Panthers mailbag: Who could join new head coach Dave Canales’ staff in 2024?
With new head coach Dave Canales set to lead the Panthers, Carolina fans have questions about the future of their favorite franchise.
That’s why the Panthers mailbag is back to field those inquiries.
Here are three standout questions from social media:
Dave Canales’ coaching staff construction
Chris asks: What future offensive coordinator/defensive coordinator ties does Canales have around the league?
Partho asks: With his connections in Seattle who do you see that can potentially join him from his time with the Seahawks?
Let’s combine these two questions for one answer.
As Partho astutely notes, expect Canales’ staff, at least on offense and special teams, to have some Seattle flair.
Canales brought wide receivers coach Brad Idzik with him to Tampa Bay from Seattle, and the Panthers have already put in a request to speak with Idzik about their offensive coordinator opening. The team has also requested to speak with Philadelphia Eagles senior offensive assistant and former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Marcus Brady about the OC job.
Idzik and Canales worked together for years in Seattle, and the coaches know how each other think. If Canales plans to call plays, his offensive coordinator — who would be an advisor, schemer and game-plan lieutenant — should be in tune with his philosophies. If the OC title is simply a title, Idzik makes a lot of sense there. If the job involves play calling, Brady could be a better fit based on his experience.
As The Observer first reported on Friday, the Panthers have requested to speak with Tracy Smith about their special teams coordinator opening.
Smith has had two separate stints with Seattle, where he worked with Canales. Smith previously served as a special teams coordinator for the Houston Texans in 2020. He is currently a special teams assistant coach with the Seahawks, who have not hired a head coach to this point. Smith’s boss, special teams coordinator Larry Izzo, could also be a potential option.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Panthers have requested to speak with Dallas Cowboys quality control coach Will Harriger for the quarterbacks coach job. Harriger worked with Canales in Seattle for five seasons. He has since coached in Dallas, Atlanta and Jacksonville. He also had a stint with the University of Southern California in 2022 during Caleb Williams’ Heisman Trophy-winning campaign.
With defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s future somewhat up in the air with the Seattle opening still in play, the defensive staff is in limbo. If Evero were to land the Seattle job, there are some dots to connect for Canales on that side of the ball.
UCLA linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. served as the defensive coordinator in Seattle for four seasons before heading to the college game. Norton worked with Canales through two Seattle stints that combined for eight seasons.
Seahawks assistant defensive line coach Damione Lewis, who played in the league from 2001 to 2010, could make sense as a staff addition.
On the offensive side, Canales has a longstanding work relationship with longtime Seahawks assistant, Nate Carroll, who is the son of former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. The younger Carroll has a notable background with wide receivers.
Pat McPherson, the Seahawks tight ends coach, arrived in Seattle the same year as Canales (2010), and he has been there ever since. He could be an option for the same position in Carolina. Seahawks running backs coach Chad Morton would also make sense for that same job with the Panthers.
Also, with the Panthers looking to replace James Campen, Seattle offensive line coach Andy Dickerson is another logical connection.
It’s unclear whether Canales will go outside of his friend box for his staff. So far, two of his biggest job openings seem to be landing spots for his longtime pals.
If Canales does decide to get away from his comfort zone, he should have a lot of options, as there are plenty of staffs in flux around the league.
Canales will probably compete for some Seattle offensive assistants with the Chicago Bears, who just hired Shane Waldron as their offensive coordinator. Waldron has already hired Seattle assistant Kerry Joseph as his quarterbacks coach.
Free agency vs. draft?
Ismael asks: Positions to prioritize through free agency vs. draft? If you were Dan Morgan, who are you offering contract extensions from our current free players?
The league-wide use of the franchise tag will make the answer to the first question fluid. Teams can prevent some pretty big names from hitting the market with the tag (including Carolina’s Brian Burns), and my expectation is that the wide receiver position will take a hit because of that practice.
