Panthers owner David Tepper has found the model that he wants to build his organization on. While he interviewed a number of candidates from successful teams like the Steelers and the Patriots, ultimately he decided to emulate what the Seahawks have had going for them the last decade.
For the uninitiated, Seattle had a unique decision-making process compared to many NFL teams. John Schneider has been their general manager since 2010, but it wasn’t a buck-stops-here kind of arrangement. Schneider has also shared power with coach Pete Carroll as well as high-level executives like Scot McCloughan and Scott Fitterer, who is currently being introduced as the new GM for Carolina.
It sounds like Tepper wants a similar arrangement for his team. During the introductory press conference for Fitterer, Tepper described a “collaborative effort” between Fitterer and coach Matt Rhule.
Rhule’s influence is the x-factor here. It’s notable that the franchise only gave a five-year deal to Fitterer while Rhule still has six left on his contract, one of the most lucrative for any coach in the league.
While Fitterer has the shiny new title, it’s clear that Rhule wields more power than the average coach, especially one with his experience in the NFL. As long as the two share a team-building philosophy the collaborative team effort Tepper described today has a chance to succeed.
The first project they’ll work on together is deciding who should be the starting quarterback. For now, Teddy Bridgewater has the job by default. Public comments by both Tepper and Rhule indicate his days are numbered, though.
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