Carolina Panthers News & Rumors

Panthers Notes: ST Coordinator, QBs Coach, Front Office

January 29th, 2024 at 7:55pm CST by Ben Levine

The Panthers have made some progress filling their coaching staff, but the team still has a vacancy at special teams coordinator. There’s now at least one known candidate for the job, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Panthers are interviewing Bills assistant special teams coach Cory Harkey for their coordinator job.

Following his five-year playing career, Harkey caught on as a tight ends coach in the college ranks. He earned his first NFL coaching job with the Bills in 2022, and he spent the past two seasons as their assistant special teams coordinator. Harkey clearly made an impression in his role, as he’ll now have an opportunity for the top ST job in Carolina.

While Harkey will interview for the job, he may not be the favorite. Joe Person of The Athletic passes along that Panthers head coach Dave Canales is targeting Seattle’s Tracy Smith as his special teams coordinator. Smith has had two lengthy stints working alongside Canales in Seattle, most recently as an assistant special teams coach. He also spent three years with the Texans organization, including a 2020 campaign where he served as the team’s ST coordinator. With Pete Carroll out in Seattle, Smith likely wouldn’t see any opposition if he decides to take his coaching acumen to the Panthers.

The Panthers are reportedly zeroing in on Buccaneers wide receivers coach Brad Idzik as their next offensive coordinator, and while that move hasn’t been made official, that hasn’t stopped the organization from looking to fill out the rest of the offensive coaching staff. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Panthers requested an interview with Cowboys quality control/offensive assistant Will Harriger for their quarterbacks coach job.

Harriger worked alongside Canales when the two were in Seattle, so there’s a clear connection. The coach recently worked with USC’s quarterbacks during the 2022 season, helping Caleb Williams win the Heisman Trophy. In Carolina, he’d be tasked with guiding former first-overall pick Bryce Young.

As Canales looks to fill his coaching staff, new general manager Dan Morgan is eyeing some reinforcement in the front office. Backing up what we heard last week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter passes along that the Panthers are expected to pursue Chiefs vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis for a “prominent” front office role. Albert Breer of SI.com passes along that Tilis’ office in Kansas City has already been cleared out, and the executive hasn’t traveled with the team during the postseason.

Tilis was a candidate for the Panthers GM job, and the long-time Chiefs executive was a popular name in recent hiring cycles. In Carolina, Tilis would be expected to play an essential cap/analytics role within the front office.

One executive who won’t be back in Carolina next season is Samir Suleiman. The team has moved on from the director of player negotiations/salary cap manager, per ESPN’s David Newton.

Panthers Block Giants, Dolphins Ejiro Evero DC Interview Requests

January 28th, 2024 at 6:32pm CST by Adam La Rose

Ejiro Evero remains connected to a number of moves sending him out of Carolina, but such an agreement may not be possible. The Panthers defensive coordinator has had another pair of interview requests denied.

Carolina has blocked DC interviews for Evero with the Giants and Dolphins, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network notes (video link). Teams are allowed to block coordinators from making lateral moves, as the Panthers have already demonstrated during this year’s hiring cycle. The team prevented the Jaguars from speaking with Evero for their DC vacancy.

As Pelissero adds, it is unknown at this point if Evero wishes to remain in Carolina if another DC position awaits him elsewhere. The 43-year-old interviewed with the Seahawks for their head coaching position for the second time on Saturday, meaning he remains in the running for that post. Evero has not served as a head coach before, and he has just a pair of seasons as a coordinator (one each with the Broncos and Panthers) to his name.

In spite of that, his success both in Denver and Carolina has landed him on the HC radar. Evero guided the Broncos to a seventh-place finish in total defense last year, and the Panthers ranked fourth in that category in 2023. The former Rams safeties coach has been linked to a potential L.A. return, and his name has also been floated with respect to the Packers’ DC vacancy.

Carolina’s staff was in a holding pattern to begin the hiring cycle, with it known a new head coach would be brought in. The Panthers have tapped Dave Canales as their hire, and his background as an offensive coordinator could give Evero a high degree of autonomy in charge of the team’s defense. With Canales in place, it will be interesting to see if the Panthers’ willingness to allow Evero to explore other options will change in the near future.

Miami saw Vic Fangio depart earlier this week after just one season in South Beach. The veteran staffer has moved quickly in taking on the DC role with the Eagles, leaving the Dolphins in search of not only better health on defense (compared to where things stood at the end of the campaign) but also another new voice to guide the unit. The Giants moved on from Don Martindale amidst reported tension with head coach Brian Daboll, putting an end to their two-year partnership. Both teams remain on the lookout for a new coordinator, but for now Evero will not be a part of that process.

