4 things new Panthers GM Scott Fitterer should already know
By Dean Jones
How far the Carolina Panthers are from contending
Scott Fitterer will have come into the job with his eyes wide open. He did his due diligence before accepting the role and the Carolina Panthers have some nice young pieces to build around moving forward.
If they can get the right sort of players into the organization in the coming weeks either in free agency or the 2021 NFL Draft, it could make all the difference between success and failure next time around.
This will involve some lengthy discussions with head coach Matt Rhule, with owner David Tepper sure to be influential in any decisions that come their way in the not-too-distant future. It is a vital period in their rebuilding phase and even the slightest error could set the Panthers back in their quest for playoff football once again.
It all starts with the quarterback.
Teddy Bridgewater hasn’t done enough to convince Carolina he’s worth being their option long-term under center and the intentions of front office personnel early in the offseason period mean the writing is well and truly on the wall for the former first-round pick.
Much more will be needed elsewhere.
But whether all the right pieces can be brought in all at once remains to be seen.
Rhule made an encouraging start to his tenure after agreeing to move from Baylor. But the Panthers are still in a precarious situation and nobody will know that more than Fitterer.