It was a baptism of fire for Dan Morgan during his first year as Carolina Panthers general manager. He was part of the old regime, so there was knowledge of how bad things were and how much hard work was ahead. The front-office leader navigated a tricky situation well.
Morgan was a contentious hire among some sections of the fanbase. Many thought a fresh start could be more beneficial. Team owner David Tepper opted to promote the former linebacker instead.
He instilled a sense of professionalism and purpose in the front office. Morgan adopted a business-first model and removed sentiment from the decision-making process. More importantly, he got the billionaire hedge fund manager to step back and let the professionals handle football matters.
The Panthers are on the right track. There is hope for the future. Carolina has a long-term vision in mind and Tepper is giving the project time. Not every move has come off for Morgan, but he's won over even his harshest skeptics.
With this in mind, here are the five best moves Morgan made during his first year as Panthers general manager. We'll start with the most important decision of all.
Best decisions from Dan Morgan's first year as Carolina Panthers GM
Carolina Panthers hired Dave Canales
The Carolina Panthers tried giving a college coach carte blanche. It didn't work.
They tried going down the experienced route with a retread down on his luck. That didn't work either.
Something different was needed for Carolina's next head coach. Instead of being behind the times, general manager Dan Morgan wanted to get ahead of the curve for once. And he had the perfect candidate in mind.
Morgan and Dave Canales knew each other from their time together on the Seattle Seahawks. They shared the same vision for the future. Their previous relationship allowed them to hit the ground running and spark the Panthers back into life.
It wasn't easy. The Panthers got off to a terrible start. Canales remained positive and never wavered from his positive, progressive outlook that resonates well with the modern-day player. He wasn't afraid to make big decisions despite his lack of experience. This was no more evident than when he benched quarterback Bryce Young after just two games.
When Young came back into the lineup, he was a different player. The Panthers' on-field product improved dramatically, becoming more competitive versus some legitimate Super Bowl contenders and securing five wins from the campaign. He was the right man for the job and Morgan deserves credit for going against the grain.