If Cincinnati Bengals wideout Tee Higgins hits the market, he needs to be target No. 1, and the Panthers should put a ton of effort into luring him to Carolina. If he’s off the board, the outlook takes a major hit.
But, that said, in general, the Panthers should focus on surrounding Bryce Young with proven talent. If the team plans to upgrade an offensive line position or two, they should make the offensive line a priority in free agency. Young doesn’t need a “growing pains” offensive line after enduring 62 sacks as a rookie. Wide receiver, as previously mentioned, should also be very high on the list.
Canales’ offensive system comes to town with an open-ended outlook. He’s only called plays for one year, and it is not clear how much his play calling was influenced by Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles. It’s possible that having a defensive-minded head coach and a poor run game forced Canales to adjust his strategy in Tampa Bay. Now in control of the entire operation, Canales’ offense could look somewhat different, especially if he hands off play calling, though that doesn’t seem likely.
The Panthers need help on defense, but the offense is so completely desolate that Carolina needs to bring proven reinforcements to town. The team also doesn’t have a first-round pick, so prioritizing a plug-and-play offensive weapon or blocker in the draft doesn’t feel like a sure bet.
The good news is — obviously depending on if they are able to re-sign Burns and linebacker Frankie Luvu — the Panthers have a strong enough base of talent on defense to wait to address the unit in the draft. Adding a young pass rusher or cornerback at No. 33 seems more likely than selecting an offensive lineman or wide receiver with that pick.
Again, proven talent on offense is needed. The defense has proven talent already.
Regarding the retention of free agents, newly promoted president of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan will have a lot of decisions to make.
Burns and Luvu are the top two free agents, and barring the request for market-breaking money, those two players should be the team’s top internal priorities. The Panthers can’t let Burns walk for nothing, so he’s more likely to receive the franchise tag than Luvu. That said, Luvu will probably be the easier player to re-sign.
The Panthers have 21 upcoming free agents, but outside of Luvu and Burns, most aren’t worth prioritizing.
Long snapper JJ Jansen makes sense to bring back as a veteran leader and longtime franchise flag-bearer. He’s cheap and consistent, and there’s really no need to move on. If Evero sticks around, pass rusher Yetur Gross-Matos makes sense as a keeper on a 1-year deal after the way he played down the stretch. Nickel corner Troy Hill makes sense in a similar scenario as well.
Jeremy Chinn’s future really depends on if Evero stays or not. With this current scheme, Chinn has no real place to work. The rest of the group is largely replaceable, especially with special teams coordinator Chris Tabor no longer with the team.
Sam Franklin, Kamu Grugier-Hill and Laviska Shenault are all probably headed elsewhere for fresh starts.
Getting a jump on the ‘top pick’
Randy asks: What are the Panthers going to do with the pick in the second round of the draft?
As I mentioned above, the No. 33 overall pick seems like a really good spot to land a long-term contributor at pass rusher or cornerback.
The Panthers could also trade back and try to add more draft capital, especially with the absent of the first-round pick. Trading up in the first round seems unlikely, unless someone with an extremely high grade falls into the mid-20s.
If the Panthers can prioritize veteran help for Young in free agency, they could draft a successor or tag team partner for Burns at edge rusher. They could also land a long-term partner for Jaycee Horn, while providing much-needed insurance for the oft-injured starter.
The first round typically has large runs on quarterbacks, offensive linemen and wide receivers. In theory, those runs could push pass rushers and cornerbacks down the board.
The defense is in pretty good shape at safety, with veterans Vonn Bell and Xavier Woods, so adding a young cornerback to the group shouldn’t be an issue. While the defensive line depth — outside of Pro Bowl lineman Derrick Brown — is questionable, the Panthers can wait to address those positions, barring a special prospect falling to them at nose tackle or defensive end.
Regardless of what position they select in the second round, the prospect should impact the Panthers’ passing game or the opponent’s passing game. So, protection/pass-catching playmakers or coverage/pass rushers. It’s really that simple.
This story was originally published January 29, 2024 at 5:30 AM.
