Trent Williams - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Injury Notes: Sturgis, Elliott, Redskins, Vaccaro, Swaim

November 10th, 2017 at 6:04pm CST by GregGoldstein

The Eagles picked up kicker Jake Elliott from the Bengals’ practice squad to replace the incumbent Caleb Sturgis after he suffered a hip injury the first week of the season. The team hasn’t looked back since then and it looks like Philadelphia has no plans to change their special teams unit moving forward. While Sturgis is eligible to come off the disabled list this week, Eagles special teams coach Dave Flipp told reporters today that, “right now there’s no reason to make a change,” reports Zach Berman of The Inquirer. It’s understandable why the team would not feel the need to mess with the status quo. Elliott has made 17-20 of his field goal attempts this season, but is best known for his 61 yard bomb he hit to beat the Giants in Week 3.

The Redskins have a few big names that are questionable to play for the team’s game this Sunday. Defensive lineman Matt Ionanidis has already been ruled out for the team’s affair vs. the Vikings, but offensive stalwarts Trent Williams and Jordan Reed are listed as questionable to play too, according to Jonah Keim of ESPN.com. Washington has 11 players listed as 50-50 for Sunday with other offensive lineman Morgan Moses (ankles), Brandon Scherff (knee), Spencer Long (knee/quad) and Ty Nsekhe (core muscle). It’s unlikely that the majority of the Washington offensive line will miss the game, but the team’s depth is something to keep an eye as we get closer to kickoff.
The Saints will be without a key member of the defense vs. the Bills this Sunday. Saftety Kenny Vaccaro will miss the contest with a groin injury, but expressed optimism that the situation will be more of a short-term issue, reports Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. The 26 year-old defensive back told the reporter, “Oh, yeah, I’ll be fine,” when referring to the timeline of the groin issue. Meanwhile, while New Orleans will certainly miss their starting safety, the team has a considerable amount of depth at the position with the likes of Vonn Bell, Rafael Bush and Chris Banjo all likely getting playing time in his absence.
Cowboys third-string tight end Geoff Swaim missed practice on Friday with a right knee injury and as is waiting on MRI results that should bring light to what his recovery may look like, reports Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Archer opines that Swaim could miss Sunday’s game and may be in line for arthroscopic surgery, which would sideline him for a few weeks. Swaim just has two receptions on the season with Jason Witten and James Hanna getting most of the reps in two tight-end sets.

Extra Points: Vikings, Zeke, Williams, Lynch

October 29th, 2017 at 9:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sam Bradford does not have a return timetable after making a brief cameo in Chicago earlier this month. The Vikings quarterback is still experiencing knee pain, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link). However, Minnesota may be set to finally have some quarterback depth again after its Week 9 bye. Teddy Bridgewater is expected to come off the PUP list after the bye, and Rapoport expects him to immediately compete with Case Keenum for the Vikes’ starting job. A mostly Keenum-led team this season, the Vikings lead the NFC North after their win over the Browns on Sunday. Bridgewater reclaiming his job might be a bit tricky considering where the team is in the standings and how long it’s been since the fourth-year passer was at the controls. But a Bridgewater return gives the Vikings options they don’t currently have with Bradford still on the mend.

Here’s the latest from around the league.

