Trent Williams: Vikings didn’t “synch up,” with 49ers preferred destination
Trent Williams didn’t want to play in Washington. He insists he never refused to go to Minnesota but admits San Francisco was his preferred destination all along.
The seven-time Pro Bowler got his way, reuniting with Kyle Shanahan in a deal that sent him from Washington to the 49ers. The 49ers head coach served as Williams’ offensive coordinator for four seasons in Washington.
“I’m extremely excited to get back in the building with, not only Kyle, but there’s a ton of those coaches in there from the first four years of my career,” Williams said in a conference call with beat reporters Thursday, via Matt Maiocco of NBCSportsBayArea.com. “It’s going to be a happy reunion.
“This was a preferred destination of mine just because of the familiarity I have with Kyle and the offense. Obviously, it being an ascending team, I feel like I’ll fit right in.”
An NFL Media report Saturday night indicated Williams blocked a trade to Minnesota. He and his agent both denied it over the weekend.
It sounds like it might be a matter of semantics, because Williams admitted Thursday that the Vikings “didn’t synch up” with what he wants long term.
“The Vikings, long term, and what I looked at long term, it didn’t synch up,” Williams said. “They just really dropped out. It wasn’t me refusing to go.”
The Vikings drafted Boise State offensive tackle Ezra Cleveland in the second round, and the 49ers worked out a deal with Washington.
Williams replaces Joe Staley, who is retiring, as the 49ers’ left tackle.
“You don’t replace a guy like Joe,” Williams said, via David Lombardi of TheAthletic.com. “You learn to live without him, and hopefully, I can make that a little easier.”
If we offerred a 4th this draft it would have been done. Skins didnt give a single eff about where trent wanted to go. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to see though that Trent was willing to go west without a Long term deal. If Speilly was giving up a 4th it wasnt for one and done. I would guess we offerred 2 guaranteed years with escalators and Williams figured SF would offer more once he returns to form, which he will
Ive lived in St Paul and the bay area, both great places, but with his money he can afford a better quality of life there.
@"Bullazin" said: If we offerred a 4th this draft it would have been done. Skins didnt give a single eff about where trent wanted to go. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to see though that Trent was willing to go west without a Long term deal. If Speilly was giving up a 4th it wasnt for one and done. I would guess we offerred 2 guaranteed years with escalators and Williams figured SF would offer more once he returns to form, which he willIve lived in St Paul and the bay area, both great places, but with his money he can afford a better quality of life there.
yeah gotta think Trent wants to cash in big and Rick wasn't offering that. So did Trent block the deal? No but he likely made it known he wouldn't sign an extension. So yes.
Williams is so full of it. Yeah, it didn’t sync up because 1) he didn’t want to be in Minnesota long term and/or 2) the Vikes weren’t offering him the kind of $$ he wanted in an extension. Sounds like he wanted SF all along. He and his agent are full of it.
@"Magnus10" said: Williams is so full of it. Yeah, it didn’t sync up because 1) he didn’t want to be in Minnesota long term and/or 2) the Vikes weren’t offering him the kind of $$ he wanted in an extension. Sounds like he wanted SF all along. He and his agent are full of it.I'll take door #2.
@"Magnus10" said: Williams is so full of it. Yeah, it didn’t sync up because 1) he didn’t want to be in Minnesota long term and/or 2) the Vikes weren’t offering him the kind of $$ he wanted in an extension. Sounds like he wanted SF all along. He and his agent are full of it.Of course. Not even sure why Williams went there. He is full of it.
This might have been the best outcome for the short and long term...especially after the ridiculous contract B.OB just handed out...
Bit of risk for Williams playing this year and waiting until his age 33 season for an extension. Perhaps not a wise one, we shall see...
I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't be stoked if we had pulled off the trade. The pick at 58 then becomes a guard or maybe Kristian Fulton. Imagine getting Gladney AND Fulton. Or Madubuike...or Gallimore instead of Lynch. And almost as important, you keep Trent off the damn 49ers.
Still, it's probably best long term that we went with Ezra Cleveland. We have our zone bookends for a decade and an equally athletic center to anchor them.
If the Vikings really, really wanted him, they would've made it work. I think they wanted him only at the price they were willing spend.
@"HappyViking" said: If the Vikings really, really wanted him, they would've made it work. I think they wanted him only at the price they were willing spend.
Yeah, everyone seems to think it's about the contract. And that probably played a part. But I have a hunch it was just as much about Ezra Cleveland.
I think if the Vikings had a tackle fall to them in the 1st they would've taken him and promptly cut off trade talks with TW. In the 2nd, they tried trading up for Cleveland, but could find no takers. During that time, Spielman was talking contract with Williams and trade terms with Washington. I don't know how close they got, but when Cleveland started to fall, Spielman put the trade on hold to see if he would fall all the way to #58. He did and that's when they dropped out.
I think this is mostly just BS from Williams camp. I wouldn’t trust anything that came out of
his mouth. I think he was probably fine
coming to Minnesota if the money was massive.
I’m guessing no one wanted to give him massive money, because of his age
and sitting last year out, so he wanted a one year prove it deal at a place
where he’s most likely to look good, and SF is just better on offense. He will most likely look better there than he
would here, and be more likely to get that big contract. I think it was one of those situations where you
lie by twisting the words. He never explicitly refused the trade with us,
but by rejecting our long term contract offers, it basically made it impossible
for us to trade for him. Also, I don’t think it would have worked for us, to trade
him for only a single season before he hits the FA market and goes to SF
anyway.
I don’t think it has anything to do with Cleveland. I think this fell through, and then we went
and got our OT. If Williams was on
board, we would have drafted a DT, OG or something else. I don’t think there was ever going to be a
point in the draft where Vikings officials were working a contract extension
with Williams 20 minutes before our pick, cutting Rieff to make cap room and we
backed out because of who dropped to us.
@"StickyBun" said: Yes, but do you think Trent is....Better Than Ezra?
Good tune!
Yes, Trent is a better player, but not better for the payroll. It's a risk, but I like the Vikings choice.
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