Leaky_Faucet

I wouldn’t be too discouraged about Morgan, even if they don’t hire anyone above him. Morgan had a successful career building until he was paired with Fitterer. Nobody really knows what opinions he brought to the table that Scott may have countered or overruled. I feel like he may have been right a lot considering how he wasn’t thrown out with Scott. 
 

I would trust Sportsology as well. They don’t have a lot of history in the NFL but the things they have dealt with has turned successful.

Sorry guys wish I had something this time. Like I said Thursday, I figured they had because they had interviewed all the candidates at least once. 
 

Morgan is likely a strong possibility but that doesn’t mean they don’t bring in a President or Operations Director over him. What I know about the Panthers, I imagine the they have candidates they like for different roles. Meaning they have guys in the second round they like for Ops Director/GM and they probably have guys they like for AGM to replace Dan. 

18 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Pretty clear Brian Johnson is getting head coaching interviews because of the Rooney Rule.

When all is said and done though, it's unlikely his current employer keeps him.

Precisely why I referred to the article insinuating Halaby was the favorite and he was going to bring Johnson along ostensibly just because they work in the same building was lazy reporting and very misleading.   

31 minutes ago, The Lobo said:

Gotcha thanks. What are you hearing about the head coach? 

Pretty quiet. 
 

Also, I’m only speculating that it’s moving into Phase II because all of the Phase I guys have been interviewed or scheduled. I am really only hearing distant inaudible echos this time around. 

8 hours ago, ProcessBlue2 said:

Tabor, Evero, Monken, Macdonald, Smith, Morris, Quinn so far. Callahan/Canales tomorrow and Johnson on Friday. 
 

GM interviews that have been confirmed so far I think are Kelly, Halaby, Morgan, Samir, Dodds, Harley, Matteo, Tilis. I think the only ones left for round 1 are Disner, Brown and Greenberg unless those are already done and didn’t make it to the beat reporters.

Brown from the NYG interviewed very early on. I don’t think it was reported. I think Disner and Greenberg have either already interviewed or are getting wrapped up today/tomorrow. Interview process is moving into phase II.

9 minutes ago, The Lobo said:

It’s not final, and many on here say that radio station isn’t reliable, I think it was WFNZ or some poo? I dunno I don’t live there.

It’s definitely a possibility, he is very well liked. My understanding is they are done with initial GM interviews and are starting final interviews today or tomorrow. 
 

This candidate pool was very diverse. There are a few that could be Head of Operations types, some that could be GMs, and some that could probably take a “promotion” by filling the assistant GM role. 

You also have to remember the Morgan info could be leaked intentionally to cause misdirection among the other teams. 

6 minutes ago, Bear Hands said:

Big GM interviews today.

The Brian Johnson/Alec Halaby chirp by Caplan is uh, erhmm..

And then the Morgan one - I think we all suspected he'd get legit consideration.  I would hope there would still be some overhaul to our scouting dept even if its the case.  The crew that coalesced on these last 2 drafts should not be something to model after.  

The only way I can imagine these folks promoting Morgan to GM is if they are bringing in one of these guys to serve as President/Ops Director/etc. 

That opens up AGM for somebody like an Adrian Wilson or similar. 

24 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

See, this is where the logic of "Hey, let's do things like that one successful team" breaks down.

It's fine to be impressed with the Steelers record. Using that as justification to request an interview with Matt Canada? Not so much

 

This is utterly false. I highly doubt anyone knows anything at PFN about the search that the Panthers beat reporters wouldn't know first. It is highly "suspected" that the Panthers will like Halaby due to his background in analytics and connections with Sportsology in the past. I noted a few days ago how it was interesting the Champ Kelly news came out the following day while they were interviewing Halaby almost as a distraction. 

I do not doubt Halaby will be a finalist for this role, but to just clump Brian Johnson in with Halaby just because they are with the same organization is lazy reporting to generate interactions. Johnson’s performance has been clear and I highly doubt a Harvard grad and analytics "guru" would vouch and attach his name to for somebody the entire Eagles organization and fan base seems to despise and hint at replacing through every media outlet available.

They aren't just sitting around. Especially with this group running the show. They are just being quiet about it and that's probably for the best really. Like the other person said above, they can't even meet with HC candidates until later on. I imagine they are doing two different things: 

• Focusing on GM candidates to make a hire within the next week.
• Touching base with all the candidates via virtual to narrow the list.

Say you have your GM by Friday and a shortened list by doing all of your virtual,  you put yourself in a position to have your new GM involved in the in-persons next week. 

2 hours ago, The Lobo said:

Are we being secretive? I feel like last go around, tons of info was getting leaked and insiders were saying a lot more. This year, it feels like not as much is being said besides “coach x interviews today” type of stuff. Do they have something planned, or am I just not seeing people report on what’s going on? 

Yeah it’s locked down super tight. Likely due to oversight of the advisory group and less people being involved. They know they are at a disadvantage and aren’t going to show their hand anymore than they have to. 
 

