Panthers Are Trading OL Trai Turner To LAC For LT Russell Okung

[Toomers]

16 minutes ago, AU-panther said:

ok, for this year our cap hit will be larger because of the trade, but that is just because Turner's dead money is going accelerate into this year.

That dead money though we would have had to account for anyway at some point, so the only real difference overall is the new money and that is from the base salaries and roster bonuses.  Long term though Okung is only going to consume around $4m dollars more of cap space to be our LT for 2020 then Turner to be our RG for 2020.

 

 

 Problem is, you now have to replace Turner at RG. With what? You now have all this tied up in LT next year.

13M for Okung. 

9.6M for a turner since you didn’t acquire a pick to replace him and took a player of similar quality but 5 years older. 
 

 Picks 47 and 77 from last year’s draft. That’s a lot to invest in keeping your LT of the future off the field. And it may not leave you in any different situation a year from now. 
 

 Turner could have easily brought a 3rd for his 8.5M salary this year. Which is all that matters to other teams. 

[ncstatekwi]

I have to chime in again!  As I drink my Margarita from Mexico I have to say that I very much like this trade!!  #Keep Pounding

[amcoolio]

Why would anybody be mad about this? Turner has been garbage since the Superbowl. We get out of 10 million early. Just dumping his contract is good enough for me

[TheSpecialJuan]

7 hours ago, Peon Awesome said:

EDIT: Since I started this post, a lot has happened so I apologize if everything isn't totally accurate anymore.

I think this is the perfect play honestly. Let's look at our options for addressing the OT position:

1. Keep the status quo and hope Little and Daley can continue to improve and stay healthy. Playing your youngsters is typically not a bad option for a rebuilding team but if you gamble wrong, whoever is playing QB is going to get demolished. The huddle has seemed to be generally against this option.

2. Pick a tackle at 7. This is the choice where you are effectively giving up on Little. A top 10 draft pick should be a franchise changer and it has been consistently for the Panthers. You don't pick a tackle here to have them play behind Little and Moton. Here is where the snarky, "Haha look at stupid Hurney moving up to draft Little" comments should come, not with a potential Okung trade.

3. Sign a top name free agent tackle. Similar to above. If you're going to commit big long-term money to a tackle, you're again acknowledging that Little isn't factoring into your long-term plans. And now you have a bunch of money tied into another player while you're rebuilding when you could have seen what Little could do at 10% of the cost instead.

4. Get a stop-gap tackle who isn't a long-term option/commitment as insurance in case Little and/or Daley aren't able to step up right away. If Little improves and stays healthy, you entrench him as the long-term starter at LT and get rid of the stop-gap in 2021. If it doesn't look like Little or Daley is a viable option after their 2nd years, then sign a long-term vet or draft a tackle early in 2021. Trading for Okung falls into this category, as well as signing an aging vet like Whitworth or Peters.

I have been a proponent of option 4 since the end of the season. It gives you another year to assess Little before giving up on him (which would be incredibly short-sighted) while not relying too heavily on a 2nd year player with injury issues at such an important position. It also lets us focus on rebuilding our defense and interior oline in the draft and free agency. I'm also banking on Okung being a buy low opportunity with his salary and injuries. If I'm Hurney, I don't budge from at most a 6th. The Chargers would clear over $13 million from their cap and most mocks have them targeting a tackle if they choose against taking their qb at 6. The Panthers being in rebuilding mode means they can stand firm since they're not acting in desperation.

But sure it's more fun to just laugh and act like this is another tremendously moronic decision by Hurney and the Panthers.

Well said.  what would have upset me was if we would have traded one of our draft picks for Okung, player for player makes much more sense. 

[mrcompletely11]

So this trade makes it more flexible for the chargers salary cap wise if they want to add newton?  That’s what the article was insinuating.  Could there be a handshake deal in place?

[Toker Smurf]

Didn't I see something about Brady's system using zone blocking schemes? Not sure about the Chargers but Seattle uses zone blocking right? So, Okung has more experience with that from his Seahawk's days. Maybe that is part of the reason? And maybe they didn't think Trai was a fit for it, as well.

[MHS831]

The only way

9 hours ago, SmokinwithWilly said:

Not what I mean. Turner and Okung's numbers are close except the bonuses. Okungs is only 3m of his 16m salary so we get 13m against our cap this year. Turner's bonus is 9.5m of his 13m salary. So we keep the 9.5 and add the 13m, SD keeps 3m and adds 3.5. 