Ezekiel Elliott did not travel with the Cowboys back to Dallas on Sunday night, instead trekking to New York for his seminal court date, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports (on Twitter). Elliott did not attend his previous hearing with New York’s Fifth Circuit Court in New Orleans earlier this month. The Cowboys star back rushed for more than 100 yards for a second straight week and has five touchdowns over the past two games but could see his suspension go into effect as early as next week if Monday goes poorly for his side.
Trent Williams is hoping the Redskins‘ bye week gives him time to heal his knee injury, but the Washington tackle isn’t certain that will do the trick, per John Keim of ESPN.com. Williams said earlier this month he’s hoping to put off surgery until after the season but revealed Sunday (via Keim) some doctors have told him that’s a six- to nine-month rehab process. Calling this a deep bone bruise, Williams added other medical personnel have said he can go the rest-and-recover route. So this bye week will be critical for the status of Washington’s injury-ravaged offensive line.
Speaking of left tackle injuries, Joe Staley suffered an orbital bone fracture Sunday. But the 11th-year 49ers edge blocker received a bit of good news, with Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reporting (via Twitter) no surgery will be required. Still, this could end any Staley trade speculation and keep him in San Francisco for another full season.
Paxton Lynch is no longer on the Broncos‘ injury report, and the second-year quarterback could be in uniform Monday night for the first time this season, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. The Broncos have not received much help from their offense the past three games and have fallen to 3-3. The team obviously would be interested in getting its 2016 first-rounder on the field at some point, but Trevor Siemian won the job in the preseason. However, if the Broncos slink out of the playoff race as a result of a brutal upcoming schedule — the Chiefs, Eagles and Patriots represent Denver’s ensuing three games — Lynch could be summoned for a full-on audition.
Devon Still is considering retirement. The former Bengals rotational defensive lineman told TMZ he plans to decide in a couple of weeks if he will pursue a shot at another opportunity or not. The 28-year-old interior defender is currently a free agent, having last played with 2016 Texans. The Jets cut Still in August.
T.Y. Hilton is rumored to be on the trade block. Florio hears from multiple sources the NFL’s reigning receiving-yardage leader is available. Florio opines a future Hilton-type talent could come out of a mid-round draft pick, allowing the Colts — now run by a decision-maker in Chris Ballard who did not draft the sixth-year wide receiver — to offload Hilton’s $13MM-AAV contract and improve the roster with the savings.

Trent Williams Needs Knee Surgery

October 21st, 2017 at 9:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trent Williams did not miss a game despite suffering a knee injury against the Chiefs in Week 4, but the longtime Redskins left tackle appears to have done damage that will induce a surgery.

Washington’s cornerstone lineman will need to undergo knee surgery, one that will cause an extensive rehab process, but he hopes to undergo this procedure in the offseason and play through the pain in the meantime, Liz Clarke of the Washington Post reports.

“The ligament that holds my kneecap in the socket needs to be reconstructed at some point,” Williams said. “It’s like a five-, six-month surgery, I think, in recovery time. I’m just trying to hold off on that as long as possible. Hopefully get through the season and revisit it in the offseason.”

Williams has not practiced since injuring his right knee in Kansas City, but he played at far less than 100 percent in the Redskins’ win over the 49ers. He told Clarke playing through this injury has been worse than battling through previous ankle, shoulder and knee maladies. The five-time Pro Bowler hasn’t missed more than two games in a season due to injury in his career.

“It didn’t help. That’s the reality. It didn’t help,” Williams said of playing through pain against the 49ers. “But that was expected. You’re not gonna go play three hours on a bum knee and expect to be better the next day.”

This pain-tolerance issue could come to a head at some point and induce a Williams absence, but for now, he is listed as questionable to suit up Monday night against the Eagles. Swing tackle Ty Nsekhe remains out after undergoing core muscle surgery. T.J. Clemmings would be the next man up if Williams couldn’t go.

East Rumors: Williams, Patriots, JPP, Jets

October 5th, 2017 at 9:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trent Williams has encountered a patella issue, one that caused him to briefly exit Monday night’s Redskins-Chiefs game. The Pro Bowl left tackle will not need surgery to correct the problem, but Williams is “week-to-week,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Washington has not ruled Williams out for its Week 6 game, per Rapoport. The eighth-year tackle underwent an MRI on Wednesday, and the exam ruled out a long-term injury. A near-future absence would obviously cause issues for the team. Swing tackle Ty Nsekhe is out after undergoing core muscle surgery, so the drop-off if Williams can’t go against the 49ers could be significant.

Here’s the latest from the Eastern divisions, shifting to New England.

