Tag: David Tepper

ESPN report suggests why Panthers passed on hiring Bill Belichick

Why didn’t the Panthers hire the greatest coach in the history of the NFL? A new report from ESPN may have provided that answer.

So, why weren’t the Carolina Panthers too interested in hiring the greatest head coach in the history of the game? A deep dive into Bill Belichick’s offseason may have just suggested why.

On Wednesday morning, ESPN published a report about the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach and his “failed” job hunt following the 2023 season. Some legwork done by Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham and Jeremy Fowler resulted in the following tidbit about the Panthers:

The Carolina Panthers briefly discussed Belichick, before he signed his two-year extension with New England a year ago. But this offseason, Carolina decided to pass, a source said. Panthers owner David Tepper often sifts through data to critique his coach’s playcalling. That, according to a source, “is tough to do with Belichick as the figurehead.” The Panthers opted for 42-year-old former Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Dave Canales.

When you have the kind of résumé that Belichick has, power often follows. That was the case with the Patriots, who also positioned him as the team’s de facto general manager over his 24-year tenure.

If Tepper is as hands-on as this reporting hints at, that influence could’ve posed a problem for the dynamic atop the organization. Following Frank Reich’s introductory press conference last January, the billionaire owner had admitted that hiring a “CEO-type” in Matt Rhule—Tepper’s very first choice—was a mistake on his part.

Instead of going down a similar route, the Panthers are rocking with first-year head coach Dave Canales.

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The Carolina Panthers are all in on Bryce Young this season

The Carolina Panthers have proven that they’re all in on Bryce Young’s development in Year 2. How will that manifest itself on the field?

It’s always a good sign in the NFL when a team can learn from its own mistakes and adjust moving forward. This is especially true given the recent history of the Carolina Panthers and their historically stubborn owner David Tepper who have routinely bumbled the most important position in football since Tepper arrived in Charlotte back in 2018. Heading into the 2024 offseason, it appears Tepper and the Panthers have committed in making sure their current quarterback has the best possibility for success moving forward.

Now entering his second season after being the first overall pick the year previous, quarterback Bryce Young becomes the first quarterback since Cam Newton to be the Week 1 starter in consecutive seasons. Given Young’s first season was a bit disastrous, in large part thanks to an abysmal supporting cast, the Panthers are intent on maximizing ways for their young leader to succeed.

Carolina has spent this offseason dumping money into what was their biggest weaknesses from last season on the offensive side of the ball in an effort to ensure Bryce Young has everything he needs to develop as their starting quarterback. Dumping $153 million dollars in contracts for guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis in free agency, as well as snagging one of the best separating receivers in the league from the Steelers in a trade in Diontae Johnson.

These moves to dump resources into the offense have come at a bit of a cost however. Three of Carolina’s best players on the defensive side of the ball have departed via free agency or trade. Brian Burns, Frankie Luvu, and Jeremy Chinn have been staples of this defense for years and were large contributors into making it a respectable unit. It takes maturity to understand how to build around your young quarterback and understanding the sacrifices that have to be made to do that. Building from the outside in to make sure your investment in Young reaps profits is one investor move Tepper certainly has right.

Panthers S Jordan Fuller has some pretty famous family members

New Panthers S Jordan Fuller might be a Six Degrees of Separation cheat code.

Never mind football. Playing Six Degrees of Separation with Jordan Fuller is where the real fun is at.

The new Carolina Panthers safety spoke with local reporters on Wednesday, hosting his first chat since he signed his fresh one-year, $5.25 million deal. When the Zoom call ventured into the 26-year-old’s interests, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer asked Fuller about the sound-proof panel that was set up behind him.

Fuller, who said he’s been rapping and singing, told Kaye that he has a pretty big contact in the music industry.

“I enjoy it,” he replied. “It’s a part of my family. My mom sings. She has her solo career, but also she sang background with, basically, you name it—she sang with them.  So grew up goin’ to concerts like Luther Vandross, he was Uncle Luther to us. She sang with Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys.”

Fuller’s mother, Cindy Mizelle, is a veteran vocalist who has backed many of music’s greatest artists. In addition to Uncle Luther, The Stones, Mariah and Alicia, Mizelle has also worked with Whitney Houston, Dave Matthews Band, Steely Dan and more.

As of that wasn’t cool enough, Fuller even has a tie to the movie industry. His aunt, Meredith, is married to actor and comedian David Adkins—more commonly known as Sinbad.

Yeah, Sinbad is his uncle!

So if Panthers owner David Tepper is looking to fill Bank of America Stadium with some more concerts this year, one of his newest players just might be able to help.

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Franchise tag unlikely to be an option for the Saints in 2024

The franchise tag is unlikely to be an option for the Saints in 2024, but it carries heavy implications for some of their division rivals:

Never say never, but fans shouldn’t expect the New Orleans Saints to use the franchise tag in 2024. The team did a good jump last summer getting a jump on their upcoming free agents: players like defensive end Carl Granderson,  right guard Cesar Ruiz, and defensive end Cameron Jordan all signed extensions before they would have hit the open market this spring. They lack players the tag’s heavy price tag would justify keeping.

On top of that, they’re so far in the red that they need as many cap-friendly contracts as possible, and the franchise tag is a lead weight on that scale. Once handed out it cannot be restructured, reduced, or otherwise manipulated.

But the tag could make life difficult for some of New Orleans’ division rivals, specifically the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay has three key candidates headed for free agency in All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr., firebrand quarterback Baker Mayfield, as well as amateur boxer and wide receiver Mike Evans.

