Tag: dan morgan

Dan Morgan on improving Panthers roster: ‘The logo has to be feared again’

Panthers GM Dan Morgan: “The logo has to be feared again. ‘Cause right now, it’s not feared.”

So, what type of players is Dan Morgan looking for to start his tenure as the president of football operations and general manager of the Carolina Panthers? He gave us that answer on Thursday.

In his introductory press conference alongside new head coach Dave Canales, Morgan laid down the vision for what he’ll be hunting for in rebuilding the team’s roster. Oh, and he gave a nod to a franchise great, who was sitting in attendance, while doing so.

“First of all, we need to find those leaders, those competitors, as J-Stew [Jonathan Stewart] would say, those dawgs,” he said. “Like, we need some dawgs. Like, we gotta get some guys that are passionate about football, that love football, that wanna come out every day and compete on the practice field, in the weight room. We need competitors. We gotta bring that back here. We gotta bring that back here to Bank of America Stadium, to where people get excited about coming to see our team.

“We’re super passionate about bringing a team that the fans can be proud of, that our players can be proud of. When teams drive up to this stadium, we want them to fear that logo. The logo has to be feared again. ‘Cause right now, it’s not feared. So we gotta get that back. But I think it starts with getting the right players.”

Well, Morgan’s not wrong. It’s difficult to believe any team in 2023 feared the 2-15 Panthers throughout the course of their most embarrassing season in team history.

But, as Morgan noted in a sit-down interview with Panthers play-by-play man Anish Shroff before the presser, things can change quickly. And that was certainly the case for Morgan and the rest of the dawgs between 2001 and 2003, when they went from a 15-loss group to NFC champions.

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Dan Morgan comments on Panthers’ hiring of Brandt Tilis

Panthers president of football operations/GM Dan Morgan provided a statement regarding the team’s hiring of Brandt Tilis.

Carolina Panthers president of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan officially has his partner in crime.

The team announced on Wednesday that they’ve named Kansas City Chiefs executive Brandt Tilis as their executive vice president of football operations. That’s quite the executive decision, huh?

Included in the announcement was a statement from Morgan, who seems rather excited about the addition.

“It’s great to add Brandt and his experience to our organization,” Morgan said. “He comes from a championship-caliber team in Kansas City and will play a lead role in our front office. We are looking forward to getting him here and working together to build this team.”

Carolina is expected to follow in the mold of the San Francisco 49ers’ front office. Morgan will serve in the John Lynch role atop football operations with Tilis taking the Paraag Marathe role as the No. 2.

Also featured in the team’s official release is a description of Tilis’ responsibilities in his new position. The statement reads:

Tilis will be responsible for all football administration and non-coaching matters related to operations, equipment, video, and analytics, among other areas. He will also lead player contract negotiations, compliance with the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement and league rules, salary cap management, and maintenance and labor administration.

In the meantime, Tilis and the Chiefs will only be trying to win their third Super Bowl in the last five years.

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Panthers name Brandt Tilis executive vice president of football operations

The Panthers have hired Brandt Tilis as their executive vice president of football operations.

Another pillar has been established in the reconstruction of the Carolina Panthers.

As officially announced on Wednesday afternoon, the organization is hiring Kansas City’s Brandt Tilis as their executive vice president of football operations. He now joins new president of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan atop the team’s reconfigured front office.

Tilis got his NFL start as a football operations intern for the then-Oakland Raiders in 2004. After a three-year run there, he moved to the league’s labor operations department, where he served as an intern and the labors operation coordinator.

In 2010, Tilis joined the Chiefs as salary cap and contract analyst. He’d go on to receive promotions into the roles of director of salary cap and football operations analyst in 2014 and as the director of football administration in 2017.

Tilis, who has been in Kansas City for a total of 14 seasons, served as the franchise’s vice president of football operations since 2021.

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Cam Newton gives opinion on Panthers’ hirings of Dave Canales, Dan Morgan

Panthers great Cam Newton gave his thoughts on the team’s hirings of Dan Morgan and Dave Canales.

So, what does the greatest player in the history of the Carolina Panthers think about the organization’s new power duo?

