Mr. Scot

Well, there's this...

Sounds like a "say something bombastic for a reaction guy". Basically a dumbsh-t...

Sounds like it...

If you came away from this article with a negative perception of Fitterer, I'm gonna guess you probably went into it having one already. The only real negative that comes out of this for him is his choosing to do Darnold's 5th year option. Outside of that, he comes off like a guy doing his best to hold it together despite being saddled with a totally incompetent boss. (arguably two of them, depending on your feelings about Tepper)

Well to be fair, given the team's performance and the presence of Matt Rhule, that's probably to be expected.

Who's Adam Gold?

The conclusions I drew from reading this. Again it's long, but yada yada... ... Rhule's heavy handed coaching and administration style basically wore everybody from players to staff down hard, so much so that it was a huge sigh of relief when he was fired. Heck, even some of his own handpicked assistants seem to be tired of him or outright done with him. We'd thought that the ones Rhule brought with him might also leave with him, but it didn't turn out that way. Obviously this didn't apply to Phil Snow, who when you consider everything we've heard comes off sounding like The Manchurian Coach (if you get that reference). Bottom Line: The "affable nice guy" image that Rhule showed the public seems to have been a total facade. Likewise, the "everybody agrees and gets along" image that the team has presented to the public over the last few years was a massive lie. One source's description of how Rhule would "wear everybody out until he got his way" is consistent several other things we've heard. Charles Robinson's description of the relationship between Tepper and Rhule quickly and massively going sour sounds like it was pretty accurate. This article also confirms that Robinson's mention of how close we were to acquiring Matt Stafford was correct as well. As Joe Person had said, the quarterback decisions were ramrodded by Rhule. Pretty clear that Rhule was all in on Darnold (more Phil Snow influence there) and then a year later wanted anybody but Darnold. At that point, Rhule "strongly endorsed" Baker Mayfield, then put him in a "quarterback competition" that now seems even more farcical than it did at the time since Rhule's intentions were characterized by a source as being "anybody but Darnold". Regarding Herbert, someone made the decision to not even attempt trading up. We've heard that story before, with the decision being attributed to Marty Hurney. I'm not really sure I buy that explanation anymore. Definitely sounds more like Rhule, and then maybe that story was put out there for PR purposes. Another thing that does come off pretty clear is that our first "all defense" draft was probably pretty heavily influenced by Phil Snow. We know from previous stories that it was Snow who started the fascination with Darnold. Again, he seems to have been the angel (or devil) on Matt Rhule's shoulder. The article mentions "a faction of people in the building" who were against drafting Herbert but doesn't go into who those people were. Sure wish it did, though I could theorize that the "faction" might have just been Rhule (maybe Snow). In that same time frame, it's mentioned that the team was "fixated" on Teddy Bridgewater while also confirming that it was Matt Rhule's decision to dump Cam Newton. Obviously Tepper agreed to it, but I have to wonder if he would have also agreed had Rhule wanted to keep him. Speaking of Tepper, his early notion that "football people should always be right" is just flat out stupid. As Fowler points out, even the best people in the business miss on a fair share of decisions and strategies. I'd like to hope he's figured out by now just how ridiculous that idea is. Tepper's fondness for checking social media is also mentioned here (I wonder if he ever ran across our infamous Dr Lunker's account). While Rhule largely ran the quarterback decisions, it was Fitterer who made the decision on the fifth year option, with the logic being that it largely worked out to a two year deal for 11 million a year. Tepper was hesitant but "reluctantly agreed" but was later angry about how that option "hung over the franchise". Regarding Fitterer, it sounds like his relationship with Rhule wasn't exactly harmonious. He agreed with the idea that a change of scenery might help Sam Darnold, but the article makes it sound like his support of the Baker Mayfield trade was tepid. I've said before that his own public comments in the past about drafting and developing a quarterback and his pre-Mayfield trade description of wanting to build around Matt Corral almost made it sound like he was pleading his case. Clearly, that fell on deaf ears. Again though, all signs point to Fitterer being safe and continuing as GM. It also sounds pretty clearly like he's not going to be stuck working under a full power head coach anymore. My guess would be he's wanted to draft a quarterback pretty much since he got here, and will finally get that chance this April. Here's hoping we get that right because we've definitely been through it over the last several years. The article also confirms that rule had a "lottery ticket" mentality when it came to quarterbacks. He's described as having "zero patience" and apparently just expected guys to just be able to perform. That's polar opposite from Scott Fitterer's idea that you draft a quarterback and develop him. Makes me wonder if we ever would have drafted a first round quarterback with Rhule in charge. Mayfield's poor performance following Rhule's "strong endorsement" is what ultimately sealed the coach's fate. I suppose if Mayfield were due any gratitude from us, it would be for that. And finally, it does sound like Tepper at least has a positive opinion of Steve Wilks. His comment about Wilks having to do "an incredible job" to get consideration for the full-time gig doesn't make a lot of sense, but then we all know Tepper sucks in a press conference environment, or basically any environment where he's questioned. It's clearer than ever before that the organization was massively dysfunctional under Matt Rhule. I'd certainly hope that we recover from that quickly but it might take some time.

