REPORT: Russell Okung isn't retiring.........(locked)

[TheSpecialJuan]

 Per the Charlotte Observer :

Quote

“Retirement is nowhere near imminent. And it’s not being used as a ploy to get a new contract; that will take care of itself at the appropriate time, and we’re on the same page with the Panthers in that regard. . . In uncertain times, players have to keep all their options open, but for as long as it makes medical sense for Russ and his health, again, he’s completely committed to the Panthers.”

 

[TheSpecialJuan]

@josephperson
"While he strongly did consider opting out because he does have a sincere concern about protocols and what does this look like once we start getting into groups and physical contact & all those pieces, at the end of the day he felt like, I’m committed to playing w the Panthers."

[TheSpecialJuan]

 

[Toomers]

13 minutes ago, Smithers said:

I already did . Turner was set to make 11 million in 2021, plus wanted an extension.  Trading him resulted in a cap hit this year only, with Okung on a one year deal with no commitment next year.  End result - we cleared 11+ million for 2021, without an obligation to extend Turner.  Gaining a pro bowl LT was a bonus if he was healthy and played.  It looks like he may not, but regardless this was more about clearing space in 2021.

When did he ever mention an extension? That’s the first I’m hearing of it. And that 11M wasn’t guaranteed.  That’s like saying thay saved 15M next year by cutting Matt Kalil 2 years ago. No. You bought out hiS contract and are eating dead cap to void it. 

    He could have been traded anytime. With value to other teams and the Panthers. Throwing away that on a An old LT with health issues from just last season
 

  Erick Flowers just signed a 3/30M contract with 20M guaranteed to play G. Who’s never had as good a season as Trai’s worst. 
 

   And you didn’t get a Pro Bowl LT. That’s why the Chargers offered him up. Why else would they? If they weren’t concerned about his health/play? And since you are paying 4M more this year, and have to pay a RG for two years, how much is this savings that doesn’t even exist? 

[SmokinwithWilly]

1 hour ago, pantherj said:

Did you post anything complaining about Marty signing Okung being a mistake due to COVID at the time?

No. I posted how it was stupid to dump Trai for a tackle and no draft picks already considering retirement coming off a life threatening issue with a blood clot who's health was already a concern. I was concerned about his health. We were already seeing what this was doing in Europe. It's not a huge leap to think if someone was already considering retirement, a pandemic might just be the thing that goes ahead and tips the scale.

Regardless of Covid, the trade was bad. It just reinforces how bad last years draft really was. Not the players necessarily, but the logic behind the draft. Hurney takes gambles. Big ones. This move was just typical Hurney. Maybe he plays and does great, maybe not. Still hate the trade.

[Basbear]

This was a brief thread roller coaster. Glad hes staying mainly for Teddys protection.  

[pantherclaw]

At some point I should stop being surprised at the stupidity of this place. 

 

[4Corners]

4 minutes ago, pantherclaw said:

At some point I should stop being surprised at the stupidity of this place. 

 

Whoever smelt it dealt it chief

[pantherclaw]

49 minutes ago, 4Corners said:

Whoever smelt it dealt it chief

You stepping up is no surprise at all. 

[panthers55]

2 hours ago, SmokinwithWilly said:

No. I posted how it was stupid to dump Trai for a tackle and no draft picks already considering retirement coming off a life threatening issue with a blood clot who's health was already a concern. I was concerned about his health. We were already seeing what this was doing in Europe. It's not a huge leap to think if someone was already considering retirement, a pandemic might just be the thing that goes ahead and tips the scale.

Regardless of Covid, the trade was bad. It just reinforces how bad last years draft really was. Not the players necessarily, but the logic behind the draft. Hurney takes gambles. Big ones. This move was just typical Hurney. Maybe he plays and does great, maybe not. Still hate the trade.

I think it was abundantly clear that Rhule and his staff were directing who we drafted. Hurney's job is to get the players his coaches say they need to run their scheme. He doesn't decide who we go after.  The only folks who keep up this false dialogue have a grudge.

[MHS831]

15 hours ago, onmyown said:

Bare minimum give Little more time to learn and not prove to be another Hurney bust.

That’s not happening and I don’t see Little panning our either.

 

For a rookie, LT is one of the most difficult positions to play in the NFL.  The jump from college to pro is pretty substantial.  A rookie LT without a camp behind him and one that misses a lot of the season is certain to struggle.  So you base your opinion on what you saw?

Little may be a G--but nobody has seen enough to write him off.  Moton did not start until year 3 (he had starts earlier, out of necessity)--Gross played RT year 1.  We just do not know--and that is where it stands.  I would let him play this season, and see where he is year 3.  If he is not better or healthy, then I would have a plan B.  However, this season should be to give players some experience and to see where we are.  If Okung had started all season, what would we do at LT going into the 2021 draft?

 

[stbugs]

17 hours ago, pantherj said:

Did you post anything complaining about Marty signing Okung being a mistake due to COVID at the time?

No, we complained that we didn’t get picks instead. We could have saved another $13M if we really just wanted cap instead of Turner.

That said, I posted an article that came out the day of the trade and specifically mentioned the risk of retirement. We aren’t the GM’s so we don’t play through every scenario if we stayed we didn’t like the trade anyway.

It just doesn’t surprise me that we were the team taking the injury and retirement risk. We paid $16M to Williams and Paradis coming off serious injuries and that was a bad move. In two years we will have spent almost $40M on vet OL who came off serious, missed most of the season injuries and we drafted 0 interior OL while losing the entire 2017 staring interior that all were all-pro/pro bowlers. Now we have a starting OL that has one person signed for 2021. We’ve done a miserable job of building the OL the past 3 years and this just adds more frustration.

[Tepper's Chest Hair]

Being a probrowl oline in the NFL is probably one of the least accurate and most over rated designations possible.  Once you get one as an oline, they will basically feed you the following.  Trai hadn't been pro bowl caliber in a while.

Not saying I fully supported the trade.  But it wasn't as bad as people made it out to be.  I still think we should have gotten more.  

I just see pro bowl as one of the most useless stats when evaluating an oline.  Its more about reputation than performance.  Trai had what.. 2 pro-bowl caliber years if that?

[Mister]

Horny Hurney strikes his magic once again . Trades one of the best guards for some washed up bum that wants to retire just our luck