Should the Vikings Explore a Trade For Panthers Guard Trai Turner?
The Carolina Panthers are openly shopping five-time Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner, according to a report from ESPN's Jenna Laine on Monday.
With the Panthers possibly entertaining a full-scale rebuild under new head coach Matt Rhule, Turner could be one of the key pieces that fetches them some draft capital to jump-start the rebuilding process. Quarterback and former league MVP Cam Newton has also long been rumored to be on the trade block.
Turner figures to be a highly sought-after player for contending teams in need of upgrades on the offensive line. He'll be just 27 next season as he enters his seventh year in the NFL. A former third-round pick out of LSU, the 6-foot-3, 315-pound Turner has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last five seasons. He's also on a pretty team-friendly deal considering his track record; Turner has two more seasons on a contract that pays him roughly $9 million in 2020 and $11.5 million in 2021.
As the Vikings' front office and coaches do their due diligence on all trade-eligible players and free agents, they'll undoubtedly look into what it would cost to acquire Turner. The Vikings' second-round pick (No. 58 overall) might be enough to get a deal done, or perhaps some combination of a pick or two and a young player. Would the team be willing to part with assets and make a win-now move for a somewhat expensive player?
The Vikings desperately need an upgrade at left guard with Pat Elflein continuing to struggle in pass protection in 2019. Turner has only played right guard in his career, so in the hypothetical scenario where the Vikings trade for him, they would likely move Josh Kline over to the left side. Kline has some experience at left guard in his career, though he hasn't played there since 2016.
The case for trading for Turner is that he would make the offensive line better right away, which could work wonders for Dalvin Cook and Kirk Cousins. He's not long removed from being one of the best guards in the entire league, and has been at least solid in every year of his career. For a team that likely still views itself as potential contenders but needs to improve Cousins' protection, that could be very appealing. In this scenario, the Vikings would likely cut Riley Reiff to take on Turner's salary and would need to acquire a new left tackle through free agency or the draft. Trading for Turner would also be just a two-year commitment, so it wouldn't set the team back in a big way if a rebuild becomes necessary in the next few years.
The main argument against trading for Turner would be the cost. The Vikings are still in a precarious salary cap position, and have several important needs to address, with left guard being just one of them. That Turner is not a free agent, but would command a second-round pick or a package of similar value in a trade, is another key consideration. Turner has also missed nine games to injury over the last three seasons, and is coming off his two worst seasons in the NFL according to PFF, though that could have something to do with the deteriorating level of talent around him. Last year, Turner graded as the league's 31st-ranked guard out of 80 qualifying players. By comparison, Kline was 25th and Elflein – whose run-blocking ability balances out his abysmal pass protection in his overall grade – was 39th.
Data from PFF
There's also the question of schematic fit; does Turner have the athleticism to thrive in Gary Kubiak's zone-blocking scheme? All of these are things the Vikings will have to consider when exploring a potential trade for Turner. Ultimately, because of his price tag, I would be surprised if the Vikings pulled the trigger on a major move like this. They may want to keep Kline at right guard anyways, and there are plenty of other avenues to upgrade on the left side.
At the same time, this could be the kind of high-risk, high-reward move that would result in a major on-field upgrade for the Vikings in 2020. Turner has established himself as a consistently excellent guard in the NFL, and the Vikings could see this as an opportunity to construct the best offensive line they've had in a long time.
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