Now that he's locked into a new deal with the 49ers for the next six seasons, left tackle Trent Williams can focus solely on what his team has in store for 2021, which he thinks can be nothing less than a return to the Super Bowl contending team it was before he arrived.
Williams was traded to the 49ers from Washington in the spring of 2020, so he didn't get the chance to experience the Super Bowl run the team went on in 2019. But he knows the talent is still there for the 49ers to do the same in 2021, even after a disappointing 6-10 season last year.
"I've been around a long time," Williams told reporters during a media session on Tuesday. "I try not to fool myself. I can honestly look up and down this roster, and there's playmakers from top to bottom."
The 49ers might have been able to contend in 2020 had their roster not been decimated due to injuries. Williams and the other 49ers players watched from home in February as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers captured the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LV by defeating the same Kansas City Chiefs team that knocked off the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV, and what he saw led him to believe his team would have been right in the thick of things if they were able to remain healthy. For that reason, Williams is brimming with optimism as the 2021 league year gets underway.
"We sat back and we watched that whole playoff run last year, we watched that whole Super Bowl, and I just know if my team was intact we would be one of those teams [that are] either fighting for position or fighting for that Lombardi," Williams said.
Another reason for Williams' optimism is the fact the 49ers' front office has been able to successfully navigate a tricky salary cap situation and keep much of the roster intact. There were a number of key free agents on the 49ers' roster heading into the offseason, with Williams leading the list. But not only were the 49ers able to sign Williams to a new long-term deal, they were also able to re-sign more players than originally expected by coming to terms on new contracts with fullback Kyle Juszczyk, cornerbacks Jason Verrett and Emmanuel Moseley, safety Jaquiski Tartt, and defensive tackle D.J. Jones.
"I think we have the best front office in the NFL, not only because they know how to make the pieces of the puzzle have, but the transparency they have and the transparency that Coach [Kyle] Shanahan has, John has -- Mr. Hall-of-Fame Lynch -- the transparency makes a difference," Williams said.
The 49ers have also been able to add a few new players to the mix, led by six-time Pro Bowl center Alex Mack. Williams is looking forward to teaming up with Mack on the offensive line and knows the type of difference Mack can make in head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense.
"Any time Kyle's offense has been successful, it pretty much starts from the center," Williams said. "The center is the braintrust of our offense and our offensive line. So, to get a guy that's an All-Pro, that's a Pro Bowl, that literally played the position at the highest level you can play it at for as long as he's in the NFL, you really can't ask for anything better than that."
As was the case in 2020 following the outbreak of COVID-19, the coming offseason stands to be anything but typical for the 49ers. But even though they might not be able to go through their regular offseason workout program for the second consecutive year, the 49ers will likely find a way to use the months ahead to get where they need to be once training camp arrives in July.
"I think we're probably going to do something where we can all come together as a team," Williams said. "I don't think we can have much time with the coaches. But I'm pretty sure with this being what looks like to be our second virtual offseason, hopefully we can handle it a little better than we did (than) the first one. We kind of know what to expect and be a little bit more prepared for camp."
Time will tell what the months ahead bring for the 49ers, and if the team is able to avoid the debilitating rash of injuries it went through in 2020. But Williams is ready to get to work, and he has a level of hope for the 2021 49ers that goes beyond the typical offseason optimism that can be found this time of year.
"I'm excited. I'm ecstatic," Williams said. "I think we've got every piece of the puzzle we need to win this division and win the conference."
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