I believe the Champ Kelly reports are made up for misdirection. It didn’t come out until the following day when the Panthers were meeting with Halaby who is the young Havard graduate for the Eagles who runs the analytics department and serves as AGM under Roseman. 

Sportsology also helped out the Eagles a few years back and are likely very familiar with him already.

I’m not saying he will get it, but it was odd how the Champ Kelly news leaked right after Halaby’s interview. The news is also beneficial to Kelly by demonstrating to the Raiders that they may have competition if they wish to retain him.

I think the best candidate that is also most attainable for the Panthers would be Mike Macdonald. 

5 minutes ago, Bear Hands said:

Fairly certain we interviewed him last cycle.

4 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Don't think so.

You might be mixing him up with Brandt Tilis.

They didn't interview Mike Borgonzi. They interviewed: 

• Scott Fitter
• Omar Khan
• Pat Stewart
• Samir Suleiman
• Champ Kelly 
• Adam Peters
• Ryan Poles
• Brandt Tilis
• Ed Dodds
• Jeff Ireland
• Monti Ossenfort
• Joe Schoen
• Nick Caserio
• Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
• Jerry Reese

Caserio was hired by the Texans before his 2nd interview and Dodds backed out before the in-person interview.

Poles, Fitterer, Tilis, and Ossenfort was interviewed twice. 

1 hour ago, mrcompletely11 said:

If he thinks Sam Howell could work, pairing him with MHjr would be sick.  That offense would be thermonuclear. 

I think they are done with Howell. One of the reasons I have been thinking Johnson would go to Washington would be his ability to get Williams or Maye. New GM, New HC, New QB. 

1 minute ago, Mr. Scot said:

Granted that's a possibility, but with that also be true in the other cases referenced?

I'm speculating but I think if the Panthers announced they requested an interview with a candidate, then they probably were reassured by the agent they would accept. Of course barring they don't pull a Ben Johnson from last year or accept another offer first.  

13 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Entered into this discussion elsewhere, but I'll ask the same question here:

Anyone know why in the hell we're not trying to interview Mike Borgonzi?

We contacted the Chiefs about Brandt Tilis, but not their Assistant GM?

It's likely he was one of those that turned the request down. The Panthers were reaching out to candidates to see if they would reject their offer before they formally sent a request through the league.

Just now, Jackie Lee said:

So just Dave and Nicole? lol

Probably a couple reps from Sportsology, Dave, maybe another person or two. Likely Nicole as well. 

I imagine much smaller than the rumored village assembly last year. 

21 minutes ago, PantherPhann89 said:

Did everyone else turn down their interviews???

No. 

This process takes time. 

40 minutes ago, The Lobo said:

Best guess right now, who do you think we get? 

As for GM/HC search, I don’t know. I imagine going back weeks ago they already had candidates preemptively ranked into levels or tiers. I think the candidates that you are seeing them target for the GM search clearly points towards the organization wanting a contracts/cap guy in that role for one of two reasons.1) Bring in a guy like Harbaugh, Vrabel, or Belichick. OR 2) Let Adrian Wilson and Dan Morgan evaluate the players and the new guy count the beans.

I imagine the Panthers will take a shot at Ben Johnson and some of the bigger names but to be honest, it’s probably not going to happen, and they probably have a plan for that. If I had to guess, Johnson, Slowik, and Macdonald is on top of the list. The next group would probably consist of the more experienced guys I already mentioned. Having a GM like they are targeting would give you the flexibility you may need in coaching cycle of such high volume.

My personal guess? Johnson is out of the equation so they will take a swing at Slowik and Macdonald and if that falls through, they will settle for Vrabel if he doesn’t land in New England. (Keep in mind Mayo is well liked and the Patriots don’t have to apply the Rooney Rule to hire him based on his contract). If plan B falls through, hold on to your seats.

Mostly just my opinion but there you go.

13 minutes ago, Jon Snow said:

Why do I not find comfort in this?

It’s too early to tell and with them being in such a sensitive position regarding optics and potential rejection embarrassment just for asking somebody to talk to them about a job, I expect it to be pretty quiet. With the advisory group also assisting, that’s going to add a whole other layer to controlling what information gets out. This group was likely hired to facilitate the entire process and not just for lining up interviews or providing input.

My honest opinion based off of rumblings I’ve picked up and observations... I think David Tepper is taking back control of the team in a way. I don’t know how many of you picked up on it in his press conference and even going back to interviews last year but many have alluded to everything being “voted on” or “collaborated via committee” and since Scott Fitterer’s arrival that is how things have been ran. Scott himself even stated this was the type of leader he was on multiple occasions. Nicole Tepper even has this directly in her biography on the team’s web page.

“She's most comfortable serving in-person on the front lines – through providing words of support and encouragement, volunteering, and financial donations. She believes in a team-first approach to decision-making and leadership, emphasizing collaboration rather than solo decision making.”

This is another sign that points towards this large group of folks voting on things like a council meeting. I believe that way of leading has been balled up and thrown into the trash and the team is starting new and trusting a group that has helped the 49ers, Eagles, and Rams work on themselves (all three of which are currently in the postseason).

