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00:00John Lynch has spoken on the Trent Williams situation.
00:03Okay.
00:03Okay, this is front of the scrum at the Combine in Indy.
00:07This is John Lynch on the Trent Williams contractual situation.
00:12Recent weeks I've met with both Trent and with his agent, Vincent Taylor,
00:16and had really good productive and substantive meetings.
00:19And so here's what I know.
00:22Trent loves being a Niner.
00:23We love having Trent as a Niner.
00:25And it's up to us to figure that out and to thread that needle.
00:30There's some unique circumstances in that we all know what Trent is as a player,
00:33how great of a player he's been.
00:35He's going to be 38 years old.
00:37And so there's some things that go into that.
00:38But I think we're all on the same page and feel very positive about where that's going.
00:43Okay.
00:44That's an interesting comment right there.
00:46Wow.
00:47Okay.
00:47What stood out?
00:48It's up to us to make that work.
00:51In other words, we got to find enough money to where he's going to be happy.
00:55And we have to structure the deal, Parag, Parag Marate, financial guy,
01:00to where we're not totally getting hosed, but at the same time, we need him happy.
01:05Yeah.
01:05It's up to us.
01:07He was heavy on the us.
01:08There's really, I don't know if I can think of another guy in the NFL
01:14that sort of commands the reaction that Trent does when he walks into the room.
01:19Like, that is King Alpha.
01:23Yep.
01:23Mama, there goes that man.
01:24That's the dude.
01:25Yep.
01:26You even see it on the field.
01:28Like, think about that now.
01:29Okay.
01:29There's 22 of the most maniacal, in shape, crazy human beings alive.
01:36But if Trent stands up, all of them are like,
01:39no, never mind.
01:41Never mind.
01:42We're good here.
01:42Including the Hall of Fame GM, who made his living absolutely ruining people
01:48with ferocious hits.
01:49I'm not saying that he's afraid of Trent, but you realize how important he is.
01:53The other name that I thought of right away was Patrick Mahomes.
01:56And he is not as physically commanding, but as good as he's been,
02:01you know, he's able to get basically whatever he wants.
02:04And he reworked his deal again.
02:05He does it every year.
02:06And, you know, just give me some more of that money up front and whatever.
02:10So he's, I think he's kind of similar.
02:12Maybe Josh Allen would be another guy.
02:14Beyond that, you're running out of names.
02:17Let's hear this again.
02:18Tom Lynch on the Trent Williams contractual situation.
02:21There's some fun little nuggets in here.
02:23Listen again.
02:23Recent weeks, I've met with both Trent and with his agent, Vincent Taylor,
02:28and had really good productive and substantive meetings.
02:30And so here's what I know.
02:33Trent loves being a Niner.
02:34We love having Trent as a Niner.
02:37And it's up to us to figure that out and to thread that needle.
02:41There's some unique circumstances in that we all know what Trent is as a player,
02:45how great of a player he's been.
02:47He's going to be 38 years old.
02:48And so there's some things that go into that.
02:50But I think we're all on the same page and feel very positive about where that's going.
02:55Okay.
02:55So let me just take a stab.
02:57A little shot in the dark here because I'm not going to act like we're all tapped in
03:02on everything that's going on behind the scenes with these negotiations.
03:05But I like your observation.
03:07It's up to us to figure that out.
03:10We all know, but did you hear, how good of a player Trent has been.
03:16But he's 38 and there's some things that go into that.
03:21So it sounds to me like the argument, if you want to call it that, or the rub in the
03:27room,
03:27because John says they've been having great conversations.
03:30He even uses the agent's name because we know how we all have to say the agent's name.
03:35That's right.
03:352026.
03:36Say the agent.
03:37Say my name.
03:38Say my name.
03:39Okay.
03:41John says the name.
03:43And then he says, Trent's 38.
03:47There's some things that go into that.
03:49I think the argument probably is, here's what we'd like to do contractually.
03:56And Trent is like, I'm still the best in the league.
03:59And the Niners are like, right, but you're 38.
04:02And you're asking for us to not even pay for your age 38 year.
04:06You're asking for us to pay for your age 39 year.
04:10And maybe your 40 year.
04:11And maybe your 40 year.
04:13So like we will, but can you acknowledge big fella?
04:20You're getting really old.
04:23And boy, a Bay Area fan does not need to be reminded twice how difficult of a needle that is
04:30to thread.
04:31It's happening all around us.
04:32Yeah.
04:33Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, Trent Williams.
04:37Justin Verlander.
04:39I mean, he's older than all of them.
04:41Yes, he is.
04:42And the Tigers.
04:43Exactly.
04:43Yeah.
04:44But like, that's not an easy thing for them to hear or acknowledge when they're still, Steph, Trent, playing at
04:51the, damn close to the height of their powers.
04:54Especially when you're dealing with that position and that sport and, you know, what he has to go through to
05:00play 17 games plus playoffs.
05:02And I think last year he did miss maybe only one game.
05:05He played a ton last year.
05:07And, you know, Steph is out here making 60 plus million.
05:10And now he's dealing with runner's knee.
05:13And he's had other knee issues in his career.
05:15He's had a hamstring that kept him out.
05:18He's had ankle problems.
05:19And so he's playing a non-contact, for the most part, sport.
05:23And yet here he is at 38.
05:25And things are starting to go south.
