I dont see Turner being traded this offseason. No team is going to give up a #1 for him, and the Chargers would be foolish to trade him for a 2nd round pick when he obviously could step in and keep the offense going if LT goes down. Hes not only one of the best backup RBs in the league, hes also a solid special teamer. Thats worth alot more to a contending team than a draft pick which may or may not pan out.
If I were picking late in the first round and needed a RB, I'd consider trading for Turner.
I dont think its horribly out of the question, but heres why I think it won't happen:1) Im not sure the Chargers would part with him for a late first rounder. A late first rounder means a championship caliber team. Why strengthen a championship caliber team by trading them Turner? Sure the Chargers will get a first-round pick, but what good is that if Marty/AJ aren't around to see that player develop?
2) Building on my last point, I dont think theres any doubt both Marty and AJ are lacking long-term job security. If they keep Turner, and LT goes down, their jobs are likely safe. If Andrew Pinnock or Jermane Fazande are back there taking snaps, Marty and AJ could lose their jobs. The running game is the key to the Chargers success, and Turner insures that it will continue having success if LT is hurt/fatigued.
3) The team with a late-first rounder to trade will be paying Turner quite a bit more on a new contract than they would be paying a late first-rounder. With how much the cap is going to increase, id guess Turner would be looking at 5-6 yrs, $30-35+ mil and at least $10-12mil up front. Thats alot of jack to pay for a player and not have a first round pick. Its not that Turner might not be worth it, but why not sign a proven Ahman Green or Fred Taylor for $3-4mil for 1 year, and keep your first rounder? This type of decision is frequently made by NFL execs, as its alot easier to justify signing a proven player and keeping a pick, rather than paying a relatively unproven guy alot of money, in addition to parting with a 1st rounder.
I just dont see alot of incentive on either side. Chargers would probably rather keep him, and other teams would probably not rather trade for him.