Matt Rhule and Scott Fitterer would have made a hilarious fumbling comedy act. Unfortunately for Carolina Panthers fans, team owner David Tepper tasked them with running a football operation at the NFL level.
They spearheaded a freefall to rock bottom that the Panthers are still trying to recover from. And this all started with their inability to make the right decisions in pressurized situations.
Fans weren't sold immediately, and the panic-stricken moves made in free agency, the trade market, and during drafts indicated the power couple was feeling the heat. They got most of their first-round picks right, but it's a proverbial graveyard aside from that.
One of the most comical and frustrating is still being dissected four years on. It was a laughable approach at the time and even more so now.
The Panthers were desperate for offensive line help in the 2021 NFL Draft. Trey Smith, a first-round talent who slumped after a medical condition surfaced during his pre-draft evaluations, was still available in the sixth round. Carolina had no fewer than three sixth-rounders, so it represented a risk worth taking.
Carolina Panthers couldn't get anything right under Matt Rhule and Scott Fitterer
Rhule and Fitterer had other ideas. They took offensive lineman Deonte Brown (No. 193) and wide receiver Shi Smith (No. 204). They made the inexplicable decision to take long-snapper Thomas Fletcher at No. 222. It made for a good social media post, but the player didn't last long.
Smith went to the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 226 overall. He set about making everyone pay, winning two Super Bowls, a Pro Bowl honor, and emerging as one of the league's best right guards.
Damian Parson from The Bleacher Report unsurprisingly named Smith among his biggest steals of the 2021 draft. Chuba Hubbard was in there, too, but that doesn't detract from the grave error of judgment from those in power to cast the former Tennessee standout off their board.
"[Trey] Smith brought his physical style of play from the Saturday wars in the SEC. He helped revitalize the interior offensive line protection for Mahomes and added a punch to the Chiefs' rushing attack. Finding quality role players and depth pieces for your roster in the sixth round is one thing, but adding a bona fide starting guard is a different story."Damian Parson
The Panthers' offensive line looks a lot better now. That's no thanks to Rhule and Fitterer, who ran the franchise into the ground through a depressingly unique blend of incompetence and poor talent evaluation.
That's a dangerous combination in the NFL's cutthroat world. Dan Morgan, Dave Canales, and Brandt Tilis have more about them in every conceivable way. They're making small strides toward respectability and contention, but the Panthers are on a sounder footing after years of misery.
Rhule and Fitterer landed on their feet — guys like that always do. But make no mistake, the Panthers are far better off without them.