Rob Gronkowski extended his streak of seasons without 16-game participation to six by missing Thursday night’s Patriots-Buccaneers tilt with a thigh injury, but the Pats expect their all-world tight end back by Week 6, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The same goes for Rex Burkhead, per Schefter. Burkhead hasn’t played since Week 2, but the team is expecting its newly acquired dual-threat back to be available against the Jets next weekend.
Missing Thursday’s game will deprive Gronkowski of collecting the $10.75MM salary the Patriots set as his ceiling on the now-incentive-laden 2017 arrangement. By failing to play in 90 percent of the Pats’ snaps this season, Gronk is in danger of falling to the $8.75MM tier of his contract, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald notes (on Twitter). The 28-year-old tight end could still rise back to that top tier, but he’d have to earn first-team All-Pro honors. That’s obviously still in play for Gronkowski, a three-time All-Pro, but he will have to make it through most of the Pats’ remaining regular-season games to be strongly considered for such acclaim. He will need to play on 80 percent of New England’s snaps this season or total 1,000 receiving yards or 12 touchdowns to earn $8.75MM. The salary drops to $6.75MM if Gronkowski can’t meet one of those benchmarks.
A sprained shoulder has put Jason Pierre-Paul‘s Week 5 availability in question, but the Giants defensive end said this issue is not new for him. He intends to play against the Chargers, Howie Kussoy of the New York Post reports. JPP said he’s been dealing with shoulder problem for “a while.” Both Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon missed Thursday’s practice, and with Vernon leaving early with an ankle injury the past two weeks, Big Blue’s other starting defensive end is in danger of missing his first NFL game in a six-season career.
The Jets could be down nickel cornerback Juston Burris on Sunday after the No. 3 corner hurt his foot in practice, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes. With fellow reserve corner Darryl Roberts unlikely to play in Cleveland, the Jets could be scrambling here if Burris can’t go. New York, though, still has veteran Marcus Williams in the event the younger talents can’t play behind Morris Claiborne or Buster Skrine. A former steady contributor on whom the Jets placed a second-round RFA tender, Williams has not played a defensive snap this season. Both Burris and Roberts have played 90.

Redskins Cut CB Dashaun Phillips

December 5th, 2016 at 4:34pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins announced that they have released cornerback Dashaun Phillips. The move will make room for the return of Trent Williams to the 53-man roster, Mike Jones of The Washington Post tweets.

Phillips started the year as the Redskins’ primary nickel cornerback. Eventually, he fell out of favor, got cut, and was signed to the practice squad. He was promoted to the taxi squad late last week, but his latest 53-man run did not last long. He was a healthy scratch against Arizona on Sunday.

Williams received a four-game ban in November for missing a drug test. That was a huge hit for the Redskins as Williams is ranked as Pro Football Focus’ top tackle in the NFL this season. After the suspension was announced, Williams accused the union of not following the proper protocol with regards to his situation.

Conflict Emerges Between Williams, NFLPA

November 5th, 2016 at 5:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Receiving a four-game suspension earlier this week, Trent Williams will miss Washington’s November slate. But he contends the NFLPA did not follow protocol leading to this month-long ban, Liz Clarke, Mike Jones and Mark Maske of the Washington Post report.

A conflict between the Redskins’ franchise left tackle and the NFLPA has emerged due to the proper steps not being taken in the leadup to to the ban. The seventh-year tackle, sources informed the trio of Washington Post reporters, is miffed the NFLPA accepted a four-game ban when other, less severe options, were slated to be on the table. Williams contemplated taking legal action, as he’s suspended without pay and will see his $11.25MM guaranteed base salary for 2017 become nonguaranteed as a result of this development, but it’s now too late to seek a suspension-stalling injunction.

While Williams doesn’t dispute the penalty was justified, he’s upset at the union failing to notify him of where he was in the drug program and the odd escalation of these stages. An NFLPA lawyer acting on Williams’ behalf in 2014 reportedly agreed to a sanction without knowing where the Redskins’ top blocker was in the drug program. This led to a step being skipped en route to Williams’ suspension, a sequence that has also irked members of Washington’s front office, per Clark, Jones and Maske.

The now-28-year-old tackle stood in the marijuana wing of the drug program, and in 2014 the league and the union agreed to more leniency as far as marijuana was concerned. An initial positive test for weed results in more frequent testing, with the second and third measures here being two- and four-game fines, respectively. However, a deal the aforementioned NFLPA attorney negotiated two years ago led to the four-game fine being bypassed and a suspension occurring earlier than it should have, the Post trio reports.