Just now, razorwolf said:

I’d like to see the Panthers hire 1)Alec Halaby or keep 2)Dan Morgan Jr as GM, Brandt Tilis hired as VP of Football Administration or Football Operation, and then probably elevate Adrian Wilson to Assistant General Manager. Elevate In-house or hire someone to become the VP-Player Personnel, and that would be doing a Front Office refresh!!

For those wanting Halaby I would look into him a bit. Here is an article from 2021 that talks about Halaby and how he contributed to Pederson's downfall in Philadelphia. 

https://theathletic.com/2506187/2021/04/12/paranoia-mismanagement-and-office-politics-inside-the-eagles-downfall-under-jeffrey-lurie-howie-roseman/ 

Here is an interesting piece on Halaby.

To some, Halaby is something of an interloper. They say he carries influence with Lurie in part because of a close relationship with fellow Harvard grad Julian Lurie, Jeffrey’s son, who stands to one day take over the family business. To others, Halaby is “brilliant” and simply willing to fight for what he believes is right. The more nuanced opinion is that Halaby is in a “no-win situation,” boxed into a specific characterization by the non-traditional football background he shares with Roseman and a personality that makes him a “square peg in a round hole.”

The blurriness of Halaby’s influence on the final decision-makers created rifts throughout the organization and contributed to the iciness between departments. One source described the analytics team as a “clandestine, Black Ops department that doesn’t answer to anybody except the owner,” even though Halaby officially reports to Roseman.

During the 2017 season, Halaby’s and Pederson’s relationship soured to the point where Pederson berated Halaby within earshot of the rest of the office, according to sources. In the opinion of some members of the coaching staff, Halaby was not to be trusted.

Frustration mounted on the scouting side as well. Rather than being presented with reasons for where certain draft-eligible players were rated by Halaby’s department, the scouting staff would simply be given a list of players the analytics department liked. According to one source, a top personnel official was upset to find out Halaby was grading players on his own despite never having been trained in the scouting department’s methodology.

David Tepper is going through a very common learning curve that occurs with new owners. 

Haslam bought the Browns in 2012. In that time he has had 7 Head Coaches. Shurmur, Pettine, Chudzinski, Jackson, Williams, Kitchens, and Stafanski. It took a while but I think he figured it out with Stefanski. He did the same thing at QB, but he has the franchise moving in the right direction. 

The Pegulas took a while to figure things out with Buffalo after they bought the team in 2014. They went through Marrone and Ryan before stumbling on McDermott and Allen. 

Khan bought the Jaguars in 2011 and has had quite the circus but overall his team is trending up. He went through Del Rio, Marrone, Bradley, Mularkey, Meyer, and had Pederson (I may be leaving somebody out). 

When Jed York took over the day to day for San Francisco he had Mike Singletary, then fired him for Harbaugh and then got into a pissing match with Harbaugh and fired him with a 49-22 record and replaced him with Tomsula and Chip Kelly. 

I'm not a Tepper apologist, I am very critical of what he has done and sometimes it's not what he does but how he does it that bothers people. This is pretty normal though when you're dealing with a billionaire who knows nothing about this business he's competing with other billionaires in. He will figure it out, it just might take some time. 

Yeah, that's not happening. I know there are a lot of people that really like him going back to last year but he really hurt himself attaching his offense to Brandon Staley. If he gets hired this advisory group must not be doing their job.

47 minutes ago, Harbingers said:

Leadership.

 

This is really the biggest thing. 

2 hours ago, Basbear said:

I do not want Bill in the nfc south, thats a nightmare...

Ive seen a crazy rumor that the group at DC will make a offer he cannot refuse. 

Im still not believing hes no longer a pat.

They don't want Belichick. 

2 hours ago, Stuart Smith said:

Seattle went downhill after Quinn left. He was the architect of the great Seattle defenses that made Pete Carrol look so good.  In Carolina defense suffered when McDermont went to Buffalo. Assistant coaches can make a huge difference. 

Gus Bradley was the architect in my opinion but Dan Quinn finished building it and took it to a different level. 

1 hour ago, Shocker said:

NFL analyst just said that Carolina is sniffing around Belichick and did so last offseason too.  Hmm

I told you guys they would not mind a Harbaugh/Belichick type. I think they would rather have a Ben Johnson but I don't think they will have a problem with the others mentioned above before they hire a Brian Callahan, Kellen Moore, or Brian Johnson.

22 hours ago, hepcat said:

Dumb question but who is interviewing these coaches? Is it Tepper and Dan Morgan? 

Being kept pretty quiet. I think its a smaller panel than before.

2 hours ago, Mr. Scot said:

While Johnson has had very good results in Detroit and I think he will be a fine Head Coach, I imagine expectations for him will be high since the media has fanned the flame on him this last two seasons. He is going to be very careful where he goes and attaches his name. Chargers, Seahawks, or maybe the Commanders.