Carolina Panthers Pro Bowl offensive guard Trai Turner may be on his way out of Carolina, per Jenna Laine of ESPN.

Turner was drafted in the third round of the 2014 NFL draft and almost immediately became a starter on the Panthers offensive line. The sixth-year pro has established himself as one of the best offensive lineman in the league, making five consecutive Pro Bowl appearances in the last five seasons.

At only 26 years old, Turner likely has a bright future ahead of himself. However, after signing a four-year, $45 million contract extension in 2017, Carolina would clear $3 million of cap space if they traded him this offseason, but they would also carry over $9.5 million in dead money.

The Panthers are experiencing a bit of a fresh start in 2020 after the firing of the majority of the coaching staff (including head coach Ron Rivera), the retirement of All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly, the release of veteran tight end Greg Olsen, and the uncertain health of franchise quarterback Cam Newton.

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Carolina has a long list of free agents they need to re-sign and trading Turner would open up cap space to do that.

The 6-foot-3, 315-pound guard was a big reason why Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey enjoyed an MVP-level season. On the other hand, the Panthers offensive line ranked dead last in the NFL in terms of sacks allowed with 58.

Last season, four-year veteran Tyler Larsen served as Turner's main backup and appeared in all 16 games for the Panthers in 2019.

New head coach Matt Rhule, as well as offensive coordinator Joe Brady and new offensive line coach Pat Meyer, may have to prepare for next season with the assumption that their star guard will be on a new team.