A positive test put Williams in the drug program, and a missed test triggered the second offense, but his side contends the former first-round pick was not given proper notification as to how close he was to a four-game ban. The four-game fine and four-game suspension became fused into one step, and Williams — who according to the Post was “stunned” to find out he was suspended — was apparently not informed of the NFLPA’s agreement. The mixup here will help lead to Washington being without its left tackle for a key portion of the schedule.

Williams also told the arbitrator assigned to settle this substance-abuse matter he informed the NFL he was on a trip to Africa when he was summoned for the drug test in question. This is Williams’ second four-game suspension for substance abuse, but with the previous ban coming in 2011, the four-time Pro Bowl left tackle’s record was expunged prior to this latest happening.

Pro Football Focus tabbed Williams as its top tackle thus far this season, and his absence obviously has the potential to wound Washington’s offense. He’s in the first season of a five-year, $66MM extension he signed to stay in Washington last year.

Redskins OT Trent Williams Suspended Four Games

November 1st, 2016 at 5:30pm CST by Ben Levine

5:30pm: Mike Jones of The Washington Post reports (via Twitter) that Williams was suspended for missing a test, explaining the four-game ban. The reporter adds that the suspension wasn’t reduced on appeal.

Meanwhile, Joel Corry tweets that Williams’ suspension will wipe out the lineman’s $11.25MM guaranteed base salary for 2017. The salary is now guaranteed for injury only, but the salary will become fully guaranteed on the third day of the league year.

4:55pm: The Redskins will be without one of their top offensive lineman for the next month. The team announced (via Twitter) that tackle Trent Williams has been suspended four games for violating the NFL Policy & Program for Substances of Abuse. Williams will be eligible to return to the active roster on Monday, December 5th. Albert Breer notes that Williams previously served a four-game suspension in 2011, so this latest punishment may have been appealed down from 10 games.

“Today, Trent Williams was suspended by the NFL under the terms of the Policy and Program on Substances of Abuse for the next four games,” the team said in a statement. “We met with Trent today to discuss this unfortunate news. Per the terms of the Policy, Trent will be permitted to participate in team meetings and workout out at the Redskins’ facilities throughout this time. The Redskins are counting on Trent to help our team when he returns from suspension. Our focus will now turn to the Minnesota Vikings after our bye this upcoming weekend. Any questions related to this matter should be directed to the NFL or NFLPA.”

Williams’ absence will be a huge loss for the 4-3 Redskins, who are currently sitting outside of the playoff picture. ProFootballFocus.com ranked Williams as the league’s top tackle this season, and the 28-year-old has played a significant role in the team’s offense. The Redskins’ rushing attack may only be middle-of-the-road, but the offensive line has still only allowed 11 sacks, the second-fewest total in the league. Nick Shook of NFL.com also notes that Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins ranks 10th in ‘average time to throw,’ a number that can certainly be attributed to Williams. The four-time Pro Bowler will likely be replaced in the line-up by former undrafted free agent Ty Nsekhe. The team could also rely on Vinston Painter for reinforcement.

Williams signed a five-year, $66MM ($43.5MM guaranteed) extension with the Redskins in 2015. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter), the offensive lineman will have to sacrifice more than $1.65MM in base salary and per-game bonuses.

Washington Notes: RGIII, Williams, Roberts

September 1st, 2015 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

While Washington’s decision to name Kirk Cousins as the team’s starting quarterback for the 2015 season has been viewed as a signal that Robert Griffin III‘s time in D.C. is coming to an end, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk makes the case for why it makes some sense for the club to keep him on the roster. As Florio writes, Cousins and Colt McCoy aren’t exactly the safest QB duo in the league, and RGIII’s salary isn’t exorbitant for a backup.

