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Well, the Redskins fired Allen and the training staff and now hired Carolina Panthers head athletic trainer Ryan Vermillion. The only thing left is money.
Oh, Williams once said he was never, ever returning, but then who figured on the Redskins making such major changes? You don't dismiss the last head trainer after 17 years unless it's to regain its Pro Bowl tackle to protect a young quarterback. Williams recently told ESPN he wouldn't say no for certain, given changes.
Vermillion spent nine seasons with Miami coach Don Shula before one season in Washington. He then joined Carolina in 2002 and was named the Fain-Cain Memorial Award recipient for Outstanding NFL Trainer of the Year in 2016. In 2003, Vermillion led the training staff of the year, as voted on by his fellow NFL colleagues.
There's nothing more the Redskins can do to entice Williams other than money, and Snyder is known for paying whatever's needed. Indeed, with fiscal-conservative Allen no longer blocking Snyder's impulses, the coming offseason may include a spending spree on free agents.
The Redskins need to be wary of offering Williams a long-term deal, though. He turns 32 years old before training camp and has only played a full 16 games twice over nine seasons. Indeed, Williams missed a combined 16 games from 2014-18.
Giving Williams a four-year deal after so many injury woes is a big risk, but maybe missing one year will rejuvenate him and prolong his career. It's a gamble and an expensive one.
Williams' line in the sand has been washed away by a tide of change rolling through Ashburn. Is it enough?