Of the three, Winfield is likeliest to receive the tag. It shouldn’t be hard for the Bucs to hammer out an extension with Mayfield. Evans is a different story. His contract voids on Monday, Feb. 19, accelerating $7.4 million onto their salary cap in dead money, and tagging him isn’t an option. He’s a rare case. If the NFL-estimated cap hit (for wide receivers this year, about $21.6 million) is lower than 120% of last year’s cap number, the team would have to pay the higher amount. In this case, that would be a fully-guaranteed $28.4 million, and the Bucs would have to balk at that.

Another team to watch: the Carolina Panthers. Spendthrift owner David Tepper has managed his money poorly and has been unable to sign pass rusher Brian Burns to a long-term extension, but he’s paid millions of dollars to multiple head coaches he’s fired (Matt Rhule, Frank Reich, and soon, history suggests, Dave Canales). The Panthers balked at both a multiyear deal with Burns and lucrative trade offers from other teams last year, then changed his position listing from defensive end to linebacker with a move to a 3-4 defense.

It means tagging Burns costs a little less (about $1.3 million), which could buy the Panthers more time to work on a longer deal. However, Burns could take them to arbitration arguing he’s a defensive end (with an estimated $23.3 million tag), not an outside linebacker (about $22 million), just as Jimmy Graham did with the Saints back in the day.

Burns will likely be staying in Carolina (largely against his will), but there’s a good chance Evans could be moving on as a free agent, catching passes and starting fights elsewhere around the league. Of course it’s possible the Buccaneers could hammer out an extension with him. They’re just going to have one less tool in their toolbox to negotiate with. The NFL’s two-week window to use the franchise tag opens on Tuesday, Feb. 20 and closes Tuesday, March 5.

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20 Valentine’s Day cards for the special Panthers fan in your life

Spread the love with our 20 Panthers-themed Valentine’s Day cards!

Still looking for that special something for that special Carolina Panthers fan in your life?

Well, look no further.

Let’s spread the love this Valentine’s Day with 20 Panthers-themed cards that friends, family members and/or significant others will absolutely fall for!

Baker Mayfield hints at organizational dysfunction during time with Panthers

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield alluded to there being “a lot of voices goin’ on behind the scenes” during his time in Carolina.

If you ask Baker Mayfield what changed for him over the last 12 months, he’d tell you that he saw the light.

Well, First Things First co-host Chris Broussard did as much on Thursday—as he inquired about the stark contrast between Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield and Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield. The former No. 1 overall pick would proceed to hint at some organizational dysfunction in Charlotte.

“I mean, it starts top-down,” he replied. “How they run the organization and everybody bein’ on the same page and just, how do you win games? When you got a lot of voices goin’ on behind the scenes, you’re makin’ distractions for your players. You’re not puttin’ them in a good position to have success and play free. So for me, gettin’ to Tampa—it was refreshing.”

Mayfield didn’t last long in Carolina, who granted his release back in December of 2022. He made six starts over seven games—tossing for six touchdowns, six interceptions and an average of just 187.6 yards per contest.

Tampa would then come calling, signing Mayfield to a one-year prove-it deal last offseason. And boy, did he ever prove it—passing for career-highs in yards (4,044) and touchdowns (28) while leading the Buccaneers to their third straight NFC South crown.

As for the “voices” comment from Mayfield, that sentiment is nothing new. Just ask tight end Hayden Hurst, who told reporters last month that rookie quarterback Bryce Young had too many opinions in his ear throughout his rookie season.

But hey, at least the Panthers now have a pretty big chunk of what made Mayfield and the Bucs successful in 2023.

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Panthers’ offseason hires praised around the league

The Panthers are getting some props for how they’ve started their 2024 offseason.

Will the third time be a charm for Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper? A few folks in and around the league may think so.

The 33rd Team NFL insider Ari Meirov recently served up news and nuggets coming out of this year’s Senior Bowl. Among the notes is praise for the Panthers, who are getting props for their hiring of head coach Dave Canales as well as their restructuring of the front office.

Meirov writes:

Patience will be key with owner David Tepper, and only time will tell if he’s willing to play along. Several people told me when putting together my head coach candidates list that Canales was a name to watch. However, if a team hired him they’re getting him a year early. Carolina was willing to take that risk.

On top of that, the Panthers also got praise for the front office they’re assembling. It starts with GM Dan Morgan and Executive VP of Football Operations Brandt Tilis, who came from Kansas City. This structure is similar to what San Francisco has with John Lynch and chief contract negotiator Paraag Marathe.

Tilis, according to the organization, will be responsible for “all football administration and non-coaching matters related to operations, equipment, video, and analytics, among other areas.” He’ll also lead player contract negotiations, similar to his role for the Chiefs.

Hey, not bad for supposedly having the least desirable openings in the NFL, right?

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Sights and sounds from Dan Morgan and Dave Canales’ introductory press conference

Here are the best sights and sounds from Thursday’s presser

Did you miss Thursday’s press conference for the Carolina Panthers’ new power duo? And if you didn’t, do you just want to take it in again?

Well, we got you covered.

Here, courtesy of some of the game’s very top reporters, are the best images and clips from this morning’s introductions for president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales:

Panthers fans react to Dan Morgan and Dave Canales’ introductory press conference

Panthers fans are already feeling the energy from their new power duo.

So, were Carolina Panthers fans feeling the alignment, energy and vision from their new general manager and new head coach this morning?

Here are some of the best reactions to Thursday’s introductory press conference for Dan Morgan and Dave Canales:

Biggest takeaways from Panthers’ introductory press conference for Dan Morgan, Dave Canales

On Thursday, Dan Morgan and Dave Canales gave us a glimpse into what they want the Carolina Panthers to become.

For the second time in as many years, the Carolina Panthers formally introduced their new head coach. But this time, he had a buddy by his side.

Here are the biggest takeaways from Thursday’s introductory press conference of president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales: