Dan has a plan for the Panthers long road ahead
While Dan Morgan has a plan, time will determine if he gets to see it through.
There weren’t any bold proclamations. There was no boastfulness.
As veterans reported to training camp on Tuesday, Carolina Panthers General Manager and President of Football Operations Dan Morgan spoke to media members. After a short opening statement, he answered questions from assembled media in a press conference that was roughly 14 minutes.
There has been a lot of talk about alignment and having a plan in place since the new regime was put in place.
The third question of the day centered around the playoffs. Here is the question Morgan was asked along with the follow up received after his initial response.
Question: “Dan, as you well know, it has been a six year playoff drought. Do you feel like you guys have done enough to become a playoff team?”
Dan Morgan: “You know I’m not going to put any expectations on anything right now. What I do know is that there’s a lot of work ahead of us, not only from a personnel standpoint but the players. The players know that they gotta put the work in out there. We have a lot of new players that gotta gel together out there and become a team. In terms of playoffs, you know, we’ll reach that when we’re ready. But I think right now we’re focused on today, tomorrow and just trying to get better as a team and organization.”
Question: “Dan I heard you and Dave talk about what you just said, not putting expectations [on the season], is part of that to just take a breath and work toward a longer vision after maybe where there were some years before you were in this position where some quick fixes were in mind?”
Dan Morgan: “Yeah, like I said before we have a plan; we have a plan in place. We have a process. We’re aligned in that plan and we’re going to stick to it. And I feel like if we’re disciplined and stick to our plan on building this thing, that we will build a winner eventually and I think we’re pretty confident in that.”
Now, let’s rewind back to August 31, 2023, which was 10 days before the season opener and six days after the Panthers finished off a rough 0-3 preseason.
At a press conference discussing roster cuts, former General Manager Scott Fitterer was asked: “As you look at the roster right now, how far away do you guys think you are? Is this a better roster than last year’s?”
Fitterer said he sat down with Morgan, the assistant general manager at the time, and compared each position of the 2023 depth chart to that from the 2022 season. “We had mostly positive, a couple equals; there was one negative," said Fitterer. "But overall, I just thought like, 'You know what? We're making progress.' It's where we want to be. Every year, I say our goal is to win the NFC South. And I think, even with all the new faces, the new staff, and all the changes that are taking place, that's our goal. And I think if we play to our ability, that's definitely within reach."
In fairness to Fitterer, he didn’t guarantee anything. But, to put that statement out there after a disastrous preseason, a roster that featured 24 new players and scheme switches was not the wisest decision.
Morgan’s responses to the questions he was asked Tuesday show that some growth has taken place. Ultimately, that growth will be judged by wins and losses. At the moment, there seems to be alignment in the building.
The question that looms over everything is if Morgan will get the time to implement his plan.
Right now, that plan includes second year quarterback Bryce Young. Morgan was asked how committed he was to Bryce being the guy to build the future around.
“I love Bryce,” Morgan said. “Obviously I thought very highly of him when we drafted him. You know I think Bryce is one of the hardest working men in that locker room right now. I know he’s on a mission. I know he’s committed to being great. I know he’s committed to this franchise and making this franchise great. We’re going to try to do everything we can in our power to surround him with the best players, the best protection, receivers, running backs, so we gotta do our part as well. I know Bryce is hungry, he’s focused and we’re super excited about him.”
The Panthers poured most of their resources in free agency and the draft on offense to put Young in a better position than what he encountered last season.
Nobody expects the Panthers to win 12 games in 2024, but they have to see a lot of growth from Young to determine if he’s going to be part of this plan that Morgan has spoken of.
The plan may include Young right now. But, if Young turns in another performance akin to his rookie season where the Panthers go 2-15, that plan will pivot quickly.