The Carolina Panthers are 1-10 on the season and are easily seen as the worst team in the NFL. Owner David Tepper sought to rectify that on Monday by firing head coach Frank Reich just 11 games into his first season with the organization.
The move was not all-too surprising given Tepper’s reputation around the league and the fact that he fired then-coach Matt Rhule just five games into the 2022 season.
An argument could be made that Tepper and Co. jumped the gun by firing Reich. But it’s the move that he decided to make with Carolina in the midst of yet another lost season.
Attention will now turn to who Tepper opts to replace Reich on a full-time basis, the future of general manager Scott Fitterer and rookie Bryce Young’s status as a potential franchise quarterback.
For a team that has not posted a winning record since all the way back in 2017, there are a lot more questions than answers. That includes Young’s struggles as a rookie as well as Carolina’s first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft heading to the Chicago Bears.
Below, we look at four moves Carolina needs to make after deciding to fire Reich a mere 11 games into his tenure as the team’s head coach.
Related: Firing Frank Reich after 11 games is nothing new for Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper
Carolina Panthers fire Scott Fitterer
This one seems to be pretty obvious. Carolina should have followed the path of the Las Vegas Raiders, who fired head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler earlier in the season.
It’s hard to gauge how trade conversations go behind the scenes unless you’re at the table. But Carolina’s decision to move up to the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft for Young could set this organization back years.
We know that Tepper was a fan of Young and wanted Fitterer to take him No. 1 overall. However, the dynamics of said trade with Chicago don’t necessarily bode well for the Panthers moving forward.
As of right now, Carolina’s first-round pick heading to Chicago will be No. 1 overall next spring. The team also dealt away Pro Bowl wide receiver D.J. Moore in the blockbuster. The idea of moving a top target such as Moore in a trade that brought back a rookie quarterback who was expected to start out of the gate didn’t make much sense in the grand scheme of things.
Of course, this could be our version of Monday morning quarterbacking. Carolina might not have been able to acquire the top pick without moving off Moore. Bears general manager Ryan Poles has his own young quarterback in Justin Fields who needed more consistent options in the passing game. Acquiring Moore was likely the end game for Poles and Co.
In any event, Fitterer’s tenure as the Panthers’ general manager has not gone swimmingly. He took over that role back in January of 2021. Since then, Carolina has posted a 13-32 record. He’s missed on draft picks such as Terrace Marchall Jr. (2nd round in 2021) and Matt Corral (3rd round in 2022).
The majority of Carolina’s core group came to the organization prior to Fitterer’s arrival. That includes Brian Burns (1st-round pick in 2019), Derrick Brown (1st-round pick in 2020) and Jeremy Chinn (2nd-round pick in 2020). What exactly has Fitterer done to change the trajectory of this franchise? We’re just not seeing it.
Trade Derrick Brown
Carolina has just six picks in the 2024 NFL Draft as of this writing. That’s certainly not the way to help expedite a rebuild. Whoever is calling the shots after the 2023 season needs to add to that stockpile.
An argument could be made that the Panthers should have traded impending free agent pass rusher Brian Burns ahead of the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline. But that ship has sailed. Short of placing the franchise tag on Burns and trading him during the offseason, they are not getting anything for him.
Instead, Carolina must think long and hard about dealing away star defensive tackle Derrick Brown. The former top-seven pick from Auburn is set to earn $11.67 million in 2024 after Carolina picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. He’ll be a free agent after the 2024 campaign.
No matter how good Brown might be, a defensive tackle is not going to change the dynamics of a rebuilding team on his own. The Panthers are better off acquiring multiple higher-round picks by moving off Brown this coming offseason.
Related: Carolina Panthers standing in Sportsnaut’s NFL power rankings
Carolina Panthers hire Adam Peters as next GM
Currently the 49ers’ assistant general manager under John Lynch, Peters has been a candidate for multiple openings in the past. There is a good reason for this. He’s played a major role in turning San Francisco into a Super Bowl contender on an annual basis.
Since joining the 49ers’ front office back in 2017, he’s been part of a team that has built up one of the most-talented rosters in the league.
This span has seen San Francisco acquire All-Pro performers such as George Kittle, Fred Warner, Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel and Talanoa Hufanga via the NFL Draft. It has also picked up the likes of Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey and Chase Young via trades. Peters is deserving of a chance, and Carolina makes the most sense.
Related: 5 Carolina Panthers coaching candidates to replace Frank Reich
Carolina makes blockbuster Jim Harbaugh hire
The scandal-filled 2023 season in Michigan aside, Harbaugh continues to prove himself as one of the best coaches in the nation. He has the Wolverines on the verge of yet another appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Harbaugh has also overseen the emergence of quarterback J.J. McCarthy as a legitimate NFL Draft prospect. Given what he did with Andrew Luck at Stanford and Colin Kaepernick with the aforementioned 49ers, there has to be faith that Harbaugh would help turn things around when it comes to Bryce Young. At this point, that has to be the primary goal for Carolina given what it has invested in the young signal caller.
As for previous NFL success, Harbaugh posted a 44-19-1 record in four seasons as the 49ers’ head coach from 2011-14. That included three consecutive NFC Championship Game appearances and a Super Bowl trip.
Tepper has deep pockets. He’s likely going to want to make a home run hire. Meanwhile, Harbaugh’s drama in Ann Arbor could very well lead to him making a transition back to the NFL. This is a fit that makes a ton of sense.