Tag: Trai Turner

Should Falcons consider trading for Panthers G Trai Turner?

Another possible option for the Falcons that could solidify the line for years to come would be trading for Panthers five-time Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner.

Last season, the Atlanta Falcons may have found two long-term starters in guard Chris Lindstrom and tackle Kaleb McGary, but they still have a need for another guard with Jamon Brown and James Carpenter not quite living up to their free agent contracts.

Selecting another lineman in the first two rounds would drive some fans mad, but Arthur Blank has said he team intends to add a guard in the 2020 draft. Another possible option for the Falcons that could solidify the line for years to come would be trading for Panthers five-time Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner.

According to ESPN’s Jenna Laine, Carolina is shopping Turner, who is just 26 years old with two years remaining on his contract.

The biggest obstacle for Atlanta in acquiring Turner would be its own salary cap. The Pro Bowl guard is due an $8.5 million base salary in 2020 and an $11 million base salary in 2021.

With just $4.3 million in cap space according to Over The Cap, the Falcons would need to potentially cut or trade some players to free up the money to go get Turner.

As discussed previously, running back Devonta Freeman’s release would clear up $3.5 million, while making a more drastic move such as trading away or releasing Keanu Neal or Desmond Trufant would give the team even more space.

The kind of return the Panthers are expecting for Turner is debatable since their recent moves indicate a lack of interest in contending next season. Atlanta has two second-round picks, and perhaps pick No. 55 would be enough to acquire him. Or possibly a mid-round pick packaged with a veteran contract to make the numbers work could be another option.

Either way, if you can add a five-time Pro-Bowler up front that’s just 26 years old, it’s at least worth exploring.

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Rams should consider trading for Panthers G Trai Turner, but at what price?

Trai Turner would solve the Rams’ biggest problem before the draft.

The Carolina Panthers are ushering in a new era with head coach Matt Rhule taking over and it seems a fire sale could be on the horizon in Charlotte. Rumors have swirled about Cam Newton’s future as he could be traded this offseason, and now it’s being reported that another perennial Pro Bowler could be on the move.

According to Jenna Laine of ESPN, the team is shopping guard Trai Turner. He’s made the Pro Bowl in each of the last five seasons and is viewed as one of the better guards in the NFL, yet he’s only 26 years old and has two years left on his contract.

The Rams obviously have a glaring need at guard, which they’re expected to address in the draft, but what if they could get a jumpstart on that position by acquiring Turner in a trade with the Panthers? It would shore up one of their biggest needs and allow them to go into the draft with more of an open mind, not needing to address that position.

There’s no doubt the Rams would benefit from adding a player like Turner to their offensive line, bringing back shades of Rodger Saffold on the interior, but the question is at what price? Should they consider parting ways with their top pick at No. 52 overall? That’s a steep price to pay for a guard, even one as talented as Turner. Not because he isn’t a great player, but because the Rams could potentially find their own Pro Bowler at that spot and not need to pay him the way Turner’s getting compensated.

Turner has two years left on his deal with cap hits of $12.9 million in and $15.4 million in 2021. If the Rams were to acquire him, they’d take on $8.9 million in cap obligations next season with the Panthers paying the rest of it. Paying a five-time Pro Bowl guard $8.9 million for one season isn’t a bad deal, but the cost would jump to about $11.5 million in 2021.

For comparison, the projected contract for the 52nd overall pick is four years for $5.7 million with a cap hit of around $1 million in 2020. That’s a big difference from what Turner would cost the Rams next season.

Putting aside the financial hurdle of this deal, let’s look at what it might take to acquire Turner. A second-round pick would almost certainly get a trade done, but the Rams shouldn’t part with the 52nd pick, partly because of Turner’s recent injury history; he’s missed three games in each of the last three seasons.

The 84th overall pick would make the deal more enticing for the Rams because there’s greater risk of a player being a bust in the third round. It’s hard to find immediate starters outside the top two rounds, which would make trading away the 84th pick for Turner easier to swallow if the Rams were to go that route.

If Carolina is only seeking a fourth-round pick, the Rams should bite. They’re projected to get a fourth-round compensatory pick to go along with their own fourth-rounder, so trading one of them away for an immediate starter at guard would seem like a no-brainer, even with Turner’s contract coming with it.

