4 teams that could sign Russell Okung in free agency
By Dean Jones
Which teams could be in the market for Russell Okung as the left tackle gets set to hit the free-agent market?
Things didn’t go according to plan where Russell Okung is concerned with the Carolina Panthers in 2020. The left tackle was acquired via a trade that sent Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner to the Los Angeles Chargers last spring and although he performed well, there was a severe lack of reliability from a health perspective.
Okung featured in just seven games last season, which was a concern coming into the campaign. With his $13 million in base salary off the books, the Super Bowl winner and Bitcoin king is now exploring his options ahead of what is sure to be a frantic free agency period in a much different climate due to COVID-19 health concerns.
The former first-round pick gave up three sacks and four penalties from 406 snaps on his way to a creditable 73.0 grade from Pro Football Focus. Much will depend on whether Okung has enough motivation left to continue his prolific career, but there should be a considerable amount of interest in his services from teams looking to improve their edge protection.
With that being said, let’s take a look at four potential destinations for Okung in the coming weeks.
Team No. 1
Philadelphia Eagles
One of the main reasons behind the Philadelphia Eagles‘ struggles in 2020 was their lack of consistent protection. Whether it was Carson Wentz or Jalen Hurts under center, both quarterbacks were under consistent pressure on almost every snap which complicated matters in no uncertain terms.
The Eagles gave up an astonishing 4.1 sacks-per-game – ranked dead last in the league – so if they want to give Hurts a good chance of succeeding now the former Oklahoma standout has the keys to the kingdom then things simply have to get better.
Russell Okung would be a great fit opposite Lane Johnson on the opposite side of the field. This would only be a short-term solution to a lingering problem. But it’s one that Philadelphia should consider.