I'd call that one of probably a hundred or more things about the NFL that Matt Rhule just never got.

Here are the quotes that I found most interesting from this piece. For those that don't want to read the whole thing, hopefully this gives you the gist of it. (yeah, there are a lot but it's a big ass article) ________________________________ The time-honored NFL notion of winning a shootout was completely lost on the Matt Rhule Panthers. The Panthers' instability and dubious decision-making, which sometimes included disagreements among ownership, the coaching staff and front office, highlight the direct connection between quarterback play and franchise strength. Those with inside knowledge of the Panthers' three-season signal-caller saga paint a picture of bad deals, for the wrong quarterbacks, decided upon in large part by Rhule -- who proved to be the wrong coach. Fitterer called Holmes, who apologized and said the L.A. deal came together quickly. "Came out of nowhere," a front office source said. One team source said Rhule preferred to reach consensus with Fitterer before taking a plan to Tepper, describing the process as "collaborative." That differs from another team source, who said Rhule's leadership style was to "wear everybody out" until he got his way, even in big groups, and sometimes operated impulsively. In this case, Rhule was willing to overlook Darnold's well-documented problems with turnovers and accuracy. "It was Darnold, Darnold, Darnold [for Rhule] that offseason," a front office source said. "A quarterback has to feel like he's the most important guy in the building, and I don't think those guys ever felt that way," said the staff member of the benched quarterbacks. "They [Rhule and the Panthers] were always looking for something better. Zero patience." Tepper had a predilection for tracking social media mentions and media reports on his team, multiple sources said. One front office source described his approach as "stream of consciousness," unafraid to vent to confidantes about his frustrations with the team -- including quarterback play. Rhule hadn't wanted Newton two years earlier, but the Panthers had limited options and hoped his leadership would help a young team. A source close to Watson said the quarterback thought "super highly of" the Panthers after a meeting with Tepper, Rhule and Fitterer. On the day Watson agreed to a trade to Cleveland that included a market-shattering, fully guaranteed deal of $230 million, ESPN reported the Panthers had balked at Watson's demand for the full guarantee. A source close to Watson says that doesn't tell the whole story. Carolina was not Watson's first choice, though the Panthers were heavily in the mix at the end. Also, the notion throughout the league that Rhule was on the hot seat was a concern. "The uncertainty with the coaching staff was a factor," the source said. While Rhule strongly endorsed acquiring Mayfield, a team source said multiple people in the building weren't thrilled with the move. Fitterer was open to it, a front office source said, and also supported the team's third-round selection of Matt Corral, a quick-trigger QB out of Ole Miss, in the 2022 draft. A deal had been struck, but precious time had been lost in getting Mayfield ready for 2022. The continued presence of Darnold, who some team sources believed competed admirably with Mayfield in camp before suffering a high ankle sprain in the preseason, only enhanced the tension. Even though multiple sources agree Mayfield pulled away in the competition late in the preseason, those same sources were skeptical as to whether Rhule truly considered an option other than the team's latest acquisition. "It felt like [Rhule's] plan was anyone but Sam at QB," a team source said. The Panthers knew Mayfield had limited time to learn the playbook, and he proved to be a quick learner. But they were surprised by the accuracy issues of a player Rhule considered a difference-maker. As a front office source said, Rhule believed he had built a good team and that Mayfield would "stabilize the quarterback position" -- hopefully once and for all. That the move didn't yield results sealed the coach's fate. Eventually, Rhule delivered the news that he had been let go, attempting to end his tenure on a positive note. He told his team how talented it was, and how he wished he could be there to see them grow and win. Players were not exactly shocked by the news. Rhule was widely considered a bright football coach but had his challenges in the locker room, with one player saying the building felt "heavy," and teammates didn't always feel like they could be themselves. Though a team source said he did a better job relating to players in his final year, Rhule was hard on his assistants and sometimes clashed with them as a result, according to multiple team sources. And of course, the offensive football was far from good. Multiple front office sources with rival teams say they believe Fitterer and his well-respected core staff will remain intact, seemingly giving Carolina a strong basis from which to rebuild the team. But so much still hinges on what Tepper does with the head coach vacancy, a move that will undoubtedly inform the team's future at the quarterback position and beyond. If the next coach is part of a collective on key decisions instead of being given full personnel control, the outcome could be different, including at quarterback. Whether Tepper views that structure as a core piece of the organization's struggles, or whether he simply believes he picked the wrong coach, remains unknown. Tepper told reporters at a news conference the day of the Rhule firing that "a balance is more appropriate between a head coach and a GM." At the very least, he appears open to a shift in setup.