With the way the Rams have been wheeling and dealing in recent years, they’ll most likely check in with the Panthers on Turner’s cost. If the price is right, they should strongly consider making a move to acquire him to help fix the O-line.

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Report: The Panthers are shopping Pro Bowl G Trai Turner

According to a report by Jenna Laine at ESPN, the Panthers are shopping their five-time Pro Bowl right guard Trai Turner. 

According to a report by Jenna Laine at ESPN, the Panthers are shopping their five-time Pro Bowl right guard Trai Turner.

Turner has been the team’s best offensive lineman for several years, but Carolina is going into a rebuilding period and based on the latest reporting it seems absolutely nobody on the roster is safe, even superstars like Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey.

It’s difficult to say what the Panthers could get for Turner (26) in a trade. Also, the already-shaky offensive line might suffer a serious regression without No. 70 holding things down on the right side.

As for who would replace Turner at right guard, the top option currently on the team is likely 2019 sixth-round pick Dennis Daley, who can play anywhere but center.

This is a deep offensive tackle draft class, though. It might be a better idea to pick one of them and slide them inside to guard.

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Panthers 2020 potential free agent target profile: G Brandon Scherff

Panthers 2020 potential free agent target profile: G Brandon Scherff

The Panthers lost their star left guard Andrew Norwell to the Jaguars in free agency a couple of years ago. As expected, it’s been difficult for them to fill the void left behind by his exit. Looking forward, Greg Van Roten and Daryl Williams will both be free agents in March. That means the team may need to find a new starter at this position.

If they look internally, 2019 sixth-round pick Dennis Daley is the most logical option to fill that spot. However, there are a couple of excellent guards who are about to hit the market who they should consider. Our next potential 2020 target profile is Redskins right guard Brandon Scherff.

Career stats:

Scherff was a first-round pick by Washington in the 2015 NFL draft. He began starting games immediately and has made a positive impact for their offensive line. According to Pro Football Focus, he only allowed one sack last season and earned a strong 75.0 overall grade.

Pros:

Scherff may not be the game’s most dominant guard, but he is one of the best. He was a member of the All-Rookie team his first year and has been to the Pro Bowl three times, including this season. He just turned 28, so he should have plenty of good years left in him. Signing Scherff would eliminate the weak link in Carolina’s offensive line and make life much easier on center Matt Paradis, who needs a bounce-back year.

Cons:

Shifting over to left guard might require an adjustment period for Scherff. However, it shouldn’t be too difficult for him. Scherff also committed nine penalties this year, the second most at his position, per PFF. He has also missed a total of 13 games over the last two seasons due to injuries. Scherff was put on IR by the Redskins in the middle of December due to elbow and shoulder issues. They should not hold him out for any part of the 2020 season, though.

Probability: Low

Ron Rivera won’t want to surrender one of his best linemen, especially if he cant convince left tackle Trent Williams to return. Even if Washington doesn’t re-sign Scherff, he and Joe Thuney are the only solid guards on the market this year, so he should fetch a handsome price.

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Analysis: How much change does the Panthers offensive line really need?

Fixing the unit will fall on Pat Meyer, who is expected to be named the team’s new offensive line coach according to Field Yates at ESPN.

The Panthers offensive line has been a sore point since at least Super Bowl 50, when Cam Newton got pummeled by the Broncos pass rush. The unit has been steadily in decline since and nothing the front office tries to improve it seems to work out.

Fixing the unit will fall on Pat Meyer, who is expected to be named the team’s new offensive line coach according to Field Yates at ESPN. Meyer has a tough task ahead of him, but the front line does not require the total rebuild some people are calling for.

Let’s break down the offensive line one spot at a time.

1. A new coach is the best way to improve

The best way this unit is going to get better in 2020 is benefiting from fresh leadership. The big challenge for Meyer will be how to break the group out of its bad habits while continuing to encourage what it does well. Mainly, he’ll want to keep the strong run blocking going while improving the pass protection across the board. If Meyer can do that, it will make a far bigger impact than any one (or two) new linemen can.

