Panthers News: Bryce Young, Brian Burns, Scott Fitterer and the No. 1 pick
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers almost lost out on No. 1 pick
Acting with conviction has been the hallmark of a memorable offseason for the Carolina Panthers so far. General manager Scott Fitterer wasted little time in stamping his own mark on the franchise after playing a secondary role to Matt Rhule over the last two years, which brought almost no success and saw the head coach fired after Week 5 of the 2022 campaign.
Moving up to No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft was the biggest decision of all. When speaking on the Adam Schefter podcast, Fitterer stated that the Panthers were forced to act quickly after numerous other teams looked set to make their play once the Chicago Bears declared a willingness to trade down for the right sum.
"And then I come back to Charlotte on Monday, and it’s not Tuesday, and I get word that—kinda through secondhand sources—that Chicago may be trying to move the pick right then. There might be teams interested. And, as you all know, things are happening behind the scenes. That’s the point where I got most nervous. And I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ So I jump on the phone, I call Mr. Tepper, I call Ryan (Poles) and said, ‘Hey, listen. Don’t do anything. Give us an opportunity here to jump back in."
- Scott Fitterer via Panthers Wire
The ESPN insider also revealed during the conversation that the Houston Texans almost had a deal in place to jump one spot in pursuit of landing their quarterback of choice, which was Bryce Young according to multiple reports. Now that they are unlikely to get the Alabama product, questions are emerging about whether those in power will go in a completely different direction.
Losing D.J. Moore was the key cog in this deal. It hurt Fitterer and the Panthers, but the hardest sacrifices require the strongest will when push comes to shove.