NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt ranked the top NFL trades from this unusual offseason. At the top of his list was the Houston Texans sending wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals, which will likely impact the NFC West for years to come.
At No. 3 was the San Francisco 49ers' trade of defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for the No. 13 overall pick. The 49ers moved down one spot and then used the resulting selection on Buckner's replacement, Javon Kinlaw.
One spot lower, at No. 4, is another 49ers-related trade. This time, it was San Francisco acquiring the retired Joe Staley's replacement, offensive tackle Trent Williams, from Washington in exchange for a 2020 fifth-round pick and a 2021 third-rounder.
Brandt wrote the following about the deal:
"I would hate to play cards against Niners general manager John Lynch, who didn't panic on draft weekend despite knowing he'd have to replace retiring tackle Joe Staley. Instead of counting on a rookie to provide an instant impact, which is an even bigger crapshoot than normal given the restrictions teams have been dealing with during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lynch trusted his offer to Washington for Williams would ultimately trump all other suitors, and he was rewarded when the Vikings backed out of the Williams sweepstakes. Williams, who missed all of the 2019 season in part because of his issues with team management, will presumably be happy to get a change of scenery. He's also young enough (32) to regain the elite form that led to seven consecutive Pro Bowl appearances between 2012 and '18."
Williams, who was frustrated in Washington, is happy to have a change of scenery and to be reunited with his former offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, now the head coach of the 49ers.
"I say this all the time: It was an attractive destination," Williams said in May, "not just because of Kyle and the quarterback (Jimmy Garoppolo), of course, but they don't need me to win. I think that's pretty evident. They went to the biggest game that our league has last year without me on the roster.
"So, to me, it gives me the chance to come in and not feel like the world is on my shoulders, and I have to do everything. I'm just a small piece of the puzzle to a well-tuned machine. I look forward to that part."
