Chargers could solve long-term offensive line woes after Trai Turner trade
By Matt Conner
It seems like the L.A. Chargers have had offensive line issues for years, but the Chiefs rival might have things right with Trai Turner trade.
On Wednesday, the L.A. Chargers and Carolina Panthers announced a surprising player for player trade involving Russell Okung and Trai Turner. The straight-up swap allows expensive veteran offensive linemen to enjoy a complete change of scenery on teams that both finished well out of the playoffs last season.
For the Chargers, the deal seems to be a great success on a number of levels and it’s hard to see why exactly the Panthers made this trade. Turner has made five straight Pro Bowls as one of the NFC’s best guards, and yet he is still only 26-years-old. He’s also less expensive and more reliable than Okung, as the Panthers are receiving, by far, the oldest and least durable player.
That said, Okung is a coveted left tackle, something that’s hard to find in today’s game. For the Chargers, however, they are sitting in a prime spot in the draft to be able to take one of the class’s best tackles at No. 7 overall which would give them a completely different left side of the offensive line for whoever will be quarterbacking this team (remember, Philip Rivers is good as gone).
For years, the Chargers have failed to make their way to the summit in the AFC West despite having plenty of talent on the roster on both sides of the ball. In fact, it’s become normal for NFL analysts to predict the Chargers will “win the West” on an annual basis only to see them fade from view at some point before the season’s end. Much of that has come down to poor play in the trenches that forced Rivers to make mistakes.
Attempts to solve their issues along the offensive interior over the years have failed to materialize despite drafting players like Forrest Lamp, Dan Feeney, Max Tuerk, Scott Quessenberry, Chris Watt, and more. Now Turner is an import bringing instant impact, someone who will make everyone around him better and allow the team to bring along a first-round talent at tackle (e.g. Mekhi Becton) next to someone so seasoned and accomplished.
The Chiefs have averaged 3 sacks per game against the Chargers in the last couple years, and the Bolts have lost 11 of their last 12 games to the Chiefs. Much of this is centered on any opponent’s ability to force Rivers to make poor throws at inopportune times, a sign that the line has failed to hold up when it matters most in the fourth quarter. Having a much more reliable offensive front will make a big difference going forward for the offense.
It is possible, of course, that the Chargers fail to draft a tackle, which will mean they’ll have issues outside instead of inside, but this seems part of a bigger plan within which they will rebuild the line for someone new at quarterback.