Panthers tentatively agree to trade RG Trai Turner for Chargers LT Russell Okung, sign DE Chris Brown

The offseason has officially begun.

The Panthers have tentatively agreed to a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers, swapping offensive lineman. Carolina will receive left tackle Russell Okung while the Chargers will receive right guard Trai Turner. Turner appeared to confirm the news on his Twitter and Instagram, thanking Panthers fans and alluding to his move to Los Angeles.

The trade cannot be official until the start of the new league year March 18th. Because of that, the Panthers have not publicly announced the deal, but included a report of it on their team website.

The move reunited Okung with his offensive line coach from the past three years in Pat Meyers, who the Panthers hired this offseason. It also gives the team a solid option at the left tackle position after significant turnover at the key position over the last few years. Carolina traded up in the second round last year to draft Greg Little for the position, but he only played in four games in 2019 due to two concussions and an ankle injury.

Okung played in six games in 2019 after beginning the year on injured reserve due to a pulmonary embolism caused by blood clots and a groin injury. He has only played in all 16 games of a season once in his career. Prior to his three years with the Chargers, Okung spent one with the Broncos and the previous six with the Seahawks, who drafted him sixth overall in the 2010 NFL draft out of Oklahoma State.

Okung has one year left on his contract and is due $13 million this season, per Spotrac. He will turn 33-years old during the 2020 season.

The Panthers are moving on from their Pro Bowl guard, who has dealt with many injuries since being drafted by Carolina in the third round of the 2014 NFL draft out of LSU. Turner is 26-years old and had signed a four-year, $45 million contract in 2017. He was owed $12.8 million this coming year and was due $15.4 million in the final year of his deal in 2021.

Turner had been reported to be on the trade market for the Panthers. He has been named to the Pro Bowl in each of the last five seasons. Per Pro Football reference, he allowed six sacks in 13 games played last year.

Since releasing veteran tight end Greg Olsen in January, this is the first big offseason move the Panthers have made under new head coach Matt Rhule. The Panthers will now have some serious questions at the guard position with starting guard Greg Van Roten entering free agency this offseason.

Panthers sign DE Chris Smith

Wednesday night was far from slow for the Panthers. The team also signed defensive end Chris Smith to a one-year deal, per Drew Rosenhaus, Smith’s agent. He spent the last two seasons with the Browns and the year before that with the Bengals. Smith was with the Jaguars from 2014-16 after they selected him in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL draft out of Arkansas.

He has 67 career tackles, 8.5 sacks and 19 quarterback hits. Smith went through a horrific tragedy last year when his girlfriend, Petara Cordero, was killed after being hit by a car on the highway after she and Smith had exited her vehicle due to a blown tire in Sept. 2019. The pair have an infant daughter.

Smith attended West Rowan High School in Mount Ulla and grew up in the area.