UNCrules2187

We'll see who's right...Fowler and Graziano think Wilks' candidacy is "losing steam" while Breer thinks Wilks will end up being the hire. I did laugh at him saying "it'll be Wilks or a young offensive guy"...like yeah, no poo, look at the interview list.

Betting odds have Geno and CMC tied at +175 for the award

This is just a random unofficial website award, not anything official?

Realistically speaking I think if the Panthers do decide to trade up, it will only be if one of Young, Stroud, or Levis falls to the 5-6 range. Depending on how the HC hire pans out, I could see the Panthers sending #9, the 49ers 2nd, and probably another future pick (2024 2nd?) if the Seahawks or Lions are content with Geno or Goff and a QB the FO likes is available. I don't think they're going to be willing to trade what it takes to get into the top 3 from #9.

Peter Schrager and Ian Rapoport are reporting that both the Texans and Cardinals have requested permission to interview Sean Payton

Yeah I don't think we need to do anything crazy with regards to the RB position. Hell Foreman was languishing on the bench, didn't get any real burn until week 7 and nearly put up 1,000 yards. Between Foreman, Hubbard, and Blackshear collectively, they put up 1,457 rushing yards (4.5 ypc) and 10 TDs. If you can re-sign Foreman on a cheap shorter-term deal, that's good enough.

My guess is we'll see an interview request for one or more of Ryans, Ejiro Evero (there were rumors of a request being put in this morning but turned out to be false), or Raheem Morris.

Need to interview two external candidates to fulfill the obligations - Wilks doesn't count as an internal candidate. Caldwell is the first, but need one more.

Way too many needs for this roster to burn the 9th overall pick on a TE. Can get 70% of the production of the top TEs not named Kelce or Kittle from a FA vet like Engram, Gesicki, or Hooper. Would rather use the 9th pick on an edge rusher, WR, or take a moon shot on a QB.

Need to add at least one more - an external minority candidate to fulfill Rooney Rule obligations

SNY reporting he has NOT been fired:

Depends on who we want to hire...if it's a coach currently in the playoffs, could go as long as Feb. If it's Wilks or a guy who's not in the playoffs, could happen early next week. We still need to interview one other external minority candidate to satisfy the Rooney Rule as well. For context, Rhule was hired on 1/7/20, 9 days after the end of the 2019 regular season. I don't get the sense Tepper is going to move that fast this time around.

I don't believe Panthers have requested to interview Ryans. Think it's just 8 known candidates at this point.

With regards to the cap, I don't have a problem with doing simple restructures for guys like Moore and Moton. Both have been relatively healthy their entire careers, are still young and productive, and figure to be in the team's plans for at least the next 3 years. Base salary restructures of Moore and Moton alone open up ~$19.5m of cap space.

The only way the next Panthers HC doesn't have an offensive background is if they decide to promote Wilks to the full-time job. Even if they interview someone like Ryans, Ejiro, or Quinn, I don't think any of those candidates have a real shot. The only wild card candidate I could see being hired would be Raheem Morris given he has previous HC experience and has worked on both sides of the ball.

Yeah that's why I only included the Carolina portion and left the rest out. If that's a no-no, can edit it out. Other highlights: Denver: Payton is their top choice, but he may not want them. Payton likely waiting out to see what happens with the LA gigs. Arizona: Vance Joseph expected to be a candidate. Need someone who will maximize and challenge Murray. Harbaugh - wants Colts job but will take any job if offered

Just sign Evan Engram in FA. He's your former first round pick and gave the Jags 766 yards and 4 TDs on a 1 year, $9m deal. Could also look at Mike Gesicki. Prior to this year, he put up back to back 700+ yard seasons and has averaged 4.5 TDs/year over the last 4 years.

Of those 3, only Gonzalez was a first round pick. Gronk was 42nd overall, Kelce 63rd overall. No need to waste a top 10 pick on a TE.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/35420999/nfl-head-coach-openings-latest-buzz-rumors-candidates-broncos-cardinals-panthers-including-sean-payton-jim-harbaugh

No thanks to a first round TE, waste of a pick. You can find stars in the middle of the draft, that's where all the top TEs in the league have been draft: Kelce - 3rd round Kittle - 5th round Andrews - 3rd round Knox - 3rd round Kmet - 2nd round Hockenson, Engram and Njoku are the only 3 first rounders in the top 10 in yards this season and 2 of those 3 are vets on their 2nd team while Njoku was picked at the end of round 1 (29 overall).

I'd love Flores as well but given he and Wilks are suing the Dolphins/NFL together, I have a hard time believing he'd come to be a DC in Carolina for a...non-minority first time HC if Tepper passes over Wilks for the HC gig. Not to mention Johnson was on Miami's staff when Flores was hired as HC and he wasn't retained by Flores.

Reich interviewing today per Rapoport

Looking into this some more for a separate post on DC candidates for the young OCs, but couple of other names: Vance Joseph - was DC in Miami in 2016 when Johnson was TE coach. Joseph has prior HC experience (Broncos 2017-2018) and may not be retained in Arizona after Kingsbury firing; would be an ideal pairing IMO Matt Burke - was LB coach (2016) and then DC (2017-2018) in Miami when Johnson was on staff. Was then a defensive assistant (2019) and later DL coach and run game coordinator (2020) in Philly under Doug Pederson. Currently DL coach in Arizona and unlikely to be retained after the Kingsbury firing

In-person interviews with outside candidates that are currently employed by NFL teams cannot be conducted until Tuesday, 1/17 per league rules.