Joe Staley was one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL during his 12-year NFL career. The 35-year-old was named to six Pro Bowls and protected the blindside for San Fransisco 49ers stars for over a decade.
However, due to multiple injuries forcing Staley to retire, the Niners went out and found his replacement. In late April, San Fransisco reached an agreement with the Washington Redskins to acquire offensive tackle Trent Williams.
As Staley's replacement, Williams comes to San Fransisco with high expectations. But, according to former Redskins and 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan, that should be no problem. Per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, McCloughan said,
“Joe Staley is a really good tackle — don’t get me wrong. But he ain’t Trent Williams. He hasn’t been Trent Williams. And won’t be Trent Williams when Trent’s career is over and you compare them.”
McCloughlan drafted Staley 28th overall in 2007 and was in Washington during Williams' tenure. Williams is undoubtedly one of the best tackles in the NFL as the 31-year-old had made the Pro Bowl in each of the last seven seasons before sitting out in 2019 due to a mixture of contract disputes and disdain for the Redskins front office.
McLoughlan isn't the only one praising the Niners' new star. San Fransisco's third-year tackle Mike McGlinchey will likely be starting on the opposite side of Williams next season and the former Notre Dame standout knows how good the team's new acquisition can be:
“We replaced one of the best left tackles in the NFL with one of the best tackles in the NFL.”
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