I don't think Rhule wanted the job of developing a QB. He preferred to go with veterans that were already "finished products" so to speak. Unfortunately for him, his evaluation of those finished products sucked.

It didn't. Several paragraphs were left out (mostly with stuff we already knew). Splitting it up in parts is to make it easier to read and comment on items within. Consider it a service to the "TL/DR" crowd.

Making it easier for people to see and read in parts rather than trying to digest the whole.

Final words... In a jubilant scene inside the home locker room after the Bucs win, Wilks presented Walker -- who had never started consecutive games amid the Panthers' quarterback chaos, until now -- with a game ball. As the team prepared to retreat to their lockers, players and staff parted and Tepper, clad in a black zip-up jacket over a Panthers "Intercept Cancer" T-shirt, and wearing a light blue-and-black official team cap, stepped forward and presented Wilks a game ball of his own. "This is for you, brother," Tepper said. An emotional Wilks cradled the ball in one arm and embraced players with the other. The moment felt profoundly like a highlight of Tepper's four-year reign of ownership. Notably, the jubilation did not feel routine.

Fitterer's position... Multiple front office sources with rival teams say they believe Fitterer and his well-respected core staff will remain intact, seemingly giving Carolina a strong basis from which to rebuild the team. But so much still hinges on what Tepper does with the head coach vacancy, a move that will undoubtedly inform the team's future at the quarterback position and beyond. If the next coach is part of a collective on key decisions instead of being given full personnel control, the outcome could be different, including at quarterback. Whether Tepper views that structure as a core piece of the organization's struggles, or whether he simply believes he picked the wrong coach, remains unknown. Tepper told reporters at a news conference the day of the Rhule firing that "a balance is more appropriate between a head coach and a GM." At the very least, he appears open to a shift in setup.

The immediate future... The quarterback slate will have been mostly wiped clean, with the possibilities seemingly endless entering a crucial year for Carolina franchise trajectory. Alabama's Bryce Young, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Kentucky's Will Levis, Florida's Anthony Richardson and Tennessee's Hendon Hooker highlight a loaded quarterback class ahead of the 2023 draft, and at 2-5, Carolina figures to be in position to land a talented quarterback, or to move up in the draft to fuel the pursuit. After the way the organization has struck out on veteran QBs, most educated league observers believe the team's preference is to upgrade the position through the draft. With the Nov. 1 trade deadline looming, Fitterer and the Panthers acquired additional draft capital by trading McCaffrey to the 49ers for second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-round picks on Oct. 20. Linebacker Shaq Thompson and others are also believed to be on the trading block for a team now in the midst of a clear rebuild. In addition to targeting a QB in the draft, the Panthers might consider signing a veteran for competition and depth purposes, at a minimum.

Rhule's firing and the aftermath... The day after the 49ers loss, Rhule entered the team meeting room from a side door as coaches and players waited. He began by addressing hopes for that week's game against the Rams -- some players weren't sure where the message was headed, but there was a sense that closure was coming. Eventually, Rhule delivered the news that he had been let go, attempting to end his tenure on a positive note. He told his team how talented it was, and how he wished he could be there to see them grow and win. Players were not exactly shocked by the news. Rhule was widely considered a bright football coach but had his challenges in the locker room, with one player saying the building felt "heavy," and teammates didn't always feel like they could be themselves. Though a team source said he did a better job relating to players in his final year, Rhule was hard on his assistants and sometimes clashed with them as a result, according to multiple team sources. And of course, the offensive football was far from good. As Rhule began to leave, a prominent team member stepped up to address the reeling team in an attempt to galvanize and move forward. The franchise leader was the star running back McCaffrey. It was telling that in this moment leadership would come from neither a coach nor a quarterback. Ten days later, in a move signifying the organization's intention to reset, McCaffrey was dealt to the 49ers.

