Why the Houston Texans need to trade for Trent Williams
Much has been made about the Houston Texans offensive line struggles, and rightfully so.
The Houston Texans have allowed 116 sacks combined in the last two seasons, which were the first two seasons of Deshaun Watson‘s career. That’s obviously a problem and major cause for concern.
The Texans tried to patch that problem up last offseason by adding Seantrel Henderson and Senio Kelemete, but the only problem is that didn’t quite work out either as the Texans gave up more sacks this past year (62) than the previous season (54).
No worries: there is a legitimate All-Pro the Texans should be considering for their offensive line, and his name is Trent Williams. Williams seems to be frustrated with the Washington Redskins as reports have it that the relationship is fractured beyond repair, although we don’t know who is pushing out that narrative and if it’s true or not.
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What makes me believe there is truth to those reports is that Williams doesn’t plan to play for the Redskins again because he found out from his own doctors that he had precancerous growth on his scalp. That seems very specific to me and not like something made up or being spun because of contract talks.
If these reports are in fact true, the Texans should definitely be trying to figure out what it would take to get Williams as he would by far be the best lineman the Texans would have on their roster. Not only would Williams be the best lineman on the team now, Williams would be the best lineman ever in franchise history.
Williams is still without question one of the best tackles in the league. According to Pro Football Focus, he’s had the third-highest grade among tackles since 2016. Williams also has rare athleticism for someone 6-5 and 320 pounds. He’d be able to use his 4.8 speed to run downfield, which would actually be perfect for an athletic quarterback like Watson.
He’s also from Longview and would likely love to get closer to home, but not only that, I’m sure Williams would welcome an opportunity to join the Texans as they’re closer to contender status than the Redskins are without question.
There are questions about durability, as Williams hasn’t played a full 16-game season in five years, but Williams is still very effective even when less than 100 percent, as he’s only allowed one sack over the last two seasons. In addition, Williams has earned a pass-blocking grade of at least an 80 in each of the last six seasons.
The Texans also have $40 million in cap space, which is more than enough to take in the $14.7 million Williams is set to make this season.
Williams is the type of veteran that could really help impart wisdom on Watson. Watching Trent Williams tell Kirk Cousins to slide and avoid taking unnecessary contact is refreshing to hear, as that is exactly what Watson needs to be hearing from time to time.
Of course, one of the hurdles if the Texans are interested is who exactly in the front office would be making that call and having those conversations with the Redskins. This is because obviously the Texans don’t have an actual general manager.
Even if there is a panel of decision makers, I would hope they would all be able to come to a consensus that Williams would be worth the asking price unless it’s outrageous. I’d be surprised if the asking price is anything higher than a third-round draft pick, which I would gladly do in a heartbeat. Even if the Redskins want multiple draft picks, Williams would still be worth it.
The Texans should want someone like Williams, who is a seven-time Pro Bowler, to protect Watson’s blind side. Not only that, Williams is a veteran who is entering his 10th season and could also help the young guys on the line such as Julie’n Davenport, Martinas Rankin and incoming rookie Tytus Howard as well.
Hopefully the Texans are willing to pay the asking price because Williams alone would make the offensive line significantly better.
Next. Texans have themselves to blame for Clowney’s holdout. dark
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