On Wednesday’s episode of 4th & 1 with Cam Newton, Cam Newton (of course) spoke about last week’s hirings of new president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan and new head coach Dave Canales. He started by admitting that he’s unsure of the latter.

“Dave Canales . . . I don’t necessarily know,” he stated. “So the good thing about this is—it is an offensive-minded coach, and it’ll be good for Bryce Young. But other than that, I just still got the same concerns.

“Bryce needs a lot of things to help him. They need a good defense. They need opportunities. He shouldn’t feel that he has to score every single time.”

Newton’s uncertainty about Canales isn’t an uncommon thought. After all, the 42-year-old just finished his first season as an NFL offensive coordinator.

The franchise great, however, was much more certain about Morgan.

“He knows the city,” Newton said of the former linebacker. “He knows what the culture is. He went to the Super Bowl with the 2003 team. So he has some type of tenure of understanding what the fans’ expectations is.

“He’s been around, right? Buffalo, Seattle. Was able to pluck and pull like, ‘Ok, I want to implement these type of things.’ And knows the right way to do things, bein’ around successful organizations.”

Well, add Newton to the list of former Panthers who give the Morgan promotion a thumbs up.

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WATCH: David Tepper, Panthers staffers welcome Dave Canales, Dan Morgan

Panthers owner David Tepper and crew gave HC Dave Canales and GM Dan Morgan a welcome they’ll probably never forget.

Before Dave Canales brings the energy to the Carolina Panthers, the Carolina Panthers decided to bring the energy to Dave Canales.

On Wednesday, the team’s new head coach and new president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan stepped back into Bank of America Stadium. And when they got there, they were greeted by owners David and Nicole Tepper as well as an electric group of staffers:

Canales and Morgan were fresh off the plane from their trip to Mobile, Ala.—where some of this year’s top draft prospects were preparing for the Reese’s Senior Bowl. Tepper, who is probably hoping that the journey down south was a fruitful one, previously stated his excitement for his new head coach last week.

“Dave’s background is rooted in success,” Tepper said in the official announcement on Canales’ hiring.” He has an innovative mindset and positive energy that connects well with players and staff. We are impressed with his ability to bring out the best in players.”

Carolina’s new power duo also wanted to send the good vibes back to the welcoming committee:

The Panthers are expected to hold an introductory press conference for Canales and Morgan tomorrow at 10 a.m. ET.

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Shaq Thompson on if Panthers want him in 2024: ‘That’s on them’

Panthers LB Shaq Thompson: Does Carolina want me here? That’s on them.

2023 was, by far, the most painful season Carolina Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson has had to endure. Nonetheless, he may still want to run it back in Charlotte for 2024.

The nine-year defender had his ninth year cut short, as he fractured his fibula in just the second game of the season. But Thompson, who recently spoke with DaShawn Brown of WSOC-TV, said he’s looking forward to the next chapter with new general manager Dan Morgan.

“I’m excited,” he said of Morgan. “If I was an owner of a team, I would definitely want somebody who played the game at a high, high level. Because that guy knows what type of players to get, because he was that player. That guy knows who to scout, what we need—and Dan, to me, is the perfect fit.”

But will the Morgan-led front office end up keeping the veteran backer around for next season?

Brown also asked Thompson if he wants to stick around.

“Definitely where I wanna be,” he replied. “Does Carolina want me here? That’s on them. Let’s just keep it real. It’s a business.”

Thompson, who turns 30 years old in April, has one year of playing time left on his contract. After 2024, the contract—which was reworked last offseason—holds three voided years through 2027.

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Panthers 2024 mock draft 2.0: The Morgan-Canales edition

How would a Dan Morgan and Dave Canales-led draft look like? Here’s our early shot at it.

The Carolina Panthers were leader-less, at least in two key positions, the last time we checked in with a mock draft. But things have changed.

On Thursday, the organization will officially introduce new president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan and new head coach Dave Canales. Both were hired last week, as the team will once again start fresh in building towards a positive future.

So, how will that future look under the new power duo?

