5 Seahawks who could follow new GM Scott Fitterer to Carolina
By Dean Jones
Could new Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer bring some Seattle Seahawks with him during the offseason after agreeing to a five-year deal this week?
Scott Fitterer made the biggest of impressions during his two interviews this week. Owner David Tepper and head coach Matt Rhule cast a wide net for their vacant general manager search, but once they got the chance to sit down with the Seattle Seahawks VP of player personnel, it was virtually a done deal.
This saw the Carolina Panthers offer Fitterer a five-year contract, which he quickly accepted. He comes into the organization with a big reputation and is widely respected around league circles. So hopefully, the new appointment can hit the ground running and get Carolina back into the playoff picture sooner rather than later.
The task awaiting Fitterer and Rhule this offseason is a monumental one. Despite the Panthers being largely more competitive than expected in 2020, there are still some glaring holes that need to be filled to progress a young roster that has plenty of exciting talent on both sides of the ball.
A clear and concise plan between the pair needs to be formed ahead of the critical pre-draft evaluation process and free agency. But Fitterer might look to his former team in pursuit of better reinforcements and install a winning culture in Carolina.
With the being said, let’s take a look at five Seahawks players that Fitterer might bring with him to Carolina in the coming weeks.
Player No. 1
Cedric Ogbuehi – OT
It’s easy to forget that Cedric Ogbuehi was once a highly-touted first-round pick who went No. 21 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals back in 2015. The offensive tackle hasn’t quite lived up to his billing since entering the league, but the player has shown some signs of life in a rotational role last year with the Seahawks.
Ogbuehi played 277 snaps for Seattle in 2020, giving up one sack and conceding two penalties on his way to a creditable 65.6 grade from Pro Football Focus. This is an area of the field that could be getting a substantial makeover from the Carolina Panthers’ perspective during free agency and the 2021 NFL Draft, and it is unlikely the former Texas A&M standout is going to command a large salary to link-up with Fitterer once again.