05:27And so I look at the Niners and they're right to be a little bit tentative as far as, you
05:32know, going out and extending him many more years.
05:35I'm all for, all right, Trent, we'll go ahead and rip this one up.
05:38We're going to give you fresh money, a new bonus, and we're going to add on voidable years again toward
05:43the back end of your career when you won't be playing.
05:45But we'll pay that money then against the cap.
05:49We're going to give you money now in a bonus.
05:51We'll get you a two-year deal, two years and $55 million with $35 guaranteed.
05:56And, I mean, is that good, Trent?
05:59Is that good for you?
06:00Gosh, this is just, it just feels like such a familiar story.
06:05And I think for fans and the team, I think we all get it.
06:10It really does feel like you're stuck.
06:14Okay, I love this, and I can't remember how you phrased it exactly, like which 38-year-old is playing
06:22better or whatever, however you said it.
06:25These two situations feel very similar from this perspective.
06:29Obviously, I mean, they both have one year left on their deal.
06:33Now, only one is asking for additional security now.
06:36That's largely because of the sport he plays.
06:39And so it's different, the way you structure all of this.
06:42But in both situations, you're talking about a super, uber, duper, duper Hall of Fame player.
06:50And you have to commit.
06:53You have to build around this person.
06:56And you don't feel great about it because their age.
07:00Right.
07:00And their health history recently.
07:04But at the same time, you got no other option.
07:06No choice.
07:07For different reasons, I think Steph, like Steph, at the end of this year, he can ask for another one
07:12-year deal.
07:12And he can say, look, I'm looking for 65.
07:15And Joe Lacob says yes before the five even comes out of Steph's mouth because he's worth more than $65
07:21million to that organization as an entertainment entity.
07:25But for Trent, as the left tackle, you just signed your quarterback to $53 million a year.
07:30And you're going to go with Austin Pleasance, all due respect.
07:34No.
07:34But you're no Trent Williams.
07:35And so Trent's thinking, yeah, you just paid your QB.
07:38You want somebody to have his back?
07:40Literally, it's me.
07:42But I'm going to need a little bit of fresh money.
07:45And they're going to have to just, they're going to have to pony up.
07:47I have no qualms with elite athletes taking advantage of the situation in which they find themselves.
07:58Like, why wouldn't he do this?
08:01Right.
08:01This is why when we compared Trent and Iuke, same offseason, and people were kind of putting him in the
08:07same bucket.
08:08You remember that?
08:10And they're like, oh, Brandon's holding out.
08:11And Trent's holding out.
08:12And, you know, better kind of hold him to the same standard.
08:16And I'm like, no, not at all.
08:18The Trent thing didn't bother me one bit.
08:22Because Trent Williams is Trent Williams.
08:25And training camp, quite frankly, is probably not a great thing for him anyway.
08:30As it turns out, there was also a lot going on that year in his personal life.
08:34That was probably a big piece of it.
08:36But all of the 49ers, even add in Juwan Jennings, whether the injury was fake or not,
08:43Nick Bosa the year before, Debo Samuel to a certain degree, he got a little chirpy.
08:48But I don't really have issue with this stuff, provided that it is going on behind the scenes.
08:54Like, take care of your business.
08:57Get every dollar you can.
08:58You should do that.
09:00But don't go on TikTok and start making stuff up.
09:04Don't start talking about it literally when you haven't even left your locker after a Super Bowl loss yet.
09:10All of that stuff, to me, was a red flag that sort of applied to Ayuk and Ayuk alone.
09:16So Trent's doing it again.
09:18He's in position to get money.
09:20Do it, big fella.
09:21Right, because he's in a spot where they absolutely have to have him.
09:25And if Steph Curry, and many fans are saying, oh, Steph, you should just come back and play for,
09:30just play for $40 million like LeBron.
09:32That way we can use that other $25 million on other players around you.
09:35And that sounds real good and cute and stuff.
09:38And he might do that.
09:40But at the same time, if you're Steph Curry, you have every right to say,
09:44pay me as much as I possibly can make because he earns them more than $65 million each and every
09:51year.
09:52He probably is worth, to Joe Lacob, closer to $3 billion.
09:57Maybe $4 billion without the chef and the rest of them, Draymond, Clay, Steve Kerr, whatever.
10:03But that thing went from what he bought it for to what it's worth now.
10:06A lot of that's because of Steph.
10:08So if he wants to ask for $65.5 million in an extension, you're getting off easy, Joe Lacob.
10:14I mean, players are allowed to ask for what they're worth.
10:16If all people are, but especially when you're like, when they put their bodies through this kind of stuff,
10:23I just don't, you know, someone just texted in like, save some for the teammates.
10:28Again, this actually might open up even more money for the 49ers this year, not necessarily next year.
10:35And Trent's elite.
10:36Why should he not be paid?
10:37Why should he not?
10:38I don't think he's asking for a larger slice of the pie than he's already getting.
10:42He's asking for another year.
10:44He's asking for more guarantees.
10:47Guarantees, yep.
10:47And he wants to play for two more years, and he's still really good.
10:51And if he's making the base this year is $22 million, if you can cut that base down to like
10:56$11 million,
10:57and you take the other $11 million, and you pop that into a bonus, he gets the $11 million guaranteed,
11:01and the team has the ability to spread that money out.
11:04Over years, it can be a win-win.
11:06It just matters how much he really wants in terms of fresh money.
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