When the Eagles released Jason Peters, it was assumed Andre Dillard would take over at left tackle. Hold the phone.
A curious report surfaced on Thursday morning linking Philadelphia to Pro-Bowl left tackle Trent Williams. The long-time Redskins starter has been begging for a trade out of Washington going back to last season and sat out the entire 2019 campaign. According to the Washington Post’s Les Carpenter, the Redskins have resumed trade talks involving the seven-time Pro Bowler and the Eagles are one of four teams showing the most interest. The Browns, Jets and Vikings complete the list.
With star left tackle Trent Williams insisting he wants to be traded, Washington has been working to deal him in recent weeks. So far, the Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets have shown the most interest, according to a person familiar with the discussions, but several factors have complicated the team’s ability to trade Williams, who has one year left on his contract. Prospective trade partners either haven’t been able to reach an agreement with Williams on a new deal, or they refuse to offer more than low-round draft picks in exchange for the seven-time Pro Bowl player.
Ron Rivera, Redskins enter pivotal draft with a premium pick and Trent Williams questions
Eagles “Source” Rejects Williams Trade Talk
Within minutes of the Trent Williams-Eagles rumors interrupting everyone’s breakfasts, the report was shot down as false by Pro Football Talk. In fact, a source familiar with the situation told the website that there was “zero truth” to the Eagles wanting to make a move for Williams.
Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper wrote:
It was a curious team to have in the mix given the presence of 2019 first-round pick Andre Dillard as the heir apparent to Jason Peters on the left side of the offensive line. PFT has learned, via a league source, that it was also an erroneous one. Per that source, there’s “zero truth” to any suggestion that the Eagles want to make a move for Williams.
The move seemed curious from the outset considering the Eagles let Jason Peters walk in free agency and then gave Andre Dillard a huge vote of confidence. The second-year left tackle was the team’s first-round pick in 2019 (they traded up to grab him at 22nd overall) after wowing scouts at last year’s NFL Scouting Combine.
Dillard had mixed results when forced into action last season for Philadelphia, with a few nay-sayers calling into question his ability to deal with his emotions. The 24-year-old also was at the center of a small controversy after he slammed his critics on social media. Maybe Dillard has maturity issues.
Eagles GM ‘Confident’ in Dillard’s Abilities
Eagles GM Howie Roseman caused a stir at the NFL Scouting Combine when he appeared to do an about-face on Andre Dillard.
At one point, he told reporters that the team was “very confident in his abilities to be a really good player” and then, in the same breath, he didn’t rule out bringing Jason Peters back at left tackle. Obviously, the Eagles decided to get rid of Peters but the mere fact that they considered a reunion with Peters spoke volumes.
“But it’s a good problem for us to have, that we have a lot of these offensive linemen that we think are good players and that can play,” Roseman told reporters in February. “It’s an O-line deficient league. And I think we feel fortunate that we have these good options and that it’s not the flip side and we’re trying to figure out what we’re going to go going forward, that we have a lot of good options to choose from.”
With the latest trade rumors linking the Eagles and Trent Williams, those comments deserve another look. Peters is still sitting out there on the free-agent market. If the Eagles don’t have the utmost confidence in Dillard, then now is the time to make a move.
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Eagles Curiously Linked to Pro-Bowl Left Tackle: Report