Panthers news: Dave Canales, Brant Tilis, Dan Morgan and Steve Wilks

Carolina Panthers set to hire Brant Tilis

Promoting Dan Morgan came with raised eyebrows and skepticism among fans. While the former linebacker remains revered for his work as a player, being Scott Fitterer's right-hand man previously during three years of suspect roster building means the jury is still out on his capabilities as a front-office leader.

The Carolina Panthers aren't done adding to their arsenal behind the scenes. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, they also plan to hire Brant Tils - vice president of football operations with the Kansas City Chiefs - to a prominent position. This would likely involve salary-cap management and contract negotiations as David Tepper models his new infrastructure on the San Francisco 49ers.

"The Carolina Panthers are targeting Kansas City Chiefs vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis for a prominent front office role in their organization that matches him up with new general manager Dan Morgan, league sources told ESPN. While expecting to take a significant Chiefs employee, sources told ESPN that the Panthers want to structure their front office like the San Francisco 49ers -- another team playing in Sunday's conference championship games. Tilis is likely to land a similar role to 49ers chief contract negotiator Paraag Marathe, who has the title of executive vice president of football operations, according to sources. Then the Panthers would have Morgan and Tilis work in much the same way that Lynch and Marathe do."

- Adam Schefter, ESPN

Tilis interviewed for the Panthers general manager job before Tepper went with Fitterer. He's got a strong reputation in NFL circles. This looks like someone who could legitimately improve perceptions league-wide and handle pressurized situations far better than Samir Suleiman and others managed to accomplish.