4 general manager candidates Carolina Panthers will be sorry they didn't hire
The Carolina Panthers bafflingly hired an in-house figure to be the new general manager of the team. They'll be sorry they didn't hire a few other candidates.
There seemed to be some hope with the amount of interviews the Carolina Panthers did to find a new general manager. David Tepper seemed to embark on this search with an open. He ultimately landed on Dan Morgan, a former linebacker and previously the assistant general manager working under Scott Fitterer.
We should all keep an open mind with this hiring. However, given all who the Panthers interviewed for the job, I do think this move is a bit underwhelming. Morgan is going to get his shot to restore the franchise to competency, and his track record before arriving in Carolina is impressive.
However, I think the Panthers will be sorry they didn't hire these four candidates.
Carolina Panthers will be sorry they didn't hire Alec Halaby
I think any executive who comes from the Howie Roseman tree would be a slam-dunk hire. The Carolina Panthers interviewed Alec Halaby, who is currently the assistant general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles. He's been with the franchise for 16 years, serving in a few roles.
Here's a blurb from the Eagles' website about Halaby:
"During his tenure with the Eagles, Halaby has focused on player evaluation, roster management, and resource allocation, with a particular emphasis on integrating traditional and analytical methods in decision-making.
- philadelphiaeagles.com
Halaby previously served as a special assistant to the general manager (2012-15) and player personnel analyst (2010-11). He began his career as an intern with the Eagles' football operations department (2007, '09).
A native of Madison, WI, Halaby graduated from Harvard in 2009."
Man, I think the Panthers missed a great chance here. During his tenure with the Eagles, Halaby has gotten to sit back and watch Roseman continually build elite rosters and have solid success in the NFL Draft. He is arguably the NFL's best front-office leader and has been for years now.
He's crafted two Super Bowl rosters in 2017 and 2022, winning in 2017. He has shown a great ability to draft quarterbacks. Roseman prioritizes the trenches, as the Eagles have constantly had some of the best offensive and defensive lines in the NFL. And folks, that is how teams win games and Super Bowls - by being aggressive and rock-solid in the trenches.
Hiring an outsider - especially someone like Halaby - would have been a breath of fresh air for the Panthers.