The San Francisco 49ers had a Trent Williams situation develop at the NFL Combine last week. There were reports the Niners are looking to restructure his contract and some rumblings they may end up releasing him if they can't figure something out.
Maybe the 49ers could trade him, though.
If they did, DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans could provide San Francisco with a little help as a trade partner.
49ers reporter David Lombardi responded on social media to the news that the Texans traded one of their tackles to the Cleveland Browns. Lombardi mused:
"What if the Texans call the 49ers on Trent Williams and SF simultaneously has an opportunity in free agency to get younger and more cost efficient at LT with Rasheed Walker (plus add draft capital)?"
It is an interesting thought.
We looked at teams who would be most interested in trading for Williams recently, and the Texans are the most obvious fit. They need to support quarterback C.J. Stroud up front, and the connection between Ryans and the 49ers could make a trade easier to figure out.
Lombardi's solution has the Niners trading Williams for draft capital and then signing free agent Rasheed Walker. It is an interesting solution, so let's dig into it further.
Walker has been deemed a "serviceable" left tackle, which is certainly a downgrade from having a Hall of Fame player like Williams protecting Brock Purdy's blindside.
Yet, the Niners would be saving some money. Walker would not come cheap, as even average left tackles can still make $20 million a year or more. That would be less than what Williams makes and would give San Francisco more financial flexibility to address other roster needs.
The question is whether sacrificing production at left tackle would be worth it to land a better wide receiver. What good is a pricier wide receiver if Purdy doesn't have as much time to throw to him?
The most logical, and probable, solution is the 49ers will figure something out with Williams. He is so much more than just a great player as he is a leader and sets the tone on offense. Losing him would hurt San Francisco as he's such a key part of that veteran core.
General manager John Lynch didn't sound too concerned last week when asked about the situation with Williams, so let's hope it gets resolved soon.