Guard
We never liked the Russell Okung, Trai Turner swap. Whether you believe Turner was a legitimate Pro Bowler or if he was just skating by on name power is irrelevant. He’s five years younger and has a lot more high-level football left in him than Okung.
The Panthers took some of the sting out of this awful trade by signing former Bengals guard John Miller to a very inexpensive one-year deal worth $4 million. He has started 60 games at right guard and should at least be an adequate replacement.
The team struck out trying to re-sign Greg Van Roten, though. While he was a liability in pass protection, he had developed into a great run blocker and consistent starter. Losing him leaves the roster extremely thin at this position. It’s possible they will try to slide Greg Little or Dennis Daley in at left guard, but we believe they’ll draft for this need instead.
On this front, the team held pre-draft meetings with Missouri’s Yasir Durant and Louisiana-Lafayette’s Kevin Dotson, who project as guards at the next level. Expect a Day 3 pick at this spot.