Trade for Trai Turner Could Solve One Big Bears Need
The free agent guard market sounds like it will be down two players.
The Bears might need to strike first rather than wait for free agency if they plan to address the hole left by Kyle Long's retirement at right guard.
The greatest problem on the Bears offensive line is not their left tackle, even if it's where all the fan complaints get directed. It's really the right guard position.
When Long's ability to block effectively vanished, along with it went the chance for the Bears to run. That's a vital position in the Bears' inside zone blocking scheme.
On Tuesday came an ESPN report that the Carolina Panthers are shopping around Trai Turner, who has made five straight Pro Bowls at right guard. He was vital in Christian McCaffrey becoming an All-Pro running back last year.
Turner hasn't excelled the last three years even though he's made the Pro Bowl, but he's hardly over the hill at 26 years old. He's been at 72.6 or lower on Pro Football Focus' grading scale each of the last three years after hitting an 85.2 in 2016 when he allowed just one sack and committed six penalties.
A better instant solution to the personnel problems the Bears have had on the offensive line doesn't exist, but the 6-3, 315-pounder from LSU would come at a heavy price.
It's unlikely a perennial Pro Bowl guard could be nabbed for a second-round draft pick. The Bears once again would be bitten by lack of draft capital. It might take multiple draft picks and even there the Bears come up short. They have a fifth-rounder and a pair in both the sixth and seventh rounds, but picks in the last two rounds rarely excite anyone. Those are conditional picks tossed in to complete minor trades, not picks involved in deals for Pro Bowl players.
There are salary cap ramifications, as well. Turner commands $8.5 million in salary this season and $11 million next year. His remaining $6 million in bonus would count against the Panthers' cap if he's traded.
The cost isn't so great against the cap to force the Bears into cutting players to manage it. They could absorb it, especially if they don't pay top dollar for the backup quarterback they sign behind Mitchell Trubisky.
The bottom line here is the Bears aren't trading away more of their future than they have already for a guard who is someone else's unwanted player.
If they want a guard it makes more sense to draft one in Round 2 and have him on a rookie contract for four years than to pay major money for a player who's likely to decline over the next three or four years.
If the Panthers decided to cut Turner and absorb a big chunk of cash under the cap, then he'd be worth a look by the Bears.
The only other way would be if Carolina decided to accept a fifth-round pick.
Before that would happen, most certainly there would be other teams involved who are able to offer more.
If the Bears absolutely determine it's essential to target a free agent guard, then Turner would probably have to be the man because it seems the Redskins' Brandon Scherff will be tagged if his team doesn't get him a new deal.
ESPN reported this Monday, and it's certain Scherff would have been a player of real interest for any team looking for guards.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