Still, as Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports observes, the RGIII era in Washington seems likely to come to an end by next February, with the club likely cutting him in the new year or sooner. Here’s more on the former No. 2 overall pick, along with a couple more Washington-related notes:

Robinson and Peter King of TheMMQB.com both look ahead and attempt to identify an ideal landing spot for Griffin after he and Washington officially go their separate ways. In Robinson’s view, the Chiefs are the best fit for RGIII, while King cites the Seahawks and Cardinals as logical potential suitors.
Although most observers don’t believe Washington would be able to trade Griffin, it may be possible if the quarterback is willing to renegotiate his 2016 option year to remove the injury-only guarantee, writes former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com. Of course, as Corry acknowledges, Washington still wouldn’t be able to get much in return for the 25-year-old.
$30MM of Trent Williams‘ five-year, $66MM contract extension with Washington is fully guaranteed at signing, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (all Twitter links). Corry adds that the team, having used a signing/option bonus structure on the deal, will pick up $3.55MM in cap room for the 2015 season.
In his latest mailbag for the Washington Post, Mike Jones fields questions about Washington’s outside linebackers, Andre Roberts‘ role, and – of course – the quarterback situation.

Washington, Trent Williams Agree On Extension

August 29th, 2015 at 2:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Amid the drama that’s engulfed Washington regarding its quarterbacks, coaches and mascot in recent years, some good news emerged from D.C. for a change, with left tackle Trent Williams agreeing on a contract extension, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (on Twitter).

Williams’ new deal will pay him $66MM over five years, with $43.5MM of that sum guaranteed, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The former No. 4 overall pick’s guarantee on signing comes in at $32.5MM, per Rapoport (on Twitter).

The 27-year-old Oklahoma product took to Twitter himself to show appreciation for the massive deal and after being one of the last players on the old CBA’s generous rookie salary scale, Williams will continue to reap the rewards through his 32nd birthday.

This makes Williams the highest-paid tackle in terms of per-year wages, with Williams’ $13.2MM easily surpassing Tyron Smith‘s $12.2MM figure.

As part of the rookie deal he signed in 2010 as Washington’s first-round pick in that draft, Williams was already set to make $10MM+ in base salary, with a $14.25MM cap number before agreeing to this accord.

The team’s staring left tackle since the ’10 season, Williams ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 18th-best blind-side cog last season and as a top-20 tackle in 2012, but the leading advanced metrics site slotted the 315-pound blocker as its No. 1 tackle in 2013.

This contract also means only three ex-first-rounders — Sam Bradford, Eric Berry and Russell Okung — will enter this season on deals signed under the previous CBA that paid top picks exorbitant sums.

East Notes: T. Williams, Jets, Cowboys, Wayne

August 26th, 2015 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Washington offensive tackle Trent Williams isn’t worrying about his contract situation, focusing instead on giving Washington “one of the best years of my career” in the final season of his current deal, as he tells John Keim of ESPN.com.

Keim suggests that if the two sides don’t reach an agreement on an extension, the franchise tag will be an option for Washington, but Williams’ cap hit this year is $14.23MM, so franchising him would mean committing to a salary north of $17MM for 2016. As such, it’s in Washington’s best interest to work out a longer-term arrangement, and Williams should have plenty of leverage in those negotiations.

Let’s round up a few more notes from out of the NFL’s East divisions…

Speaking today to reporters, including Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter links), Osi Umenyiora said he got an offer from a team yesterday, but didn’t want to continue his career if he wasn’t playing for the Giants. According to Garafolo, the Jets contacted Umenyiora yesterday, but didn’t make a formal contract offer — they were just checking to see whether he was really retiring. The veteran pass rusher paid an informal visit to the Jets earlier this year.
Although an earlier report suggested the Cowboys were poking around for cornerback help, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets that the team has no plans to add a corner in the wake of Orlando Scandrick‘s ACL injury. I’d expect the Cowboys to keep an eye on defensive backs who are cut next week, but it doesn’t sound like the club is in the market for a starter at all.
Field Yates of ESPN.com passes along some specific details on Reggie Wayne‘s one-year contract with the Patriots, tweeting that the wideout will earn a base salary of $1.1MM to go along with a $450K signing bonus. The pact also features $750K in per-game roster bonuses, plus additional bonuses if Wayne reaches 55 receptions ($250K) and 65 receptions (another $250K).