Here’s our early Morgan-Canales mock:

Date set for Panthers’ introductory press conference of Dan Morgan, Dave Canales

We now have a date and time on the Panthers’ introductory press conference for GM Dan Morgan and HC Dave Canales.

Now we know when the new guys (or new-ish in one case) get to speak.

The organization will hold their introductory press conference for president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales on Thursday. The presser, which is set to take place from Bank of America Stadium, will begin at 10:00 a.m. ET.

This will, of course, be the first time the two men speak since they were hired to their new positions. The Panthers began the week of Jan. 22 by promoting Morgan to head the front office and finished it a few days later by bringing in Canales to lead the team.

Morgan, who will certainly have a few things to say about Canales on Thursday, stated the following about the 42-year-old in Carolina’s official release:

“I’m excited to work alongside Dave again,” stated Morgan, who previously shared eight years in Seattle with Canales. “His background coaching multiple position groups has given him a great understanding of what it takes to build a successful team. His infectious personality resonates with players and everyone who comes in contact with him. I’m confident that will translate to the field.”

As for now, the power duo is currently attending the Senior Bowl practices down in Mobile, Ala.

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Report: Dave Canales, Dan Morgan expected to attend Senior Bowl practices

Per Joe Person of The Athletic, Panthers HC Dave Canales and GM Dan Morgan are expected to attend this week’s Senior Bowl practices.

There’s no honeymoon phase for Dave Canales, Dan Morgan and the Carolina Panthers.

According to Joe Person of The Athletic, the organization’s new head coach and new president of football operations/general manager are expected to attend this week’s Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Ala. Both men were hired into their positions just last week.

Practices for this year’s event begin on Tuesday and will run through Thursday. The National Team, for each of the three days, will hold their practices from 9:30 a.m. ET to 11:30 a.m. ET with the American Team following up from 12:00 p.m. ET to 2:00 p.m. ET.

As opposed to previous years, 2024’s Senior Bowl is open to all underclassmen—not just select juniors who can meet graduation requirements. That, obviously, could give Canales and Morgan a chance to dive into more prospects during their evaluations for the upcoming draft.

The game is set to take place on Saturday with a kickoff time of 1:00 p.m. ET.

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Dave Canales is the perfect hire for Bryce Young if David Tepper can be patient

Dave Canales looks like the right man for the job if owner David Tepper can keep his interference to a minimum.

It’s not exactly a secret that the Carolina Panthers have one of the most trigger-happy owners in all of sports in David Tepper, who of late has given a short leash to just about everyone associated with the franchise. Following a disastrously bad last two seasons, Carolina has essentially gone through four coaches in just that short span. Now with the hiring of the young offensive coordinator for Tampa Bay in Dave Canales, Tepper must learn to exercise patience with both his young quarterback and new head coach.

Canales was one of the top young offensive minds available going into this coaching cycle and thought it was a bit of a surprise hire, it was certainly the right one. When looking to establish an identity, one which Carolina lacks, snagging a young and motivated guy like Canales makes perfect sense. With a track record that includes a Russell Wilson dream season and rebirths for both quarterbacks Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield, Canales has proven to be able to come in and provide quarterbacks with an opportunity to succeed within this Shanahan style offense. The number one urgency of this franchise is surrounding quarterback Bryce Young with talent on the offensive line and with more weapons than what is currently rostered, on top of getting Young to discontinue his up and down play that we saw last season.

This is not going to be an overnight fix by any means, this team is severely lacking in depth on both sides of the ball and do not possess a first round pick until 2025 after trading this years away for their current quarterback. Canales and new general manager Dan Morgan are going to need to follow a tight path in order to strengthen the depth along the offensive line and defense as well as address the woeful group of weapons surrounding Young.

Barring a miracle by Canales his is going to be at minimum a two year project before we really start to see the fruits of the upcoming labor that will define this new duo. Tepper will be wells served to go hands off, resisting his past behaviors of forcing players onto the roster and cutting loose coaches at the drop of the hat. The less interference by an owner has been historically successful, and allowing these two talented and seasoned men in Canales and Morgen build to the best of their ability is going to be key in snapping the nightmare that has been the Tepper regime so far.