Panthers GM Scott Fitterer Hints Several Transactions Are on the Way
During his introductory press conference, new Carolina Panthers' GM Scott Fitterer stated that there will be a lot of transactions, especially on the back end of the roster to improve the team's depth.
Attrition happens every offseason for every team and when you hire a new GM, there's typically going to be more than usual so they can start putting the pieces together that they believe will bring success to the organization.
Not only will several moves be made this offseason, but Fitterer also reiterated that they are going to be aggressive when making moves and will be constantly looking to improve the roster.
"I'm not going to get into hypotheticals but what I will tell you is that we will be in on every deal," Fitterer said. "We're going to find out where things are going, what the landscape is but before we do anything, I need to find out who's here. I need to figure out this roster. I need to figure out who is on our offensive line, who's on our defensive line. I know them from a 30,000-foot view but I need to know them from a coach's standpoint. I need to know from a personnel standpoint and meet these guys and see what they're made up of. So, there's a lot of things that we're going to be involved with going forward. We're going to be very aggressive in our acquisition process but it starts with getting to know our team and just being here for just a few days, I'm just starting that process."
Some very tough decisions will have to be made as the NFL plans to drop the salary cap to $175 million this season. Guys like Curtis Samuel and Taylor Moton are now free agents for the first time as their rookie contracts have come to an end. As good as both of them were in 2020, it could be challenging for the Panthers to bring both back. Other notable free agents include FB Alex Armah, RB Mike Davis, CB Rasul Douglas, CB Corn Elder, TE Chris Manhertz, OG John Miller, OT Russell Okung, OG Chris Reed, OL Michael Schofield III, and LB Tahir Whitehead just to name a few.
How aggressive does Fitterer plan on being in 2021? I think a lot of it is going to depend on what he decides to do with Moton and Samuel. If he and head coach Matt Rhule are set on trying to bring both guys back, there won't be much wiggle room to be as aggressive as Fitterer would like. Maybe Fitterer is aggressive by trading a current starter on the roster for draft picks or do a one for one swap with a team, who knows?
Being aggressive could also play into the 2021 NFL Draft. Are the Panthers set on Teddy Bridgewater? If not, do they want to trade up and try to get in a position to select one of the top three quarterbacks in this year's class? There are several ways to take the "aggressive" approach that Fitterer and the rest of the front office plan on having. Regardless of what happens, it does seem like there will be at least some significant changes made to the roster this offseason.
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