LA Chargers: 3 former Bolts who are surprisingly still free agents
By Jason Reed
1. Russell Okung
The LA Chargers traded Russell Okung in a one-for-one offensive lineman swap for Trai Turner last offseason. Ultimately, the deal ended up being a wash as neither team got what they were hoping for out of either Okung or Turner.
To be fair, though, Okung was much better in the time he did play for the Panthers last season than Turner was for the Bolts. If Okung would have stayed healthy then it would have been a really bad trade on Tom Telesco’s resume.
The main reason why Okung is still a free agent is his injury history. Okung suffered a blood clot in his lung with the Chargers and missed time with a calf injury last season. However, Okung has been above-average throughout his entire career and even made a Pro Bowl with the Chargers.
The injury history absolutely is a justified concern but at 33 years old Okung can still provide value to a team that needs offensive line help. He should not be brought in to be a savior for a team at left tackle, but he is absolutely capable of being a solid veteran swing tackle.
In fact, he is over-qualified to be a swing tackle. He has not played any right tackle in his career but he certainly has the capabilities to do so and it is surprising that he has not been brought in as an offensive line depth piece.