Carolina Panthers preach patience ahead of landmark choice at No. 1

General manager Scott Fitterer was keen to preach patience ahead of the Carolina Panthers making their landmark choice at No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Every Carolina Panthers was eagerly awaiting what some primary decision-makers within the organization had to say during their final press availability before the 2023 NFL Draft. While no formal conclusion has reportedly been made about which quarterback will be the guy, general manager Scott Fitterer laid out a clear plan of action for what comes next before the upcoming campaign. 

The keyword was patience. Something that's not often seen around the league but essential to the Panthers' way of thinking once their new franchise signal-caller comes into the fold. 

There seems to be a growing belief that Bryce Young is the guy. Fitterer didn't declare this publicly, although the front office figure outlined specific ways in which the Panthers could help the Alabama product avoid further complications given his slender frame that might be prone to injury if the offensive line doesn't meet its end of the bargain. 

Expectations will be through the roof for Young or someone else. The Panthers gave up a significant amount to control the draft, with the No. 1 pick also coming with an added pressure that cannot be stated enough compared to others further down the pecking order. 

Carolina Panthers preach patience with new rookie QB

Despite this - and the fact Fitterer is under enormous pressure in his own job in 2023 - he's not going to deviate from the plan. Carolina has put everything in place for their new man under center, but it's going to be a constant evaluation and a methodical approach that is night and day compared to Matt Rhule's disastrous tenure.

"It's not like we're expecting this quarterback to come in and instantly just make everything happen. You've seen it with Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen; it takes time. And you have to surround him with the right people, and you have to surround him with the right coaching. But I think we've done that. And we're not going to force this quarterback on the field. We're not going to ask him to do anything that he can't do. We're going to ask them just to play their game, deliver the ball, make the right reads, and make the right decisions."

- Scott Fitterer via Panthers.com

This is the best approach and one capable of providing sustainable success long-term. However, it's been a long time since Panthers fans had anything legitimate to cheer, so the quarterback and Carolina's all-star staff can ill-afford a slow start to the campaign with the NFC South there for the taking. 

Rarely does a rookie quarterback immediately take off. It took Trevor Lawrence - a generational talent at the position coming out of Clemson - one year and improved coaching to find his feet. Patrick Mahomes - the consensus best and two-time Super Bowl champion - sat most of his first season with the Kansas City Chiefs before assuming command. 

As the old saying goes, patience is a virtue. One that team owner David Tepper could be running out of after failing to muster a winning season since purchasing the Panthers from Jerry Richardson for a then-record $2.2 billion. 

Tepper is letting his football men take the lead, which obviously helps. The emerging influence of Nicole Tepper as part of the team's thought process has provided a level of calmness and less erratic moves from her husband - so hopes are high that this could be the start of a more prolific spell after so much misery under Rhule. 

There is clarity in the building about what this process entails and what the endgame is. Fans should take that into account, although it won't take long for the murmurings of discontent to emerge if this newfound offseason momentum doesn't transition effectively to the 2023 campaign. 

That's just the nature of the beast, unfortunately.