The beginning of the end... In a Week 1 reunion with the Cleveland Browns, Mayfield nearly rewarded Rhule's faith in him, playing well enough to rally the Panthers from a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit in a stretch that included an electrifying 75-yard touchdown pass to Robbie Anderson. As the clock ticked south of one minute to play, Carolina held a 24-23 lead, but could not hold on as a 58-yard Cade York field goal doomed the team to a 26-24 home loss. Three largely nondescript defeats would follow in the next four games. A winnable game on the road against a moderately talented Giants team in Week 2 turned into a 19-16 loss when Mayfield posted a 13.8 QBR on 145 yards passing. A three-game homestand would follow and would play out as Rhule's version of Waterloo. A shaky 22-14 win over the Saints kept the wolves at bay, but produced few passing game highlights apart from a 67-yard touchdown pass from Mayfield to Laviska Shenault Jr. It would get uglier. Mayfield committed three turnovers and was loudly booed throughout the second half of a 26-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, finishing the game in a mostly empty Bank of America Stadium. "I don't care about the fact that our fans are booing, or what's going on," Mayfield said afterward. "When we figure it out and we win, it's still going to be just us in the locker room -- and that's all we care about." Then came the final, fateful final loss to the 49ers, a game in which a healthy Garoppolo thoroughly outplayed his opposite QB number. Again, Mayfield was booed by an increasingly frustrated Panthers fan base, which by the end was outnumbered by 49ers fans. The Panthers knew Mayfield had limited time to learn the playbook, and he proved to be a quick learner. But they were surprised by the accuracy issues of a player Rhule considered a difference-maker. As a front office source said, Rhule believed he had built a good team and that Mayfield would "stabilize the quarterback position" -- hopefully once and for all. That the move didn't yield results sealed the coach's fate.

The Mayfield deal and the "competition"... Meanwhile, Watson's presence in Cleveland had rendered former No. 1 pick Mayfield available, and Carolina had been widely viewed among the logical matches for Mayfield's services. Talks between the two sides began before the draft, but on the second night of the event, Fitterer notified Browns GM Andrew Berry that the Panthers needed to hit pause, realizing they wouldn't bridge the financial gap on Mayfield's contract. Tepper insisted on getting a "great deal" on Mayfield's $18.8 million, fully guaranteed fifth-year option, which a source with direct knowledge of the negotiations believed was due to the financial strain of Darnold's salary. A team source added that Tepper valued "checks and balances," particularly on assets considered depressed. One source with direct knowledge of the deal said Mayfield was, at one point, asked about potentially relinquishing about $7 million of his $18.8 million (coincidentally, the same figure as Darnold's), a nonstarter with the player. By early July, Mayfield's camp had grown restless. While Rhule strongly endorsed acquiring Mayfield, a team source said multiple people in the building weren't thrilled with the move. Fitterer was open to it, a front office source said, and also supported the team's third-round selection of Matt Corral, a quick-trigger QB out of Ole Miss, in the 2022 draft. Tepper gave all parties involved a July 5 deadline to finalize a deal. Everyone was on vacation -- Mayfield's agent, Thomas Mills, in Wisconsin, and Fitterer in The Hamptons for his wedding anniversary -- but worked through texts and calls in order to arrive at a deal. Ultimately, Mayfield agreed to relinquish part of his guarantee -- the Browns would pay $10.5 million, the Panthers $4.858 million plus incentives. A deal had been struck, but precious time had been lost in getting Mayfield ready for 2022. The continued presence of Darnold, who some team sources believed competed admirably with Mayfield in camp before suffering a high ankle sprain in the preseason, only enhanced the tension. (Darnold's $18.858 million cap number remains the highest on the team for 2022.) Even though multiple sources agree Mayfield pulled away in the competition late in the preseason, those same sources were skeptical as to whether Rhule truly considered an option other than the team's latest acquisition. "It felt like [Rhule's] plan was anyone but Sam at QB," a team source said.

Other considerations... The Panthers got back to work on QB options, evaluating free agents Marcus Mariota and Mitch Trubisky, the latter a former college star at North Carolina. Front office sources say Fitterer liked Trubisky to compete with Darnold for the starting job, but Trubisky eventually signed a two-year, $14.285 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers -- which offered a clearer path to a starting job. Former Super Bowl starter Jimmy Garoppolo, who had been granted permission to pursue a trade from the San Francisco 49ers, was also available. Garoppolo led the Niners to the NFC Championship in 2021, but a source close to the quarterback said the Panthers never had extended dialogue with Garoppolo's representatives. Carolina had concerns about when Garoppolo would be ready to participate in camp, a front office source said, as he recovered from offseason shoulder surgery. Matt Ryan, who was being shopped by the Falcons, was briefly discussed but per a front office source, the Panthers thought it unlikely Atlanta would move him within the division.

