Panthers’ Fitterer, Reich dish on the future of Foreman, Bozeman and QB depth chart
The Carolina Panthers’ business season kicked off in full force at the annual NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
New head coach Frank Reich and general manager Scott Fitterer are on the hunt for a potential franchise quarterback, but their week-long mission will extend beyond the most important position in sports. The Panthers are still figuring out what to do with their current roster as free agency looms.
Reich and Fitterer spoke with the media on Wednesday, offering insight into their plans for the future. From impending free agents to their pursuit of veteran free-agent Derek Carr, the Panthers’ power duo touched on a bevy of noteworthy topics.
Here are some takeaways from their respective press conferences:
Bradley Bozeman, D’Onta Foreman remain priorities
Fitterer and Reich both acknowledged that they’d like to retain center Bradley Bozeman and running back D’Onta Foreman.
Fitterer told Foreman that he was a priority during the player’s exit meeting in January, and the general manager had previously said that Bozeman was part of the team’s long-term plans.
The Panthers have leverage in negotiations with Bozeman and Foreman due to their respective markets. There aren’t a lot of starting center jobs available in free agency, and the running back class is stacked with talent that has trumped Foreman’s NFL success to this point.
However, Fitterer acknowledged that the Panthers wanted to operate in good faith and reward their internal talent with fair deals in free agency. Fitterer said the Panthers are in the middle of negotiating a deal with Bozeman.
Carolina hasn’t had “the talk” with Shaq Thompson
Thompson is the Panthers’ most notable possible cap casualty on the roster. The longtime leader has a $24.5 million cap hit in the final year of his contract, and the Panthers could cut him for a cap savings of around $13.2 million this offseason.
The Panthers and Thompson could also negotiate a contract extension or a pay cut in order shrink his cap number. But, according to Fitterer, that conversation has yet to take place. The general manager said that he’d prefer to have the conversation with Thompson in person before any decisions are made.
For what it’s worth, Reich said that he would like to keep Thompson on the roster, echoing the sentiment from new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero last week.
Carolina plans to add on offense
Along with figuring out the current roster, Reich and Fitterer will need to fill some depth-chart holes with free agents and rookie prospects this offseason. According to Fitterer, the Panthers’ current wish list includes reinforcements at wide receiver and tight end.
Fitterer and Reich both complimented the offensive line, but Bozeman still remains an in-flux piece to that puzzle.
Fitterer also said the Panthers could look to add speed at linebacker and potentially safety, especially if safety Jeremy Chinn changes roles within the new scheme.
And as much as those new recruits could help Carolina, Fitterer said quarterback is clearly the franchise’s top focus.
The Panthers like more than one quarterback prospect
The Panthers met with Derek Carr on Tuesday in what Fitterer described as a “feeling out process” visit. The Panthers previously spoke with Carr over the phone, and the brain trust plans to follow up with the veteran quarterback next Monday with another phone conversation. Fitterer said the Panthers and Carr haven’t spoken about his contract demands yet.
Following the meeting with Carr, the Panthers turned their attention to the draft, interviewing Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson on Tuesday night. The Panthers’ brass — including quarterbacks coach Josh McCown — then met with Ohio State’s CJ Stroud, Alabama’s Bryce Young and Kentucky’s Will Levis on Wednesday morning. Along with the consensus top-four quarterbacks in the class, the Panthers also interviewed Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker and TCU’s Max Duggan.
Fitterer said the Panthers like multiple quarterbacks in the draft, even if the respective members of the front office have different pecking orders for the talent. Fitterer also mentioned that the Panthers liked quarterbacks who could be selected after the first round, seemingly alluding to Hooker and Duggan.
Fitterer said teams need to be aggressive when pursuing quarterbacks. The GM acknowledged that a front office and coaching staff need to share conviction when trading up the board to land a top quarterback prospect. Fitterer noted that there could be a scenario where the Panthers trade up to a spot before the draft because they like multiple quarterbacks.
