Dan Morgan leaves nothing to chance. The Carolina Panthers are in good hands with the second-year general manager, which is thanks in no small part to his adaptability and supreme conviction in everything he does.
It's the same ruthless mentality he had as a player. Morgan is a thinker first, but he's got the courage of his convictions. The Panthers are moving more methodically these days, but that's precisely what this franchise needed after years of rash gambles plunged them to rock bottom.
There is an opportunity awaiting the Panthers over their remaining six games. However, the front-office supremo is still trying to put out fires. That was no more evident than a quiet contingency plan amid a looming crisis before Carolina's prime-time road showdown with the San Francisco 49ers.
Carolina Panthers moved swiftly to minimize their pending linebacker crisis
Trevin Wallace is out with a shoulder injury. Christian Rozeboom left Carolina's overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons with a hamstring issue that he revealed felt like something more. That puts his status in severe doubt, meaning the Panthers could be without their two starting linebackers against the Niners.
That is a problem, especially with former Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey on the opposite team. Carolina has Claudin Cherelus, Maema Njongmeta, and undrafted rookie Bam Martin-Scott to fill the void. But Morgan wanted to cover bases by bringing back Jacoby Windmon onto the practice squad.
Windmon has experience in Ejiro Evero's defensive system. He had 22 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hits, and two pass breakups last season from eight games — two of which he started. Expecting miracles would be unrealistic, but having someone who already knows the scheme and his role within it isn't a bad fallback.
At the very least, it once again shows that Morgan is always ready to react. That's the sign of every good general manager around the league. There is no panic, just controlled measures that keep things ticking over. Windmon won't be the second coming of Luke Kuechly, but it's a solid move that maintains some semblance of continuity.
It doesn't exactly bode well for Rozeboom's chances of featuring on Monday Night Football, but the Panthers have to roll with the punches. They are half a game out of the NFC South lead, so Morgan sitting on his hands when measures are needed is not an option.
Expect Windmon to be elevated to the active roster if Rozeboom can't go. And if the likes of Cherelus and Njongmeta struggle to make the desired impact, don't be surprised if he gets some time on the field.