Los Angeles Chargers: How the Trai Turner trade impacts the NFL Draft
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Chargers made a big trade on Wednesday, flipping offensive tackle Russell Okung for offensive guard Trai Turner.
The Los Angeles Chargers worked out a masterful trade on Wednesday, bolstering the offensive line significantly in the process. The Chargers flipped offensive tackle Russell Okung for offensive guard Trai Turner from the Carolina Panthers.
On the surface, this might seem like a reasonable trade for both parties, but the Chargers got away with highway robbery. While both Okung and Turner are Pro Bowl offensive line pieces, Turner is a significantly better player, especially at this point in his career.
Okung is 32 years old and was a Pro Bowler just once with the Chargers in three seasons after signing a four-year, $53 million contract. He played 15 games in each of his first two seasons but only played six last season.
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Turner, on the other hand, has made the Pro Bowl the last four seasons. It is not like the Chargers are paying significantly more, either, as they swapped one year of Okung for $13 million and are now on the books to pay Turner $8.5 million this season and $11 million next season.
Considering that there was speculation of Okung potentially being cut by the Chargers in late February, this was a massive addition for the Chargers, who did not even give up a draft pick in the trade.
Not only did the Chargers not give up any draft picks in the trade, but this trade has an impact on the 2020 NFL Draft as well.
The Chargers absolutely need more help on the offensive line but this has shifted the need from both internal and external lineman into just external lineman. Could the Chargers use depth in the middle? Sure, but it is not needed.
Turner is going to slot into the right guard perfectly and is going to be a huge piece of protection for whoever is under center. Then, the team has two young guards with high ceilings in Dan Feeney and Forrest Lamp to compete for the left guard spot.
Assuming both are healthy, one of them is going to be at least average for the Chargers, which is all the team needs.
This instantly opens a hole at left tackle with Okung gone but there was arguably already a need at the position anyway with Okung’s future unclear. Right now, the Chargers’ starting tackles are Sam Tevi and Trey Pipkins.
The team can still add in free agency but we can now assume that they are going to select a tackle with a high selection in the draft. If they opt the way of an experienced quarterback then Jedrick Wills is a name to watch for the sixth overall pick. He projects to be a future Pro Bowler, so his impact on the offensive line should be plentiful.
If not the first round, the Chargers still have a high second-round pick and could select a starting-caliber tackle that would be above average. USC’s Austin Jackson and Houston’s Josh Jones are candidates for the second round.
Regardless, this trade essentially guarantees that the Chargers will draft an offensive tackle in one of the first two rounds, which was already a high possibility, anyway.
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With that high selection and Turner in the middle of the line, the Los Angeles Chargers have the potential to build something special on the offensive line.