Panthers Likely To Hire Buccaneers’ Brad Idzik As OC

January 28th, 2024 at 4:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers are almost definitely searching for a non-play-calling offensive coordinator, with new HC hire Dave Canales on track to call plays. It does not look like Carolina is preparing an expansive search to fill this position.

As of now, two OC candidates are in the mix for the Carolina job. The team put in a request to meet with Buccaneers wide receivers coach Brad Idzik, according to SI’s JC Allen. While the team has also requested a meeting with Eagles assistant Marcus Brady, Canales is expected to go with familiarity.

Idzik has emerged as the likely hire, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds. The son of former Jets GM John Idzik, Brad just finished his first season as the Bucs’ wideouts coach. Brad Idzik has worked with Canales for much longer, however. He was in place as the Seahawks’ assistant wide receivers coach from 2019-20 and again in 2022. Prior to that stay, Idzik spent five years as a Stanford graduate assistant.

The Panthers cannot hire Idzik until they meet with Brady. The Rooney Rule requires teams to meet with at least one external minority candidate for coordinator positions. We have seen a few teams conduct quick OC searches during this period, however. The Falcons only met with two candidates, hiring Zac Robinson from the Rams. The Bengals and Bills also met with just two, hiring from within.

Mike Evans extended his record-setting streak of consecutive seasons to start a career to 10, but the 6-foot-5 standout was more productive with Baker Mayfield than he was with Tom Brady. Evans’ 1,255 yards were his most since 2018, and the 10th-year receiver’s 13 TD receptions led the NFL. Chris Godwin also produced a third straight 1,00-yard season.

Carolina went with experience during the 2023 cycle, bringing in Frank Reich — a five-year play-caller — to run the show. Canales has called plays for one season, while Idzik only moved up from the assistant WRs level in 2023. That said, Canales was on Pete Carroll‘s Seahawks staff for 13 years. Should this OC hire come to pass, the Panthers will bet big on this newly formed Canales tree.

Panthers OC Thomas Brown Not Expected To Stay In Carolina

January 27th, 2024 at 2:03pm CST by Ely Allen

It’s been assumed for some time now, but Joe Person of the The Athletic confirmed today that Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will not be a part of new head coach Dave Canales‘ staff. Brown just finished his first season as an offensive coordinator in the NFL and is receiving interest for other head coaching and coordinator jobs around the NFL.

Brown has been a hot, young name in NFL coaching circles the past few years. He broke into coaching at the collegiate level, working as a strength and conditioning coach at his alma mater, Georgia. After consecutive one-year stints as a running backs coach at Chattanooga, Marshall, Wisconsin, and Georgia, Brown followed his head coach Mark Richt to Miami, where he would work as offensive coordinator for the Hurricanes, though Richt retained play-calling duties.

After another one-year stint at South Carolina, Brown made his NFL debut on Sean McVay‘s staff in Los Angeles as a running backs coach. After only a year, McVay added the role of assistant head coach to Thomas’ title and, eventually, moved him to tight ends for a year. The demand became strong for Brown as he started interviewing for head coaching jobs and was eventually hired as Frank Reich‘s offensive coordinator in Carolina. It was a doomed role for Brown as, like Richt, Reich retained play-calling duties, ceding them to Brown here and there during periods of ineffectiveness before getting let go.

Brown’s expected departure from Carolina is less a reflection on Brown than an indicator of Canales’ plans moving forward. Canales has requested an interview with Eagles senior offensive assistant Marcus Brady, and there have been rumors that his quarterbacks coach from Tampa Bay, Thad Lewis, may eventually join him in Carolina, as well. Canales plans on calling plays for the offense during his stint as head coach, so we’re seeing less experienced candidates getting looks for the coordinator job below him.

Brown’s name continues to stay hot in conversations for vacant positions. So far this offseason, Brown has interviewed for offensive coordinator positions with the Bears, Patriots, and Steelers, and he even made it to the second round of interviews for the Titans’ head coaching job that went to Brian Callahan. Even if Brown fails to land a new coordinator job for 2024, he remains a name to watch due to his leadership potential.

