Why the Panthers trading Trai Turner for veteran Russell Okung makes sense — to a point
So much for the offseason.
Wednesday night was far from quiet for the Panthers with the team making a big move with two weeks to go before the start of the league year.
The Panthers were supposed to be in the midst of a rebuild. So how did tentatively agreeing to trade 26-year-old right guard Trai Turner to the Chargers for 31-year-old left tackle Russell Okung once the league year starts on March 18 make any sense at all?
We’re glad you asked. Let’s break it down.
Here’s what you need to know:
Turner has spent the last six years with the Panthers and has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last five since they drafted him in the third round out of LSU in 2014. He has been a strong performer for the team’s offensive line over that time, but has played only 13 games a season for the last three years.
Turner, a right guard, has two years left on his four-year, $45 million contract that he signed in 2017. He is due $12.8 million this season and just under $15.4 million in 2021, per Spotrac.
Turner had been rumored as a potential trade target over the last couple days.
Okung is a different situation. The left tackle has been in the NFL for 10 years after the Seahawks selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft out of Oklahoma State. He is 31-years old and is entering the last year of a four-year, $53 million contract. He is due $13 million, per Spotrac, this coming season.
Only once in his career has he played in all 16 regular-season games. Okung is considered among the most consistent left tackles in the NFL and is a two-time Pro Bowler. Matt Rhule might not be naming starters for the 2020 season, but there’s no doubt that Okung should be expected to fill in at left tackle. His offensive line coach for the past three years with the Chargers, Pat Meyer, is the new Panthers offensive line coach. There’s familiarity there.
What does this mean in terms of a the “rebuild?”
The biggest takeaway from this trade at first glance is that it doesn’t fit a rebuild. Why trade the consistent right guard that has been with the team for six years for an expensive, older left tackle that has one year left on his deal?
That’s the first key. He only has one year left on his deal, as opposed to the two for Turner. If the Panthers are entering a true rebuild, it’s more manageable to have to pay a relatively high-priced player for one year as opposed to two. The team is saving money. He can also serve as a mentor to the Panthers’ many young offensive lineman, including Greg Little — a left tackle the team traded up for in the second round last year. Little only played four games due to two concussions and an ankle injury.
Even if he is on the team for one year, Okung will provide a stabilizing force at left tackle that the Panthers have been searching for over many years.
What does this actually mean for Greg Little?
It could mean a couple of things. The first concern should be his health. Does this mean the Panthers are worried about counting on him in 2020? Two concussions so close together early in his career have to be a concern. The team was extra cautious with how quickly they had him return from the second concussion, choosing to have him sit out extra weeks and visit concussion experts in Pittsburgh. His long-term health has to be on their mind.
But it also would be beneficial to have him learn for a year behind a player like Okung. A redshirt year, if you will. Carolina has too many needs to address the same positions in the draft it did last year, especially early on. Okung could be a great mentor for a growing tackle like Little and will allow flexibility along the line.
What does this mean for Cam Newton?
Not much. Trading for Okung doesn’t reveal anything about what the Panthers hope to do at quarterback. Last week, Rhule said that he would like to coach Newton. Trading the quarterback at this time would be difficult for the Panthers, due to his injury-timeline. If the Panthers see Newton as their quarterback this year in a trial role or because their options are limited, then Okung would be the perfect player to protect him at such a critical position. Newton has lacked consistent support at left tackle.
If the team ends up moving on from Newton this offseason, then a young quarterback will only benefit from having Okung at left tackle.
But was this a good deal?
It certainly seems like the Panthers should have gotten a draft pick in the trade. It’s not like Okung comes cheaply. But Turner is just the next Panthers veteran on his way out. And he won’t be the last. Carolina deciding to part ways with Greg Olsen despite his willingness to stay was the first signal that the Panthers would be moving on from high-priced veterans. The team saw an opportunity to improve at a key offensive position and save some money.
Every move that the team has made up to this point has indicated that it is accepting the process of a rebuild or at least a less-than-stellar record in 2020. Now they need to choose a path and stick to it with their next roster moves, which could include almost any player on the roster (as Rhule has indicated), evidenced by trading Turner. Only the decisions that are still to come will show if this deal will pay off or not.
This story was originally published March 5, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
