How the Panthers Can Recover From the Scott Fitterer Era

Now that the Carolina Panthers have officially fired Scott Fitterer, it is time to assess where the Panthers stand. Ever since the end of the Cam Newton Era, the Panthers have begun each season with a new quarterback, including first-overall pick Bryce Young. Carolina recorded 14 wins and 37 losses and is seemingly left with a weaker roster than when Fitterer began, due in part to trading away the likes of D.J. Moore and Christian McCaffrey.

What awaits the next Panthers general manager? And who could it even be?

How the Panthers Can Recover From the Scott Fitterer Era

What Challenges Does the Next General Manager Face?

After firing Scott Fitterer, the next Panthers general manager is going to be starting with their hands tied behind their back. As it currently stands, Carolina has only two picks in the top 100 of the 2024 NFL Draft, none of which are in the first round. Their lack of 2024 draft capital is particularly notable given that they are handing the Chicago Bears the first overall pick.

Additionally, the team enters 2024 with the 13th-most cap space, according to Over the Cap. That is less than ideal for a franchise that is effectively hitting reset. Other teams in similar situations include the Washington Commanders, Tennessee Titans, and New England Patriots, who rank top three in cap space, all with nearly twice the cap space as Carolina.

Who Could Be the Next Panthers General Manager

Dan Morgan, Assistant General Manager, Carolina Panthers

According to reports, Dan Morgan, the current Assistant General Manager, has support within the building. He provides a degree of stability and connection to a regime that selected Bryce Young as its quarterback of the future. Before joining Carolina as the Assistant General Manager, Morgan spent three years as the Director of Player Personnel for the Buffalo Bills.

During that time, the Bills drafted Josh Allen, Tremaine Edmunds, Ed Oliver, and A.J. Epenesa, all vital players in the redefined Buffalo Bills. Perhaps the most notable transaction during Morgan’s Buffalo tenure was the trade for wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who played an important role in Allen’s development.

Adam Peters, Assistant General Manager, San Francisco 49ers

As reported by Joe Person, David Tepper has hired sports consulting firm Sportsology to search for the next head coach. Sportsology has worked closely with the San Francisco 49ers, who have built arguably the best roster in the NFL. 

Current 49ers Assistant General Manager, Adam Peters, has a solid track record, working in the New England Patriots scouting department during their 2003 to 2004 Super Bowl run. After moving on from New England, Peters spent several years in Denver’s scouting department, which included another Super Bowl victory.

Since 2017, he has been with the 49ers, beginning as the Vice President of Player Personnel before being promoted to Assistant GM. During that time, the 49ers built a behemoth of a roster, including George Kittle, Fred Warner, Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel, Dre Greenlaw, Brandon Aiyuk, Trent Williams, and Christian McCaffrey. 

Ian Cunningham, Assistant General Manager, Chicago Bears

Ironically enough, the GM solution could come from the team that currently holds the Panthers first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Ian Cunningham has been identified as someone in the running for the Washington Commanders general manager role, a team in a similar situation as Carolina. 

Cunningham has spent the past two years with the Bears, who have implemented an overhaul of the offensive roster to assess Justin Fields. They did so while building a defense that has overperformed down the stretch after the acquisition of defensive end Montez Sweat.

Before moving to the Bears, Cunningham spent five years with the Philadelphia Eagles as they repositioned after their 2017 Super Bowl victory. That included drafting Dallas Goedert, Avonte Maddox, Josh Sweat, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Devonta Smith, and Jalen Hurts. 

Whomever the Panthers select will need to prioritize building an offense around Bryce Young to salvage the amount of draft capital used to acquire him.