Ranking the Panthers' Five Best Moves of the Offseason
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Scott Fitterer did an exceptional job this offseason with the way he handled the coaching search, the additions he made in free agency, and then of course, what he did in the draft.
There are several moves that are worthy of being considered a "top five" move but I ran out of room. Before we run down the actual top five, I'll list my top three honorable mention transactions which were the signings of RB Miles Sanders, TE Hayden Hurst, and S Vonn Bell.
Alright, now let's get into the moves that actually made the list.
5. Signing DL Shy Tuttle
This isn't a "sexy" move by any means but it's one that will do wonders for someone like Derrick Brown. It's going to free up Derrick to make more plays in the passing game as he won't have to deal with as many double-teams. Tuttle has never been a stat machine but his value is far more important than numbers on a piece of paper.
4. Hiring Ejiro Evero as defensive coordinator
Evero is a brilliant defensive mind that is going to coach his way into a head coaching job sooner than later. And for that very reason, he's ranked fourth. The next three guys will have an impact on the organization for several more years whereas Evero's stint in Carolina may only last a year or two. Regardless, this was a home run hire for the Panthers.
3. Re-signing C Bradley Bozeman
Bringing back Bozeman is third? Oh heck yeah. Did you see how dominant the offensive line became when he took over the starting role? The whole mentality of the unit changed with him directing things up front which played a big part in their ability to run the ball at will on teams.
2. Drafting QB Bryce Young 1st overall
The Panthers were tired of going through veterans looking for a second chance. They could have stayed at No. 9 and took the best QB available but that wasn't good enough. Fitterer made the aggressive move to go all the way up to No. 1 to take the best quarterback in the draft, Bryce Young. Giving up DJ Moore was difficult, I'm sure, but if Young stays healthy and lives up to the billing of a No. 1 pick, giving up Moore will be an afterthought.
1. Hiring Frank Reich as head coach
Carolina once again feels like a serious football place. Reich is a well-respected coach in the league and has a history of working with successful quarterbacks and offenses. He was the perfect guy for the job and the coaching staff he assembled is one of the best I've ever seen. Just an all-around terrific hire by the Panthers.
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