It may not be a popular idea, but re-signing Okung to come back for another year or two may be the most sure thing at this point.
The Panthers need a left tackle and the ones currently on the roster are all supremely flawed in one way or another. There’s certainly not a slam-dunk scenario to be found. Starter Russell Okung is now 32 years old and has missed 19 games over the last two seasons due to a combination of injuries and serious health issues. He’s also about to become a free agent.
2019 second-round pick Greg Little’s career has been derailed by concussions and ankle problems and he’s only been on the field for 358 offensive snaps heading into his third year in the league.
Other backup options inclue Trent Scott and Dennis Daley, neither of whom exactly thrived when they got their turns to start during the 2020 season.
In an ideal world, the Panthers would be able to pick up a new franchise left tackle who’s also young in the next draft.
Even highly-touted prospects are never a guarantee, though. Penei Sewell (Oregon) and Rashawn Slater (Northwestern) are considered the top tackles in this class. If the draft board doesn’t fall Carolina’s way, they might not be able to get either one of them – especially if they’re still looking for a quarterback and hold the No. 8 pick.
It may not be a popular idea, but re-signing Okung to come back for another year or two may be the most sure thing at this point.
Yes, Okung has a lot of tread on his tires – he’s played 131 regular season games and has missed a total of 45 others. Yes, Okung’s recurring injury problems were frustrating last season. Yes, he probably only has a couple years of decent football left in him at the absolute max. Yes, his Twitter timeline is rather unfortunate.
Trouble is sometimes imperfect choices are the only ones you have, especially for an organization with as many needs as this one. Even with all of his baggage, Okung could be the Carolina’s best hope for getting quaity play at left tackle in 2021.
Making room for Okung wouldn’t be easy. To recap, the Panthers have to upgrade at QB, find another real starter to pair with Donte Jackson at cornerback, get a true solution at middle linebacker and somehow find a way to keep Taylor Moton and Curtis Samuel.
That’s a lot of mouths to feed for a team with a projected $20 million in salary cap space remaining for the year after releasing former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kawann Short.
Okung can’t take precedence over an extension for Moton or Samuel, but if there’s enough money then general manager Scott Fitterer has to at least give serious thought to bringing him back. It’s hard to project what Okung’s market value is right now, but there’s at least a chance his situation could drive his price down and make an extension affordable for the Panthers.
Solid starting left tackles don’t grow on trees. Carolina should know that as well as any team the way things have gone since Jordan Gross retired. Re-signing Okung shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand.
[lawrence-related id=633969]
[vertical-gallery id=633600]