Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Who’s next in line to lead the Panthers’ front office? Here are 15 candidates that could replace Scott Fitterer.
The Carolina Panthers didn’t wait long to make a move after wrapping up the worst record in the history of a 17-game season.
On Monday, the team announced they have parted ways with general manager Scott Fitterer. The decision puts an end to a bumpy three-year run, one that resulted in an overall 14-37 record.
So, who’s next for owner David Tepper?
Here are 15 possible candidates for Carolina’s new opening:
The #Chiefs made a risky move when they traded back in Round 2, but they still managed to get the player they were targeting. | from @EdEastonJr
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Kansas City Chiefs brass made sure to address immediate needs on defense during night one of the 2022 NFL draft, but the lure of adding a receiver was a top priority in night two.
Chiefs GM Brett Veach made headlines by trading away Pro Bowl receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins last month. Seeking another speedy option in the draft, the Chiefs traded back with the New England Patriots in the second round, acquiring picks No. 158 and No. 54. They used No, 54 it to select Western Michigan WR Skyy Moore. Veach spoke about the risky move and excitement of picking Moore at No. 54.
“There was a pocket of wideouts there we liked, and we had a couple of players really close there,” Veach said. “Going back to tomorrow and having the four and the four sevens, having that big gap, we were just concerned that there would be a lot of value there we didn’t want to miss out on. As the board started to play out and we got closer to our pick, we were in the mindset that if we could get a fifth‐round pick and be active tomorrow in between four and seven, that would be something we’d be interested in.
“But we didn’t want to go down into the 60s,” Veach continued. “It kind of worked out perfectly that we were cool with a small move but nothing crazy, and then it just made sense. It was a nice setup for us to move down four spots, get that fifth‐round pick tomorrow, and then get a guy in Skyy Moore that we obviously probably would have taken there at 50. So, it worked out, and you have to hold your breath there, but they’re going to be begging me to trade back all the time now. That’s the good and the bad thing all at once. But it worked out, and again, we’re really excited about the guys we were able to add tonight.”
The team ultimately used that fifth-round pick to trade up and acquire Darian Kinnard at pick No. 145.
Moore posted 95 receptions for over 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns as a redshirt sophomore in 2021. Three receiver picks that went prior to Moore such as Tyquan Thornton, George Pickens, and Alec Pierce were all viable options, but Moore was the target that Veach felt fulfilled the team’s needs best.
“I think we have a combination of size, speed. We spend a ton of time on these wideouts, and we want to obviously do the work and talk about the scheme fit,” said Veach. “But we also want to keep it a little bit more simplistic in that we’re going to take good players. Again, coach [Andy] Reid, coach (offensive coordinator Eric) Bieniemy, they’re going to find ways to utilize these guys’ strengths. Skyy is unique, he is smaller, but he plays big. He has longer arms. He was a running back that transitioned to wideout. It was funny watching his tape because it seemed like we were watching forever before we saw him drop a pass. His ball skills are great.”
Veach continued to gush over Moore’s skills and scheme fit into the Chiefs’ offense.
“He can get off press coverage, he plays big enough where you can utilize him on the outside, utilize him on the inside, has great run‐after‐the‐catch, great kid, smart,” Veach said. “[Moore] can pick up an offense real quick. So, on one hand, I think when you’re picking, there are times where you are looking for something. But we have guys like MVS (Marquez Valdes‐Scantling) that has some size and speed, Mecole (Hardman) has speed, JuJu (Smith‐Schuster) is big. So, I feel like we have a good combination, and now we just want to add the best player, regardless of size or height, just guys that we feel are going to come in and be able to contribute right away. Certainly, Skyy is one of those guys.”
Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi doubled down on the team’s interest in Moore at that spot specifically.
“I think that’s any time you trade back,” Borgonzi began. “We just went back four spots and New England ended up taking a wide receiver from Baylor at the time. So, we were sitting there hoping that Skyy would still be there, but it was something that we felt comfortable with at the time and picking up a fifth‐round pick. We certainly liked all those guys; we brought in Pickens. But I think we were really looking at Skyy. We wanted Skyy.”
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Bears HC Matt Eberflus is filling out his coaching staff, adding Dave Borgonzi. Get to know Chicago’s new linebackers coach.
The Chicago Bears have hired Dave Borgonzi as their new linebacker coach. Borgonzi has many years of experience in both the NFL and in college football, making this hire a good one for Chicago.
Borgonzi will go from one good defense to another, as he most recently worked with the Colts.
The linebackers in Chicago are already solid. If Borgonzi can continue and improve the level of production these linebackers have had over the years with the Bears, this defense will improve in 2022.
