News on GM search, team sale could come this week

[Mr. Scot]

So with the Super Bowl ended and the new league year beginning, it's time to revisit this quote from The Observer:

Quote

(Charlotte City Councilman) Mitchell, citing a source he declined to name, said the process is expected to pick up quickly after the Super Bowl, and that new ownership could be in place by the time the NFL draft rolls around in April.

League approval votes tend to be done at the annual owner's meetings, which per NFL.com are set to occur March 25th through the 28th in Orlando. If it doesn't happen then, the next owner's meetings are scheduled for late May in Atlanta.  Most fans are probably hoping Mitchell is right about the process moving quickly. I guess we'll see.

Reports have indicated that as many as six potential ownership groups will be bidding on the team, possibly more. We've only really heard about the Felix Sabates group so far, and even with all the talking that Sabates has done, we don't yet know who the majority owner will be. There have been conflicting reports about whether or not the France family is involved, and although we heard that former 49ers owner Ed DeBartolo is interested, there hasn't been any real confirmation yet.

On the GM front...

The speculation that Ryan Cowden would be asked to interview could still turn out true, but nobody's expecting it now.  Suggestions that the internal candidate list might include anyone other than Marty Hurney haven't exactly panned out either. And although the team has still said it hadn't "finalized" the candidate list yet and there could still be more, right now few if any are expecting anyone else to be brought into the process. 

The period for designating franchise and transition tags is only a few weeks away (February 20th) and the scouting Combine is just a week later.  The team would probably like to have the GM position settled before  then.

Now I know some might be thinking that once the ownership change is finished, the new owners can just turn around and hire a different GM of their own choosing. And it's true they could, but it's highly unlikely that they will.

By the time new ownership is approved, the team will already be deep into this year's free agency. A lot of the college prospects interviews and evaluations may already be done by then as well. Changing GMs at that time would basically be changing horses midstream. The earliest you might realistically see any kind of front office change would be around time for training camp (like last year).

Basically, whomever the committee of Tina Becker, Steven Drummond, Steven Argeris and Ron Rivera picks is going to run our draft and free agency for this season.

Here's hoping these upcoming decisions net us the right people, because they're going to be around for at least a little while.

[Mr. Scot]

For reference, here are some important upcoming dates in the NFL Calendar.

February 20 -- First day for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.

February 27-March 5 -- Combine Timing and Testing, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana.

March 6 -- Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.

March 12-14 --  During the period beginning at 12 noon, New York time, on March 12th and ending at 3:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 14th, clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with, the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2017 player contracts at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 14. However, a contract cannot be executed with a new club until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 14.

During the above two-day negotiating period, no direct contact is permitted between a prospective unrestricted free agent and any employee or representative of a club, other than the player's current club.

March 14 -- The 2018 League Year and Free Agency period begin at 4:00 p.m., New York time.

The first day of the 2018 League Year will end at 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 14. Clubs will receive a personnel notice that will include all transactions submitted to the League office during the period between 4:00 p.m., New York time, and 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 14. 

March 14 -- Trading period for 2018 begins at 4:00 p.m., New York time, after expiration of all 2017 contracts. 

March 25-28 -- Annual League Meeting, Orlando, Florida. 

April 2 -- Clubs that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2017 regular season may begin offseason workout programs. 

April 16 -- Clubs with returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs. 

April 20 -- Deadline for Restricted Free Agents to sign Offer Sheets. 

April 25 -- Deadline for prior club to exercise Right of First Refusal to Restricted Free Agents. 

April 26-28 --  NFL Draft

[Mr. Scot]

Hadn't been able to find a link to this before, but here's confirmation that four of the six identified interests are from out of town.

Quote

While a few tidbits have trickled out here and there, news on the planned sale of the Carolina Panthers has been sparse in the weeks since the team's season ended with a playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints. Now come reports from local TV stations that indicate the process could move quickly after the Super Bowl this weekend — and there may be more bids in play than those we've previously heard about.

“We currently hear there are about six bidders, so for those who are interested, I think things will start changing," City Council member James Mitchell reportedly told the Charlotte NBC affiliate. “We were told very early that things will pick up after the Super Bowl, so I do think, starting Monday, things will change.”

And according to a report by another local station, also citing comments by Mitchell, two of the investment groups are local, while four are from out of state.

So far, the only local person who's confirmed plans to bid for the Panthers is Felix Sabates, an entrepreneur with ties to racing and a minority stake in the Charlotte Hornets. Sabates has said he's talking with Marcus Smith, the Speedway Motorsports (NYSE: TRK) chief who recently tried to land a Major League Soccer team, about being part of that group. Other big names in NASCAR have been tossed about, too, but only as possible participants in Sabates' effort.

