SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) – After years of playing in a dysfunctional organization in Washington, the difference in the mood of a winning franchise hit Trent Williams as soon as he entered the building for the San Francisco 49ers this training camp.
Williams saw a culture instilled from leadership to the coaching staff to players and an energy he was not used to over the past decade in Washington even before defending NFC champion Niners organized his first real training.
“Coming from where I’m from, a walkthrough was a solution,” Williams said. “Our approach here has been quite intense. Lots of focus, lots of attention to detail, and flying guys. You can tell it’s a bunch of hungry guys and I feel like I fit in perfectly.
Williams was looking for a place to fit in after growing unhappy in Washington. He has been absent the entire 2019 season due to a dispute with the Washington front office.
Last November, Williams revealed he had cancer and said the situation had made him suspicious of Washington medical staff and the organization as a whole. He said at the time that there was no trust there “with President Bruce Allen, who was fired after a 3-13 season.
Medical staff were also overhauled and new coach Ron Rivera took control of football operations. But Williams still wanted out and got his wish when he was finally traded in the San Francisco draft.
He was able to reunite with coach Kyle Shanahan, who was the offensive coordinator for Williams’ first four seasons in Washington.
He also provided the Niners with the perfect replacement for six-time Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Staley, who informed the team that he was planning to retire just days before the Williams deal was struck.
Williams made the Pro Bowl every season from 2012 to 2018 as one of the most athletic and reliable left tackles in the game.
“He’s been an amazing guy to work with over the past two weeks,” said right tackle Mike McGlinchey. “Even just in the walkthrough you’re still a little blown away by how smooth and athletic he really is. It’ll be cool to pick your brain over the next couple of weeks here, go through training camp once live bullets start flying, and see it come back in action.
Williams admits he has some rust to remove, which is to be expected considering he hasn’t played a game in over 19 months and then had to face a virtual offseason with a new one. team this spring.
But he comes with extensive knowledge of Shanahan’s offense over their four years in Washington, and believes the opportunity to play against San Francisco’s stellar defensive front led by 2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year Nick Bosa. AP, will only accelerate its acclimatization process.
“It’s going to be an essential tool for me to use to remove rust,” Williams said. “One of the biggest challenges I can face all year is probably Nick. I think he’s one of the top four or five rushers in the game. To get that job and be able to have it every day, we can kind of bounce ideas off each other and talk about it. I think it will work for the best case for me.
Williams is one of two potential new starters on the Niners’ offensive line this season. The team also signed their former Washington teammate Tom Compton to compete for the starting guard post.
Compton is fighting for that spot with Daniel Brunskill, who started two guard games in place of Mike Person at the end of last season. No one also retired this spring.
Rookie Colton McKivitz could also be in the mix in a season where adaptability will be crucial due to the lack of off-season work and the potential for absences due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The versatility is going to be absolutely huge,” McGlinchey said. “It’s going to make or break guys who have jobs and make or break situations to fill our roster because we can be in any situation anytime this year where we’re not just looking for injuries. We’re looking for something that we can’t really defend ourselves from sometimes. Being able to have the ability to hook up and play guys in different positions at different times is really going to keep us moving as smoothly as operationally possible.
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