Here are five things to know about Borgonzi:
With multiple general manager vacancies, #Chiefs Assistant GM Mike Borgonzi could be a hot name in the 2022 hiring cycle.
A member of the Kansas City Chiefs front office staff could be a hot name in the 2022 general manager hiring cycle.
With confirmed general manager vacancies for the Chicago Bears, New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings, our friends at Touchdown Wire detailed the best general manager candidates for the upcoming hiring cycle. Among the candidates listed was Chiefs Assistant GM Mike Borgonzi.
Last offseason, the Chiefs had a pair of candidates who interviewed for positions. Executive Director of Player Personnel Ryan Poles and VP of Football Operations Brandt Tilis were both interviewed for the Carolina Panthers’ GM vacancy. Borgonzi, however, didn’t see much traction in the previous hiring cycle.
Here’s what Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield had to say about Borgonzi:
“Mike Borgonzi’s name is another that keeps cropping up during discussions of potential general managers. A member of the Kansas City Chiefs’ front office since 2009, Borgonzi was promoted to assistant general manger this past season after serving as the team’s director of football operations.
Looking at the moves the Chiefs have made during his time with the organization you can see why Borgonzi’s name pops up during these discussions. You certainly know the names at the top of the drafts, but Borgonzi reportedly played a role in some later-round selections, such as L’Jarius Sneed, Kareem Hunt and Travis Kelce.
Last year’s promotion, and his tenure with the team, is a nod to how the organization views him. But opportunities to take over a franchise do not come around every day.”
Borgonzi has really been Brett Veach’s right-hand man during his tenure as general manager in Kansas City. The two served as Co-Directors of Player Personnel under John Dorsey. It’s easy to see how Borgonzi would be an attractive hire for a team as he’s served under three different front offices in Kansas City, first joining the team back in 2009. He’s seen a lot of growth during his time with the Chiefs, so they’d probably be motivated to keep him if possible.
In his first season as Assistant GM, Kansas City had one of its best draft classes in recent memory. They landed two studs in the second round, with C Creed Humphrey and LB Nick Bolton. The team also managed to find the steal of the 2021 NFL draft in RG Trey Smith.
We’ll find out in the coming weeks if Borgonzi or any other members of the Chiefs’ front office are slated to interview for current general manager openings.
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With the New York Giants likely to part ways with general manager Dave Gettleman, here are several potential options to replace him.
The New York Giants are likely to move on from general manager Dave Gettleman following the season. Whether he’s fired or retires remains to be seen but either way, Big Blue will be thrust into another GM search.
If the Giants are firm in their commitment to head coach Joe Judge, that may thin out their pool of options. It may also strengthen the likelihood of landing a new GM that has previous ties to Judge.
Is that good or bad? We’ll let you decide.
With a GM swap all but a certainty, here’s a look at several potential options who could replace Gettleman in 2022 and beyond.
The Jags acquired the top pick of the 2021 NFL Draft Sunday and they could benefit from it in a lot of ways.
No, they didn’t clinch a postseason berth, but they did manage to acquire the first overall pick, which could be huge in turning their luck around. With a week remaining before the regular season concludes, the Jags lost their 14th consecutive game of the 2020 season to the Chicago Bears. Later, the New York Jets solidified the Jags’ place in the draft order by defeating the Cleveland Browns.
While one game remains, the chain of events that occurred Sunday made what was already going to be an interesting offseason that much more interesting. That said, here are some takeaways from the Jags’ acquisition of the No. 1 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft:
The Jags now have a general manager vacancy to fill after firing Dave Caldwell and there are several intriguing candidates to chose from.
The Jacksonville Jaguars announced the firing of Dave Caldwell Sunday after a Week 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns that knocked the team out of playoff contention. While the Jags filled the role temporarily by naming executive Trent Baalke the interim general manager, the team should eventually be on the market looking for solutions outside of their current group.
Here are five candidates we believe are good fits to potentially pull the Jags out of their losing ways:
Candidates for the Detroit Lions general manager vacancy.
The Detroit Lions fired general manager Bob Quinn on Saturday and one of the top priorities of the organization will be to find his replacement.
The Lions are in a unique situation, where Shelia Ford Hamp is still in her first year as principal owner, Rod Wood (the team president) mostly handles the business side of the operation, and they need to replace a GM and coach, where the trending names are mostly individuals who would also be new to their positions.
That’s why when Lions Wire editors Jeff Risdon and Erik Schlitt put together a Top-10 coaching list they included both first-year and veteran options. This same approach should be applied to the GM position and this list of available candidates will include both individuals who have experience and those who are considered rising stars in NFL circles.
Candidates for the Detroit Lions general manager vacancy.
