The Payton Turner Era has not gone according to plan in New Orleans, and the Saints could cut him as they build their 53-man roster. Selected with the 28th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the first selection of the post-Drew Brees Era failed to live up to his draft status. Thanks to a combination of injuries and ineffectiveness, Turner has appeared in just 15 games throughout his professional career without recording a start. While on the field, the Houston product has recorded just three sacks, 29 tackles, eight tackles-for-loss, and eight quarterback hits.
The Saints declined the fifth-year option in Turner’s contract earlier in the offseason, signaling that the edge defender was not in the organization’s long-term plans. Now, Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report believes that New Orleans could cut Payton Turner if they can’t find a willing trade partner. While it’s hard to imagine anyone trading for the three-year veteran, the Chiefs or Panthers could kick the tires on the first-round pick with a league-minimum contract.
Panthers, Chiefs Could Target Payton Turner If Chiefs Cut Him
The Carolina Panthers entered the offseason with an abundance of roster holes as the team embraced yet another rebuild under first-year head coach Dave Canales. With too many needs to possibly address in one offseason, Carolina understandably invested most of their resources on the offensive side of the ball. The Panthers need Bryce Young to become a franchise quarterback, and adding guys like Diontae Johnson, Robert Hunt, and first-round pick Xavier Legette should help with that goal. However, these additions came at the expense of the defense, and Payton Turner could make the cut on this underwhelming depth chart.
Brian Burns was the only edge defender of note on the 2023 Carolina Panthers, and the team traded him to the New York Giants near the start of free agency. While they found some short-term fixes in veterans Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum, they could still use a younger option. Payton Turner probably won’t turn into a long-term fix at the solution, but it can’t hurt to kick the tires on the cut candidate. He was a first-round pick for a reason, and he shouldn’t cost anything more than a league-minimum contract.
Super Bowl Reinforcements
The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the most complete rosters in football but lack depth at pass rusher. Chris Jones remains one of the most dangerous threats in the league while George Karlftis provides a reliable presence on the edge. However, they could use a third player capable of providing consistent pressure off the edge, and they could roll the dice on Payton Turner if the Saints cut him.
It’s too early to completely give up on him, but 2023 first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah left a lot to be desired as a rookie. While the team won’t cut him, they should have a Plan B in place in case he cannot make it in the NFL. Payton Turner might not be the safest bet, but a different coaching staff might get more out of the oft-injured cut candidate. With no proven options available at this point in the season, they might as well see if they can catch lightning in a bottle.
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