Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams is the 49ers’ biggest free agent -- regardless of how “big” is defined.
His size and athleticism are perfect fits for the 49ers’ offensive system. It will take a sizable multi-year contract to keep him with the organization.
Coach Kyle Shanahan has already made a big pitch to retain Williams, who spent the first 10 years of his NFL career with Washington — widely considered among the worst organizations in the NFL.
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Shanahan was Washington’s offensive coordinator under his father, head coach Mike Shanahan, when Williams was selected at No. 4 overall in the 2010 draft.
Shanahan and Williams were reunited this season.
“It’s been really cool to have him,” Kyle Shanahan said of Williams on 49ers Game Plan. “I had him early in his career, and to have him, whatever it’s been, eight years later, and to feel like he’s still getting better. It’s been fun to have him.”
The 49ers acquired Williams in a trade to replace NFL All-Decade left tackle Joe Staley, who informed the team shortly before the draft that he was retiring.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers expected to be back in Super Bowl contention this season, but the club is 5-9 and officially eliminated from the postseason picture.
RELATED: Williams describes how 49ers staff have shaped his career
Shanahan said he believes the 49ers are not far from putting the pieces back together for another big season. And he hopes Williams shares his view.
“Hopefully we get him back here next year because I feel like we provided him the kind of organization that I told him it would be,” Shanahan said.
“And now we got to get our guys healthy so he can see the true team that we have and have had and will continue to have, which I think he has a pretty good idea about it, because he saw these guys throughout training camp.”
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