cutting Fisher and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz.
If Trent Williams is seeking more than $20 million per season, it’ll be tough for Kansas City to execute this, yes.
At the same time, though, the Chiefs do offer Williams a situation where he could win a Super Bowl right away. And if the deal is backloaded enough, it might not matter if he’s not commanding a huge salary right out of the gate.
Although Niners fans would be livid if Williams signed with KC.