Panthers: Marty Hurney is the right choice for GM
For the Carolina Panthers, re-hiring Mary Hurney was a no-brainer.
Marty Hurney is interim no more. Wednesday, it was announced that the Carolina Panthers named Hurney general manager in a full-time capacity. Hurney had been the team’s interim general manager since July, following the firing of Dave Gettleman.
Hurney was the Carolina Panthers’ general manager from 2000-2012, and has seen various levels of Panther success, especially in the early 2000s.
It makes sense that the Panthers would bring Hurney back. He has been with the team through playoff runs in both his first and second stint with the Panthers. The fact that he was with the Panthers in the 2017 season (one in which they made the playoffs) also probably helped his case. Heading into 2018 with a playoff appearance under his belt, he now has a full offseason to make moves for the Panthers as he sees fit.
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The Carolina Panthers made the right move here for a couple of reasons. Time is ticking and they needed to fill the general manager position before personnel days occurred (the combine, free agency, NFL Draft). In hiring Hurney, they hired someone who will bring continuity and consistency to the organization. Especially coming off the playoff run, it is smart to keep the guy who helped lead them to that position in the first place.
What Hurney needs to do now is assess how he wants to approach building the team. Will the Panthers try to make major moves via free agency or have a quiet offseason and try to make the most of pick No. 24 in the draft? If so, he along with the rest of the organization needs to make sure they maximize the value of the pick by scouting well and identifying team needs properly.
The Carolina Panthers have found their guy. This is the right move going forward and it should provide continuity and consistency. Now as an organization, they need to make sure they have a plan in place to make the most of the crucial coming weeks.