Panthers Request OC Interview With Eagles’ Marcus Brady

January 26th, 2024 at 7:39pm CST by Ely Allen

It was already thought to be the case as he interviews for other head coaching and offensive coordinator positions, but it seems Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown is officially not expected to return to Carolina in his previous role. There’s a chance that Brown is a candidate and wins over new head coach Dave Canales, but for now, the team will move on with interviewing new candidates, starting with a request to interview Eagles senior offensive assistant Marcus Brady, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Since the focus in Carolina has been bringing in a new head coach, Brady is actually the team’s first offensive coordinator interview since their season ended. In 2023, former head coach Frank Reich called plays for most of the season for the Panthers offense, ceding play calling duties for a short time to Brown before eventually losing his job. Now, with the offensive-minded Canales in the house, a changing of the guard is expected in Carolina.

Brady’s name picked up traction in the Canadian Football League. Shortly after his seven-year playing career ended as a CFL quarterback, Brady jumped to the coaching side of football, accepting a wide receivers coaching job with the team he ended his playing career with, the Montreal Alouettes. Eventually, Brady would get a promotion to become Montreal’s offensive coordinator, leaving a year later to accept the same position with the Toronto Argonauts.

After six years of calling plays in the CFL, Brady finally made the jump to the NFL in 2018 when he accepted the assistant quarterbacks coaching job under Reich in Indianapolis. A year later, Brady was promoted to quarterbacks coach and became the heir apparent behind then-offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni. When Sirianni departed to coach the Eagles, Brady was, naturally, promoted to fill his shoes in 2021. Halfway through the 2022 season, though, Brady was fired by a 3-4-1, turnover-prone Colts team. Brady called up his old buddy Sirianni in Philadelphia and was hired as an offensive consultant for the Eagles three weeks later, before getting promoted to his current position in 2023.

Brady’s name has been thrown around a couple different times in the past two years for offensive coordinator jobs. Last year saw Brady interview for the Rams and Jets open coordinator jobs. So far this year, he was requested to interview for the open offensive coordinator job in Chicago before it was awarded to Shane Waldron from Seattle.

With the job in Carolina now openly being advertised, Brady enters as the Panthers’ first potential candidate to serve as offensive coordinator under Canales. Canales is expected to call plays for the Panthers offensive after having done so in Tampa Bay last year, so it will be interesting to see exactly what the team is looking for in a new offensive coordinator under the first-time head coach. Brady is our first clue to figuring that out.

Panthers Will Not Retain Interim HC Chris Tabor, OL Coach James Campen

January 26th, 2024 at 5:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two of the Panthers’ three coordinators do not appear in the team’s plans. One officially will depart, with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reporting the team is moving on from special teams coordinator-turned-interim HC Chris Tabor.

This will end Tabor’s two-year tenure with the team. A Matt Rhule hire in 2022, Tabor had two years remaining on his contract. The Panthers had also blocked him from interviewing for the Giants’ ST job. The New York position has been filled, but Tabor offers extensive experience on NFL special teams staffs.

David Tepper made keeping Tabor a priority last year, with both he and then-GM Scott Fitterer instructing HC hires to keep the ST boss on staff. Frank Reich did, and Tabor finished his second Carolina season as the team’s interim leader. Although Tabor interviewed for the team’s HC position, he was never viewed as a serious candidate for the job.

Still, it looked like Tabor had a chance to stay in his ST coordinator role under a third coach. Dave Canales will evidently not do so. Tabor, 52, has been in the NFL since the 2008 season. He has only coached with three teams in that span, seeing multiple teams keep him despite changing coaches. Hired during Pat Shurmur‘s run as Browns HC in 2011, Tabor stayed on in that role through the Rob Chudzinski, Mike Pettine and Hue Jackson tenures. The Bears have employed Tabor twice, the second time (2018-21) as ST coordinator.

Tabor went 1-5 as interim Panthers HC. The team is also not expected to retain OC Thomas Brown, who has already interviewed for two OC jobs (Steelers, Patriots). DC Ejiro Evero has been frequently mentioned as a candidate to stick around, but the Panthers look to have changed course with Tabor. If they backtrack on Evero, the defensive coach will likely end up a coordinator elsewhere. Evero remains in contention to become the Seahawks’ HC as well.

Additionally, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes offensive line coach James Campen will be allowed to look elsewhere for a job. Tepper and Fitterer also prioritized keeping Campen last year. Campen, 59, has been an NFL assistant since 2004. The veteran O-line coach has spent the past two seasons with the Panthers.

Ejiro Evero In Play For Rams’ DC Job; Team Requests Meeting With Aden Durde

January 26th, 2024 at 4:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

For the fifth time in Sean McVay‘s seven-year tenure, the Rams have seen one of their assistants become a head coach. Raheem Morris is the latest to make the jump, being hired by the Falcons. The Rams are now determining how they will replace him.

