What were some major observations from Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich’s second presser since taking the job?
After a hugely busy few weeks for Frank Reich since becoming Carolina Panthers head coach, fans and media got some useful insight during his second press conference. A lot had changed since he was introduced, which centered on molding an exceptional staff team capable of finally getting this franchise back into playoff contention.
Reich’s articulate approach and transparency are night and day to what Matt Rhule brought during his three-year tenure. Something special could be happening in Carolina, although there’s a long way to go and plenty of important upcoming decisions remaining before the 2023 season arrives.
The head coach and his staff participated in lengthy meetings about their offseason plans for the first time this week. These will continue before leading figures descend on Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine, with the free agency period also rapidly approaching to further raise excitement.
Without further ado, we picked out four major observations from Reich’s second presser as head coach on Tuesday.
Major Observation No. 1
Frank Reich will call Carolina Panthers plays initially
After much speculation, Frank Reich confirmed that he will take play-calling duties initially. However, the head coach was quick to point out that he plans to relinquish this given the early impressions left by new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown.
"“There is gonna be some point that I’m gonna pass it off. I know that’s gonna be hard. I’ve been laughing, I’ve laughed with (new offensive coordinator) Thomas (Brown) about that already. I said, ‘I’m gonna pass it off at some point! I don’t know when!’ I think there’ll be a time and a place, and I think it will become apparent when that is.”"
This is the correct call considering the need to get off on the right foot. Once everything settles down and the Carolina Panthers get in a rhythm, that seems like the time when Brown can enhance his blossoming reputation as a play-caller.
Carolina Panthers owner came through for Frank Reich
When Frank Reich laid out his plan to team owner David Tepper, it was enough to separate the candidate from others and win the head coaching job. Putting this into action would be difficult, but the billionaire came through for his head coach thanks largely to the significant resources at his disposal.
The Carolina Panthers have one of the league’s best coaching rosters on paper. Tepper fully supported Reich every step of the way and when there was competition from other teams, the hedge fund manager flexed his financial muscle to secure various deals.
This is something that was confirmed by Reich during his media availability, outlining how involved Tepper’s been and praising his willingness to do whatever it takes to get the correct figures into the organization.
"“We were able to compete against other teams who were vying for similar candidates where we came out on top because of that backing.”"
After being embarrassed by the Matt Rhule debacle, Tepper’s on a road to potential redemption this offseason. Something that couldn’t be going much better over the early period after harsh lessons had been taken on board.
It’s just a start. But if the relationship between Reich and Tepper continues in this fashion, the owner might be back in fans’ good graces sooner than anticipated.
Carolina Panthers’ defensive plans
Arguably the biggest addition to Frank Reich’s coaching staff is defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. The progressive young mind was interviewed for the Carolina Panthers head coaching job and others, so this is a major coup by the franchise and one that can propel their talented unit to great things moving forward.
Evero’s stay in Carolina might be short-lived if his meteoric rise continues. This is something Reich is fully aware of based on his presser comments, with the head coach also revealing that the plan is to run a 3-4 base scheme that interchanges depending on the situation.
"“It’ll be a base 3-4 scheme. But when we get in sub, it’s really multiple. It’s really multiple. There’s four-down, three-down, five-down. It’ll all depend on how Ejiro and the defensive staff wanna take advantage of our players’ strengths. We’ll be very multiple. But in our base defense, we’ll be 3-4.”"
Carolina’s got plenty of defensive weapons with the versatility to play in multiple spots. If these are bolstered with individuals of a similar ilk in free agency and the 2023 NFL Draft, it’s all systems go.
The Panthers have one of the most respected young defensive coordinators around. So it’s vital they maximize his time with the team before he inevitably departs for a well-deserved promotion.
Carolina Panthers noncommital on QB path
Mike Kaye from The Charlotte Observer asked Frank Reich about his plans for the quarterback position. Specifically, whether or not the Carolina Panthers planned to put a call into Derek Carr’s representatives for a potential visit.
Reich is experienced enough to dance around these interrogations in an accomplished fashion. Aside from stating that new quarterbacks coach Josh McCown spent two hours talking about what he wants in Carolina’s new signal-caller, it was noncommital from the head coach.
"“You know, we’re really literally sitting down with the guys today, (our) first staff meeting will be tomorrow, but I’ve kind of met with guys individually, saying, step one, let’s evaluate our roster. So we’re really just starting that process. Step two (is to) evaluate the free agents. … Step three, now going to the college guys. … (I’m) really not ready to address the specifics of that, because we’re really just beginning.”"
All options are on the table right now. Scott Fitterer’s preference is to draft and develop, but the prospect of another veteran coming into the fold cannot be dismissed this early in the process.
The Panthers are in a good spot to make their move. Whether that’s up to the top three of the 2023 NFL Draft or swinging big for Lamar Jackson, nobody knows for sure just yet.
And make no mistake, Reich wants to keep it that way for as long as possible.