What killed the Watson trade... But the allegations didn't end the Panthers' pursuit as Rhule, Fitterer and Tepper plotted ways to land the former Clemson star. Watson was scheduled to meet with four teams -- the Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Cleveland Browns -- shortly after a grand jury declined to pursue criminal charges against him in March 2022. A source close to Watson said the quarterback thought "super highly of" the Panthers after a meeting with Tepper, Rhule and Fitterer. On the day Watson agreed to a trade to Cleveland that included a market-shattering, fully guaranteed deal of $230 million, ESPN reported the Panthers had balked at Watson's demand for the full guarantee. A source close to Watson says that doesn't tell the whole story. Carolina was not Watson's first choice, though the Panthers were heavily in the mix at the end. Also, the notion throughout the league that Rhule was on the hot seat was a concern. "The uncertainty with the coaching staff was a factor," the source said.

Newton, and a confirmation of something many suspected... Even before Darnold's injury, one former member of Rhule's staff noted how the organization's support of the quarterback grew increasingly tepid, and reports about a possible quarterback change were not firmly dismissed. "A quarterback has to feel like he's the most important guy in the building, and I don't think those guys ever felt that way," said the staff member of the benched quarterbacks. "They [Rhule and the Panthers] were always looking for something better. Zero patience." "Something better" was in the eye of the beholder, and following Darnold's injury the gaze would become fixed on Newton, the former No. 1 overall pick who had led the Panthers to Super Bowl 50 in 2015. Newton had been released by the New England Patriots, with the shoulder injury suffered in the final year of his first stint in Carolina causing him to lose much of the zip on his throws. Rhule hadn't wanted Newton two years earlier, but the Panthers had limited options and hoped his leadership would help a young team. While team sources say Newton was an ideal teammate and "worked his ass off" to master the offense, the Panthers would go 0-5 with him as the starter. Darnold would be back behind center before the end of a 5-12 season that placed the entire organization in the crosshairs entering 2022.

Confirming something we'd already heard elsewhere... Tepper had a predilection for tracking social media mentions and media reports on his team, multiple sources said. One front office source described his approach as "stream of consciousness," unafraid to vent to confidantes about his frustrations with the team -- including quarterback play.

The fifth year option... Fitterer's logic on the option, per a front office source, was this: The two-year payout would be reasonable, considering Darnold's $4.7 million due in 2021, and he'd be much more expensive if he lit up the field that season. Tepper, per a team source, questioned placing that value on Darnold so early in his relationship with the team but "reluctantly" approved, a source with direct knowledge of the negotiations said. For a moment, it appeared Carolina had pushed the right buttons. Darnold started his Panthers career with a victory over the Jets, and the team won its next two games to push Carolina to 3-0 for the first time in six years. It would represent the high point of the Rhule era. The team would lose five of its next six games, a stretch that saw Darnold throw four touchdown passes to 10 interceptions before injuring his throwing shoulder. The Panthers' subpar offensive line and running back Christian McCaffrey's Week 3 injury contributed to Darnold's struggles. But the New York version of Darnold, hiding under the surface, finally bubbled. "It went from a decent setup to WTF," said a team source of the offense's descent. As the losses mounted, Tepper's blood boiled, with one front office source describing him as "furious" over the way Darnold's fifth-year option hung over the franchise. (A source close to the owner said the "furious" characterization was too strong).

Darnold... Weeks after that evaluation session, Rhule sent a group text to his coaches indicating the team was about to trade for Darnold and requesting to keep the intel private. The idea to trade for Darnold had begun with Rhule, who a front office source said popped into Fitterer's office after a defensive staff meeting to ask what the GM thought of the possibility. Fitterer scouted Darnold while with the Seahawks and was intrigued by the former USC star's arm and escapability. The Panthers thought a change in scenery could help Darnold, a chance to pair with Joe Brady aiding Darnold's growth. People inside the building had different interpretations for how Rhule, who did not respond to multiple requests to be interviewed for this story, handled personnel decisions. One team source said Rhule preferred to reach consensus with Fitterer before taking a plan to Tepper, describing the process as "collaborative." That differs from another team source, who said Rhule's leadership style was to "wear everybody out" until he got his way, even in big groups, and sometimes operated impulsively. In this case, Rhule was willing to overlook Darnold's well-documented problems with turnovers and accuracy. "It was Darnold, Darnold, Darnold [for Rhule] that offseason," a front office source said.