They have two familiar names in the mix. In addition to McVay considering a Brandon Staley reunion, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue indicates Ejiro Evero will be a strong candidate for the position. Though, the matter of the Panthers letting Evero out of his contract looms.

Evero, a Rams assistant from 2017-21, has seen his profile skyrocket despite being the defensive coordinator for two losing teams. After a stay on the 5-12 Broncos in 2022, Evero interviewed for every available HC job last year and subsequently became an in-demand coordinator candidate. The Panthers’ 2-15 record did not impede Evero, either, as HC interviews have followed.

Evero, 43, cannot devote full focus to a coordinator future just yet. Although the Panthers and Falcons hired other candidates over him, the rising staffer has a second Seahawks interview on tap for Saturday. Evero, who was born in England, served as the Rams’ safeties coach from 2017-20 before being elevated to DBs coach prior to the team’s Super Bowl-winning season.

While the chance of Evero being a coordinator for three teams in three years looms, the Panthers have previously shown interest in retaining him. Prior to hiring Dave Canales, Carolina blocked a Jacksonville request to meet with Evero about its DC job. It is unclear if Canales will retain Evero, but with Dan Morgan rising up the chain to the GM spot, it would not surprise if the organization stuck to its guns and kept Evero as DC despite hiring a new coach.

Additionally, at least one candidate without a past with McVay has surfaced. The Rams sent Cowboys defensive line coach Aden Durde a request to meet about the position, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer tweets. Durde has been on the Cowboys’ staff for the past three years, following Dan Quinn over from Atlanta. Durde, who is English, helped develop players in the U.K. as part of the NFL’s international pathway program prior to joining the Falcons midway through Quinn’s tenure.

Patriots Interview Thomas Brown For OC, To Meet With Lions’ Tanner Engstrand

January 26th, 2024 at 2:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Dave Canales taking over as Panthers HC, Thomas Brown‘s stint with the team can be labeled a one-and-done. Carolina’s most recent play-caller continues to draw interest for other coordinator posts, however.

Brown met with the Patriots about their OC vacancy, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes. Working to replace Bill O’Brien as their play-caller, the Pats are also targeting the increasingly popular Lions coaching staff. They are planning to interview Detroit pass-game coordinator Tanner Engstrand for the position, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. This will be Engstrand’s first coordinator interview.

Although Brown is still under contract with the Panthers, it would surprise if the team did not release the former Rams assistant from that deal. Brown, whose Carolina tenure included a 2-15 record and some behind-the-scenes unrest, finished the season as the Panthers’ play-caller. But Frank Reich also took back play-calling reins after initially giving them to Brown. The Panthers’ attempt to blend Reich concepts with Sean McVay‘s system backfired, and the team is starting over under Canalas, who signed a six-year deal.

The Steelers have also met with Brown, whose stock could be elevated as a former McVay staffer due to Zac Robinson — a hot name on the OC carousel early — being closely linked to the now-open Falcons OC job. The Los Angeles-based QBs coach has been connected to following Raheem Morris to Atlanta. This would take a third name out of the mix for the Patriots, who have seen targets Dan Pitcher and Shane Waldron hired elsewhere. The Pats are looking for their fourth OC in four seasons, with position lacking stability following Josh McDaniels‘ exit.

Dan Campbell retained Engstrand, 41, from the Matt Patricia staff, though this is his first season as the team’s pass-game coordinator. The 2020 Detroit hire coached the team’s tight ends from 2020-22. Engstrand joins OC Ben Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn as staffers in play to leave the Motor City due to the success Campbell’s team has achieved in his third season.

Panthers Hire Dave Canales As HC

January 25th, 2024 at 10:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

Dave Canales‘ one-year run in Tampa Bay has earned him another offseason move, this time to lead a coaching staff. The Panthers are nearing a deal to hire the Buccaneers OC as their new head coach, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The deal is now official. The Panthers announced they’ve agreed to terms with their division rival’s offensive coordinator. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Canales will be on a six-year deal, dedicating a lot of money to the contract of their newest head coach. It’s a long-term commitment that has the potential to pay off for both parties if Canales thrives in his first head coaching role.

A report from earlier this week noted that Canales drew rave reviews from the Panthers’ front office during his first interview. A follow-up meeting was in place, and it has obviously gone well. Carolina was long connected to pursuing a coach with an offensive background, and the team has indeed followed through in that regard.

Still, the move comes as a surprise given Canales’ lack of experience relative to a number of other candidates. The 42-year-old’s time with the Buccaneers in 2023 marked his first time as a coordinator at the NFL level. He came to Tampa Bay after a lengthy tenure in Seattle, during which he overlapped with Dan Morgan. The latter was promoted to general manager earlier this week.

