Carolina Panthers GM Dan Morgan places pressure on himself with retooling tag

Dan Morgan is an intense guy. He was that way as a player and carries the same demeanor to this day. The Carolina Panthers believe he's got the credentials to turn this franchise around after promoting him to general manager. It's early days, but things have gone well in difficult circumstances this offseason.

Morgan will be the first to admit that there was a monumental challenge on his hands. The Panthers finished rock bottom after winning two games in 2023. They didn't even have the No. 1 pick to show for it after their trade-up for quarterback Bryce Young. The entire franchise was a mess and in desperate need of shaking up.

Couple this with some significant cash constraints, and it wasn't hard to see why Carolina's long-suffering fanbase was apprehensive. Fast forward a few months, and enthusiasm has risen.

Optimism is growing around what the Panthers could accomplish in 2024. The bar isn't exactly high for improvements. At the same time, Dave Canales has everyone working in unison with a clear direction regarding their development.

That sounds like a prerequisite for any NFL team. Unfortunately, it was something Carolina's two previous permanent head coaches couldn't figure out effectively enough.

Dan Morgan was keen to avoid Carolina Panthers' rebuilding talk

Most fans are taking this for what it is. The Panthers are rebuilding and it might be some time before they find themselves among the contenders once again. However, the new general manager saw it more as a retooling exercise thanks to Carolina's foundational core based on comments via Joe Person of The Athletic.

"We have a really good core of guys we’re excited about. We’re excited about the season. We don’t want to put any expectations on the season, but that’s not to say we’re not confident about the season. We’re gonna work our butts off and that’s all we know how to do. We’re dealing with the reality of things. And the reality of things is we control every single day. We can either get better or we can get worse."

- Dan Morgan via The Athletic

Morgan is avoiding the delusional proclamations of his predecessor Scott Fitterer, which is smart. However, the former linebacker is placing additional pressure on himself by not calling this a rebuilding project when it's apparent for all to see.

Rebuilding means the Panthers have no chance of making waves. That's not the message Morgan wants to send with Week 1 at the New Orleans Saints on the immediate horizon. But a little earlier this offseason, he was preaching patience with a long-term project in place.

It's a fine line, of course. The Panthers need to raise standards and heighten belief across the organization. However, the retooling comments probably didn't go unnoticed by team owner David Tepper, who's stayed in the shadows this offseason but is notoriously impulsive when things aren't going well.

Morgan deserves praise for the way he went about his business this offseason. He won't hesitate to make more moves - especially with the No. 1 waiver wire priority until Week 4. But after a frantic offseason, it's almost time to see the fruits of his labor.

That will go a long way to determining whether this is a retool or a rebuild.

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