The Chargers and Panthers agreed to a trade on Wednesday, which will send tackle Russell Okung to Carolina and guard Trai Turner to Los Angeles when the new league year begins.
Even though Okung proved to be a competent starter on the left side for a couple of seasons, there were enough reasons to believe that the franchise was going to part ways with him.
Okung’s 2019 season was frustrating as he appeared in only six games due to a combination of being diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism last offseason and a few lower-body injuries.
On top of that, Okung’s contract was a factor. He enters the final year of his deal and would have counted more than $16 million against the Chargers’ salary cap. Once the trade becomes official, the team will clear nearly $13.2 million in cap space.
Prior to the trade agreement, Okung was uncertain of his future in Los Angeles.
With Okung being sent to the Panthers, they are able to shore up position that had a big question mark hovering over it. He also reunites with Pat Meyer, who served as the Chargers’ offensive line coach for three years.
As for the player returning in the trade, Turner earned Pro Bowl honors in each of the past five seasons. The former third-round pick, who turns 27 in June, started 80 of the 84 games since being selected in the 2014 draft.
Turner is signed through the 2021 season and is scheduled to count $8.5 million and $11.5 million, respectively, against the salary cap the next two seasons.
What does the trade mean for the state of the offensive line?
Turner should slide in immediately as the starting right guard. Michael Schofield, who started every game last season there, is a pending free agent. The team could also consider playing Turner at left guard, and move either Dan Feeney or Forrest Lamp to right guard.
Center Mike Pouncey, who still hasn’t been cleared to return to football after his season-ending neck injury, is another factor. If Pouncey has to retire, Feeney would likely move to center, meaning Lamp and Turner would be the ones to man the guard spots, barring any other moves at the position.
So how will Los Angeles go about the left tackle position?
The Chargers could roll with the player the coaching staff has coveted in Trey Pipkins, the former third-round selection. Pipkins was a mixed bag of results in 2019, but he started showing flashes as the season went on.
However, if they went this route, the depth behind him and the starting right tackle position remains an issue.
The Bolts could look to address that in free agency since there will be plenty of options and they now have slightly north of $55 million in salary cap to spend.
Then there’s the 2020 NFL Draft. Los Angeles could look to take one in the first-round with Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, Louisville’s Mekhi Becton, Georgia’s Andrew Thomas and Alabama’s Jedrick Wills being the top options.
Or, if they still want to take their quarterback of the future first, there will still be plenty of starting-caliber tackles available on Day 2 with USC’s Austin Jackson, Boise State’s Ezra Cleveland, St. John’s Ben Bartch, TCU’s Lucas Niang and UConn’s Matt Peart, among others being viable options.
If I was to project the starting offensive line for the 2020 regular season right now, it would look like this:
LT: Trey Pipkins or draft pick
LG: Dan Feeney
C: Mike Pouncey
RG: Trai Turner
RT: Free agent