The numbers are close overall but when the bonuses are allotted for, it really changes how the cap numbers are distributed.

So if we cut Okung, we save about $10m.  But if we keep him for  a season, we now need a RG and not a LT. 

Here is how I see it:  Turner is young, but his salary was above his playing level.  However, he keeps making the pro bowl by default, it seems, so he would be correct in requesting top 5 money in an extension during the 2021 season. 

We still do not know what we have in Little--we can guess, but LTs take time--and Daley may have earned a job on the OL--at G. So if Little steps up, we cut Okung.  If he does not, we have an Okung at LT for 2020.

As some of us have said, with Little in limbo, we still did not think Marty's vanity would go LT in the early rounds. I think our next move (spoiler alert) is to bring in a G in free agency. DO NOT BE SURPRISED IF NORWELL APPLIES FOR THE JOB.   Now you have a veteran OL and it looks better on paper.

This could mean that we are going QB in round 1.  Last year, Marty ran out of luck in Round 2 going after a T, and desperately tried to trade up for Little around pick 24 or so.  I

If I analyze this draft, I go quarterback or trade back for defense, defense, defense, WR defense.  When I say defense, I mean LB, DT, DT, CB, S, DE (maybe).  When I say QB, I mean top 3.

One final note:  What if the plan to keep Cam was based on the idea that we would target Tua?  If he falls to us somehow, we take him.  We still need a 2020 QB.  If he does not fall to us, we still have a QB. 

 

[MHS831]

1 hour ago, Toker Smurf said:

Didn't I see something about Brady's system using zone blocking schemes? Not sure about the Chargers but Seattle uses zone blocking right? So, Okung has more experience with that from his Seahawk's days. Maybe that is part of the reason? And maybe they didn't think Trai was a fit for it, as well.

I think (guessing) that money and cap flexibility was the primary reason, but this is a solid perspective that could be a reason as well. 

What people need to realize (those saying this was a bad deal based on play alone) that a LT is worth a lot more than a RG.  Even a mediocre, aging LT is (as proven here) is as valuable as a pro bowl RG in his prime.

 

[MHS831]

OVER-READING THE TEA LEAVES:

 I find it interesting that Turner is going to the LAC, where Cam has been reported to go.  That means the Charger front office and the Panther brain trust have been communicating. Did Cam request this as part of the deal, so the LAC said, "No Turner, No Cam?"  Are the Chargers now going to go LT in the draft? 

[cmichd]

14 hours ago, chknwing said:

so Carolina is rebuilding with 31 year old LT's?  makes sense

It is the Marty way....get rid of an younger player for an old washed up 30+ year old who has to be paid more money than Tai and still not get a draft pick to go along with it.  Why do I even care

[MHS831]

8 hours ago, cardiackat88. said:

Now trade KK for that dude that wants out of Jacksonville?

 

I think they are going to cut Norwell.

However, KK is all we have--but I would not be surprised due to his salary.  We blame KK for getting lazy, etc.

Cutting Poe, trading KK means we ARE going DT in the draft--maybe 3 picks.

[TheRed]

13 minutes ago, MHS831 said:

OVER-READING THE TEA LEAVES:

 I find it interesting that Turner is going to the LAC, where Cam has been reported to go.  That means the Charger front office and the Panther brain trust have been communicating. Did Cam request this as part of the deal, so the LAC said, "No Turner, No Cam?"  Are the Chargers now going to go LT in the draft? 

Stop listening to the voices inside your head guy.

[WOW!!]

10 hours ago, TheSpecialJuan said:

Josh Norris

@JoshNorris

 

So if we can stop the spin, these are reasons why the deal might've happened 1. Panthers swap a two-year salary for a one-year salary (although the dead cap wasn't huge for Turner in 2021) 2. Panthers new OL coach pulled for Okung acquisition 3. Turner might want a new deal

This ppl it's not that hard to understand!!

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/los-angeles-chargers/trai-turner-14503/

Turner has another year of big money on his contract Okung does not... This is really about freeing up more money with no dead cap in 2021...  In the mean time you get a vet teacher and insurance for Little and Daley...

[mrcompletely11]

29 minutes ago, MHS831 said:

OVER-READING THE TEA LEAVES:

 I find it interesting that Turner is going to the LAC, where Cam has been reported to go.  That means the Charger front office and the Panther brain trust have been communicating. Did Cam request this as part of the deal, so the LAC said, "No Turner, No Cam?"  Are the Chargers now going to go LT in the draft? 

that theory works