New Washington coach Ron Rivera has made it clear he hopes to get disgruntled Washington left tackle Trent Williams back in the boat.
And old Washington coach Joe Gibbs thinks Rivera is just the man to reel Williams back in.
Williams vowed to not return to the team last year, but his beef was mostly with former team president Bruce Allen and the team’s medical staff. Both have since been replaced, and Gibbs expressed optimism that Rivera “can find a way to handle this.”
“I think Ron will do a good job of that,” Gibbs told J.P. Finlay of NBCSportsWashington.com, of dealing with players. “I think the thing that you’ve got with Ron is someone who’s played in the NFL, he has real respect from the players when he talks.
“If there’s anything to do with talking to a player, I think Ron will have a good sense for that.”
Of course, financial issues could be an issue in re-establishing trust with Williams. He has no guarantees in this year’s contract, and if they really want to deal in good faith, there could be a way to convince him they’re on his side.