The Washington Redskins aren't going to sit around and wait for Trent Williams. If they do that, and the left tackle ends up not playing – they're putting themselves in a tough spot to find a replacement.

With that in mind, the Redskins went out and got a talented veteran in Donald Penn.

Donald Penn may not be what he used to be, meaning he's not exactly Trent Williams. There are two points to be made to that though.

First off, not many people are Trent Williams. Second, Penn is about as good of a backup plan as you're going to get. This guy is a three-time Pro Bowl tackle, including as recently as 2017.

Penn is known for his fantastic athleticism and being a strong all-around blocker. In many ways, he is very similar to Williams.

This also means Washington won't have to slide Ereck Flowers back over to tackle. That's big news as he struggled mightily there and the hope is that a switch to guard could turn his fortunes around.

Another positive is that they should feel more comfortable putting rookie Dwayne Haskins out on the field. The Week 1 starting quarterback isn't known yet, but it wouldn't have been surprising if Washington didn't want to put their rookie QB out there without a legitimate left tackle to protect him.

Finally, it gives the Washington Redskins a little more leverage with Trent Williams. No, Donald Penn might not be as good, but he's a very solid tackle who can hold down the fort if need be. There's no longer desperation in the eyes of Washington.