The Carolina Panthers made headlines with their decision to trade right guard Trai Turner to the Los Angeles Chargers for left tackle Russell Okung this offseason. Unfortunately, this only raises further concern regarding the development of tackle Greg Little.
Little struggled to find his footing as a rookie due to injury. According to Alaina Getzenberg of The Charlotte Observer, general manager Marty Hurney addressed the decision to bring in Okung:
Hurney says he got an email from LAC with the trade proposal. Says it was “very hard to trade Trai” but that Okung gives them a LT with that level of talent was something they couldn't pass up.
Said it gives Greg Little a chance to improve and that he's not worried about him.
The Panthers made an investment to move up and take Little in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. There ere high hopes that he could potentially emerge as the anchor of their offensive line at left tackle. Unfortunately, concussions and an ankle injury limited him to just four games in the 2019 campaign.
Since Little has yet to prove himself as a viable option up front, Carolina put an emphasis on securing an established veteran like Okung. After all, the team has ushered in some significant changes under center after parting ways with quarterback Cam Newton and the will need to shore up the protection for his replacement.
Of course, Okung is hardly a long-term solution since his current deal is up at the end of the 2020 NFL season. This will give Little another year to establish an integral role for himself.
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