As for out-of-towners, music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs has been vocal about his effort to put together a bid.

Panthers founder Jerry Richardson announced in December, following an explosive report alleging workplace misconduct, that he would sell the team after the season ended. Richardson has since stepped away from the day-to-day management of the franchise.

Charlotte Business Journal

[SOJA]

It's funny how during the middle of the season Person reported that Hurney would be the GM through the draft and at least until June, now all of a sudden we're interviewing GMs? 

seems to me like Jerry made it clear he wanted his guy running the organization after he left

[Mr. Scot]

1 minute ago, SOJA said:

It's funny how during the middle of the season Person reported that Hurney would be the GM through the draft and at least until June, now all of a sudden we're interviewing GMs? 

seems to me like Jerry made it clear he wanted his guy running the organization after he left

Depends on whether you believe the current interview process is legit or just a show so they can claim they followed the Rooney Rule.

[Jmac]

I don't believe Hurney is going anywhere. Interviews are just smoke and mirrors. These out of town offers scare me a bit, no real connections to this area is there?

No one knows who they are actually. 

[ras977]

Just now, Mr. Scot said:

Depends on whether you believe the current interview process is legit or just a show so they can claim they followed the Rooney Rule.

Got to believe its a show.

[JakeDel5674]

2 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Depends on whether you believe the current interview process is legit or just a show so they can claim they followed the Rooney Rule.

What do you believE?

[Mr. Scot]

4 minutes ago, JakeDel5674 said:

What do you believE?

That their interview of three African American candidates is an elaborate way of saying "I have black friends".

I doubt they get just how stupid it's gonna make them look to interview three guys who all have better qualifications to be a GM than Hurney and then hire Hurney instead.

[JakeDel5674]

2 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

That their interview of three African American candidates is an elaborate way of saying "I have black friends".

I doubt they get just how stupid it's gonna make them look to interview three guys who all have better qualifications to be a GM than Hurney and then hire Hurney instead.

Just checking. Supposedly, one of the "buyers" has two minority ownership people in it. I hate to say it, but I'm not sure things will change. I hope I'm wrong though.  

[Soul Rebel]

The GM process, if Hurney is hired, will be insulting on many levels. 

• Insulting to the candidates since they went full Rooney mode. It's as if they took JRs comments and potential perception of our front office, and interviewed only black candidates.....with the full intention of hiring the white guy. Not only the white guy, but the previous GM with ties to JR and a GM that no other franchises care for... except our franchise. Reeks of cronyism and, IMO, will not help this franchise get to where it needs to. 
• Insulting to the fans for walking through this charade. Other franchises like KC, GB and even CLE had their GM in place within days of letting the previous go. Ours is over 6 months with an 'interim GM' that has not only run this franchise before, but is the frontrunner for the position. Then, the PR Dept will have to come out and explain their reasons as if we're reading at a 2nd grade level and didn't see the writing on the wall. 

[trueblade]

4 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

That their interview of three African American candidates is an elaborate way of saying "I have black friends".

I doubt they get just how stupid it's gonna make them look to interview three guys who all have better qualifications to be a GM than Hurney and then hire Hurney instead.

I find it odd Rivera would be a willing party to this.

[Mr. Scot]

Just now, JakeDel5674 said:

Just checking. Supposedly, one of the "buyers" has two minority ownership people in it. I hate to say it, but I'm not sure things will change. I hope I'm wrong though.  

I'm worried that any group with remnants of current ownership would agree to follow Richardson's wishes when it came to running the team (like keeping Hurney as GM, for example).

I liked the idea at first, but the more I think about it, the more I want a clean break.

[Mr. Scot]

1 minute ago, Soul Rebel said:

The GM process, if Hurney is hired, will be insulting on many levels. 

• Insulting to the candidates since they went full Rooney mode. It's as if they took JRs comments and potential perception of our front office, and interviewed only black candidates.....with the full intention of hiring the white guy. Not only the white guy, but the previous GM with ties to JR and a GM that no other franchises care for... except our franchise. Reeks of cronyism and, IMO, will not help this franchise get to where it needs to. 
• Insulting to the fans for walking through this charade. Other franchises like KC, GB and even CLE had their GM in place within days of letting the previous go. Ours is over 6 months with an 'interim GM' that has not only run this franchise before, but is the frontrunner for the position. Then, the PR Dept will have to come out and explain their reasons as if we're reading at a 2nd grade level and didn't see the writing on the wall. 

They're aware of the perception.  A team official took the time to specifically state that this is a real search and not a sham.

I think that's hopeful, but my general belief is that despite all the talk, they still believe they can somehow get away with it and everyone will just accept that they made the best choice.