Assuming they were going all-in to return to the Super Bowl last season, the San Francisco 49ers traded for offensive tackle Trent Williams to replace the retiring Joe Staley. It was a good move for a team that felt it could not afford a drop-off at a key position on a roster that expected to avenge the Super Bowl LIV defeat.
Upon arriving, Williams immediately noticed the difference between the 49ers' environment and the one he experienced in Washington. Reuniting with head coach Kyle Shanahan rejuvenated the offensive lineman, who hoped that he landed in a long-term home.
"I didn't view this situation as me just wanting to come here for one year," Williams said last May, "but that's the business side of football. Obviously, there's interest from both sides for us to get a long-term deal done but, right now, I just want to get back on the field and prove my worth before I can even talk about what I think a contract should look like."
Williams proved his worth. He was arguably the best tackle in football last year. His 2020 campaign, following a year out of football, resulted in his eighth Pro Bowl selection. Pro Football Focus named Williams its 2020 recipient of the Bruce Matthews Award, an honor handed out annually to the league's best offensive lineman.
As for the contract, that never materialized. Now, we sit about a week away from free agency, and Williams is expected to be one of the more sought-after players on the open market.
The 2020 season didn't turn out as the 49ers hoped. Injuries devastated the depth chart, leading to just six wins. Still, Williams expressed a desire to return to San Francisco, all while sharing his curiosity about what free agency might be like.
"It's been 11 years in the league," Williams said in January. "I have yet to see a franchise left tackle go to the open market. I think it would be interesting to kind of see what the value holds. Regardless, like I said, I've always maintained the same thing. I think San Francisco is my number one destination, and we'll see how things work out."
Williams is among 27 Niners players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents, and the team is projected to have about $28 million in salary-cap space. A deal for Williams could cost an interested team at least $20 million in annual salary.
Williams' value increased with the news that the Carolina Panthers intended to use the franchise tag on tackle Taylor Moton and the Jacksonville Jaguars expected to do the same with Cam Robinson. That eliminates two alternate options from the market.
Assuming a strong desire to keep Williams, the 49ers could have saved some money this year by using the franchise tag on the tackle at the cost of about $14.5 million, per OverTheCap.com. That option went out the window when San Francisco renegotiated the terms of Williams' one remaining year on his contract while eliminating the option to use the franchise tag on the veteran offensive lineman.
The situation could lead the 49ers to look at other options at left tackle—maybe even the upcoming draft.
"The Niners, upon trading for him, agreed not to franchise him, giving Williams an open path to the market," wrote Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. "It's not often that an elite blindside tackle, regardless of age, makes it to free agency. I think, all things being equal, Williams wants to keep playing for Kyle Shanahan. But I also know that things could go a little haywire if Williams makes it to the market. And if he were to bolt, it might lock the Niners into taking a tackle with the 12th pick, which isn't ideal, even if it's a very strong year at the position."
NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah ranked Rashawn Slater of Northwestern, Penei Sewell of Oregon, Jalen Mayfield of Michigan, Christian Darrisaw of Virginia Tech, and Teven Jenkins of Oklahoma State as his top offensive tackles. He also has USC's Alijah Vera-Tucker highly-ranked, noting he can play tackle but is ideally an NFL guard.