2. Matt Paradis isn’t going anywhere

A major key to turning things around is Paradis, who had as disappointing a season as any Carolina player. He signed a three-year, $27 million deal and we expected him to be an upgrade over Ryan Kalil. Instead, Paradis was a liability in pass protection and never seemed to settle in. Many fans want him cut, but that would be short-sighted and also come with a significant dead money penalty. Remember, Paradis was coming off a broken leg from 2018 and it may take another offseason to fully recover. If Paradis gets back to being the lineman he was in Denver early in his career, many of the unit’s issues (chiefly interior pass protection) will be solved.

3. Taylor Moton and Trai Turner are perfectly fine

The left side of the line is another story, but the right tackle and right guard spots are fine the way they are. Today, Turner will be playing in his fifth Pro Bowl and Moton has been the team’s most consistent lineman for a while. Moton should get a contract extension and Turner still has a few years left on his.

4. Left guard is easy to upgrade

If there’s one position the Panthers really do need to upgrade, it’s left guard. Greg Van Roten is a solid run blocker and teammate, but there’s a reason he has been a backup most of his career. Daryl Williams is not worth bringing back for this spot, either. If general manager Marty Hurney can find a solid young starting-quality guard in the draft or free agency, it will plug a huge hole and make Paradis’ job much easier.

5. The Panthers have 2 left tackles

Now we come to the great elephant in the room: what to do on the blindside? Since Jordan Gross’ retirement, this has been a problematic position. The good news is the Panthers have two promising options here. Greg Little and Dennis Daley are true left tackles who both flashed at times during their rookie year. Ideally, Little will stay healthy and wind up as the long-term starter. That would allow Daley to play one of the other spots (perhaps LG?). A lot of fans want a tackle in round one or two, but Carolina should give these guys at least another year to prove themselves. Patience is understandably tough given the way things have gone for this group in recent years. In this case, the solution (a true franchise left tackle) could already be on the roster.

The Panthers could definitely use more depth up front. Then again, that’s also true of practically every other NFL team. As bad as this unit looked last year, a couple tweaks and some better coaching could make a world of difference.

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Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey won’t play in the Pro Bowl

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey won’t play in the Pro Bowl

According to Jourdan Rodrigue at the Athletic, Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey won’t be playing in this year’s Pro Bowl after all. He isn’t injured, though. Apparently, the arrival of new head coach Matt Rhule has forced McCaffrey to change his offseason schedule.

NFL teams with new coaches start their programs two weeks earlier, which means everything has to be bumped up including McCaffrey’s recovery.

It’s unfortunate we won’t get to see McCaffrey suit up with the other nominees, but it’s probably for the best. He finished the 2019 season with over 400 touches and the last thing the Panthers need is for him to get banged up playing in a meaningless exhibition game.

Saints running back Alvin Kamara will be taking McCaffrey’s place on the NFC roster.

Middle linebacker Luke Kuechly was also supposed to go. Obviously now that he’s retired he won’t be playing. That leaves right guard Trai Turner as the only player representing Carolina in this year’s game.

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Panthers G Trai Turner to replace Brandon Brooks in the Pro Bowl

Panthers right guard Trai Turner is going to his fifth straight Pro Bowl.

Panthers right guard Trai Turner is going to his fifth straight Pro Bowl. According to the team website, Turner is taking the place of Eagles guard Brandon Brooks in this year’s game.

Brooks had as good a year as any guard in the league. Unfortunately, he suffered a separated shoulder late in the season so he can’t play.

As for Turner, 2019 was an off-year for a normally elite lineman. Like the rest of Carolina’s offensive line, Turner had issues in pass protection and wasn’t as solid as he normally is blocking for the run. Nevertheless, name power matters a lot for the all-star game. Hopefully he can rebound in 2020 and live up to it.

Running back Christian McCaffrey and linebacker Luke Kuechly are the only other Panthers players in the Pro Bowl this year.

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Panthers players share thoughts on Ron Rivera getting fired

Here’s how a few of them are reacting on Twitter.

The Carolina Panthers made a huge change today, firing Ron Rivera after nearly nine years and naming Perry Fewell their interim head coach.

It’s an emotional day for everyone in the organization, no doubt. Some of the players are sharing their feelings on social about the news and they are not exactly thrilled. Here’s how a few of them are reacting on Twitter.

DT Kawann Short

G Trai Turner

CB Donte Jackson

FB Alex Armah

Former RB Jonathan Stewart

Rivera leaves behind a complicated legacy. Whoever comes in and takes the job full-time next season has big shoes to fill.

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