Canales wore a number of hats with the Seahawks, working with the team from 2010-22. He worked with the team’s quarterbacks for much of his time in the Emerald City, and his ability to turn Geno Smith into a Comeback Player of the Year with a career-best performance in 2022 upped his stock considerably. Taking on the Tampa OC posting, he set himself up for another reclamation project of sorts with Baker Mayfield.

The former No. 1 pick outperformed expectations under Canales’ guidance, throwing a career-high 28 touchdown passes and posting a 94.6 passer rating, the second-highest mark of his career. Mayfield is therefore a candidate for a long-term Bucs agreement. If that materializes, however, Canales will not be in place to continue working with him, instead turning his attention to a division rival.

Carolina was interested in Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson during last year’s hiring cycle, and that remained the case in 2024. Johnson – who has received considerable interest from a number of other teams – was reported to be the Panthers’ top target. Johnson’s future remains uncertain as Detroit prepares for the NFC title game this weekend, but another potential landing spot for him has now been eliminated.

Of course, a central reason in the Panthers’ continued pursuit of Johnson was his work with Lions QB Jared Goff. Developing 2023 first overall pick Bryce Young will be the top priority for Canales after he endured a disappointing rookie campaign. Young’s struggles were not entirely of his own doing, but signficant strides will be required to justify Carolina’s acquisition of the No. 1 slot last spring. Major changes along the O-line and in the skill-position room should also be expected, and those can now happen with a new GM and head coach in place.

In the wake of Canales drawing serious interest from the Panthers, it was learned that Buccaneers QBs coach Thad Lewis was a prime candidate to take over as Tampa Bay’s OC. With the former having agreed to Carolina’s HC gig, it will be interesting to see if the latter does get tapped for the promotion. If not, the reigning NFC South winners will need to join the competition for outside additions at the coordinator spots.

Frank Reich entered last season with signficant expectations given his track record and the staff he assembled. Only 11 games into the campaign, however, Reich was let go, a sign of the reputation for impatience that owner David Tepper has generated in recent years in particular. Tepper’s personal involvement in a number of key personnel and roster decisions has also led many to assume top HC candidates would steer clear of Carolina. The team has nonetheless managed to find its next coach earlier than a number of others.

Once the Canales deal becomes official, the 2024 cycle will have seen five hires made. The Falcons, Seahawks and Commanders still have vacancies on their staffs, and their searches will now continue with one fewer candidate on the market.

Steelers Interview Panthers’ Thomas Brown For OC Post

January 24th, 2024 at 4:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers’ effort to add their next offensive coordinator is underway. First up will be a recent OC who no longer appears in his team’s plans; Thomas Brown is interviewing for the job Wednesday, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Brown, who has received HC interview requests in each of the past two offseasons, worked as the Panthers’ OC this season. The former Rams assistant enjoyed two stints as Carolina’s play-caller, but it does not appear the NFC South club is interested in keeping him around under a new head coach.

Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson joins Brown as a candidate for the Pittsburgh OC job. The Steelers have promoted from within to fill in 2018 (Randy Fichtner) and 2021 (Matt Canada). After going with a two-OC system of sorts, with Eddie Faulkner nabbing the title and Mike Sullivan the play-calling role, Mike Tomlin pointed to seeking an outside voice with this hire. The team has not hired an OC from outside the organization since the Todd Haley addition in 2012. Haley is also the only Steelers OC hired from outside the organization this century, adding more intrigue to the team’s current search.

Both Robinson and Brown come from the Sean McVay coaching tree. McVay’s staff has become a launching pad for a number of HCs and coordinators. This could be the year Robinson makes the jump, with the Matthew Stafford position coach in contention for a few jobs. Brown, 37, worked with the Rams from 2020-22, coaching running backs and tight ends after a run in the college ranks.

The Panthers attempting to incorporate elements from McVay’s scheme and Frank Reich‘s was among the reasons behind the team’s 2-15 season. Reich had mentioned Brown as a play-calling candidate early last year, but after giving him the reins, the veteran HC reclaimed them three weeks later. The Panthers fired Reich 11 games in, leaving Brown back in the play-calling role. Bryce Young finished the season ahead of only Zach Wilson in QBR, as the Panthers ranked 31st in offensive DVOA.

Brown also interviewed for the Bears’ job that went to fellow ex-Rams staffer Shane Waldron. It should be expected more teams, as the HC-needy clubs fill out their staffs, will want to interview the young assistant for OC positions.

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