Dan Morgan preaching patience as Carolina Panthers strive for stability

Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan has preached patience during their team's ambitious plans for long-term prosperity.

Dan Morgan had a big job on his hands this offseason. Many wonder just how complicit the new general manager was in the Carolina Panthers' failings as Scott Fitterer's right-hand man. Looking at the moves made, it seems as if he wasn't too keen on implementing similar roster-building strategies.

Morgan wasted no time in stamping his mark on the franchise. Close friend Dave Canales was sought as head coach in pursuit of bolstering an already developed working relationship. The defense was decimated as established players moved on for one reason or another. Carolina invested significant sums to strengthen the protection in front of quarterback Bryce Young, who also got a new option in the passing game after Diontae Johnson arrived from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Perhaps the most contentious issue was trading Brian Burns to the New York Giants for nothing more than second and fifth-round picks. This was seen as way below market value, but the Panthers backed themselves into a corner and had almost no leverage whatsoever. All Morgan did was clean up the complete contract mismanagement of the previous regime.

Carolina Panthers taking a patient approach under Dan Morgan

When speaking to Carolina's website, Morgan stated that the decisions being taken are with the future in mind. He wants the Panthers to be more competitive right away. At the same time, there will be a disciplined way of conducting football business moving forward. Something that's been a foreign concept under David Tepper's ownership up to now.

"You know, these moves are all with the future in mind. I think we definitely are resetting in a sense, but that doesn't mean that we're just going to not be good and not be competitive. Moving forward, it obviously created a hole there at the edge position, but to get those two picks at the top of the second round, I mean, it's huge. Just to kind of build out our roster the way that we want to build it, with the type of people that we want to build it with, the type of players that we want to build it with. I mean, we're in a non-panic mode. I think everything that we do right now, the decisions that are made now are going to be made for the future as well. We've got to be very disciplined, and we've got to have a plan. We have a plan, and we've got to stay disciplined to that plan."

- Dan Morgan via Panthers.com

The message is clear.

Morgan is willing to take hits to the roster and salary cap now for long-term flexibility. Nobody is expecting the Panthers to take a significant leap back into playoff contention right away. What fans want to see is patience, a legitimate plan for gradual growth, and a team willing to fight with everything they have for one common goal.

Losing the likes of Burns, Frankie Luvu, Vonn Bell, and Yetur Gross-Matos doesn't exactly bode well for the defense. But make no mistake, Morgan genuinely believes this is the best possible chance the Panthers have of attaining some semblance of respectability next season and into the future.

There's also Young's predicament to consider. Freeing up funds to enhance the assets around the signal-caller was necessary after such a woeful rookie campaign with mitigating circumstances attached. Of all the investments made by the Panthers, the cost to surge up and select the former Alabama star at No. 1 overall last year was the biggest by far.

Giving him a fighting chance was key. If it doesn't work out, so be it, but there needs to be some extra leeway attached to the plans being implemented by Morgan, Danales, and Brandt Tilis. Otherwise, the Panthers will be back to square one under Tepper's ownership once again.

Ripping the band-aid off now hurts, but Morgan felt there was no other alternative to get the Panthers off the canvas. Whether it comes off or not is another matter.