Finally, the dumpster fire that became the Carolina Panthers 2019 season is officially over. The Panthers will have the 7th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. We may have seen the last of Panther great TE Greg Olsen in Charlotte after 9 borderline hall of fame seasons.
We learned Kyle Allen is a backup QB for a reason. We learned Will Grier is a rookie. We learned Christian McCaffrey is a damn beast and we need to build this offense around him for the next 3 seasons.
We learned that the 3-4 defense doesnt work with the personnel on Carolina’s current roster. We learned how much respect Ron Rivera had in the locker room, front office and around the league. We learned Interim Head Coach Perry Fewell couldnt rally the troops after they lost their general.
We learned that the Panthers have basically surrounded QB Cam Newton with marginal talent for the majority of the time he has been in Carolina.
As we sit here on Black Monday around the league, there are three guys that I would LOVE for Panthers owner David Tepper to go after to be the next head coach of the franchise. This isnt about how likely it is that this person WOULD become the head coach…but more about my own selfish interests and wanting to make a splash. Ready? Lets dive in.
1. Jim Harbaugh. It makes too much sense and probably wont happen because of it. Harbaugh left what he had helped build in San Francisco, a juggernaut of a team built in the trenches, due to wanting more player personnel control and a pay raise. San Francisco owners told him to win a Super Bowl first. Harbaugh left for his alma mater, Michigan. He’s been fine there, but Michigan doesnt want fine, they want great. Harbaugh has yet to beat Ohio State, and hasnt gotten Michigan to the College Football Playoff in 4 seasons. And typically around 4 seasons in one place is long enough for Harbaugh. Could it be time to move on, back to the pros? Owner David Tepper mentioned creating an Assistant General Manager position. Why not offer that and the HC job to Harbaugh? He would immediately start fixing the offensive and defensive lines and would salivate at the chance to have a healthy Cam Newton running his run heavy offense. Kick the tires on Harbaugh…
2. Urban Meyer. On the surface, you have to ask why would Meyer even consider coming to Charlotte? Money. Tons of Money. Throw large Hefty garbage bags of money at Meyer to come to Carolina. Give him the Assistant GM tag also. Granted its more likely that Meyer takes a shot with the Dallas Cowboys first and has said as much already. Meyer won 90% of his games at Ohio State. 90%!! Thats incredible. He would be the coach there today if it wasnt for….well we wont get into that. Meyer is a teacher of the Spread offense, something he built at Utah, perfected at Florida and brought to Ohio State with new wrinkles in each stop. Can you imagine Christian McCaffrey, Curtis Samuel (who played under Meyer at Ohio State), DJ Moore and a healthy Cam Newton with Meyer calling the plays???
3. Rex Ryan. I know what David Tepper said. And by all accounts he wants a younger, offensive mind to be the next head coach of the Carolina Panthers. But can you imagine the defense Rex Ryan could roll out on the NFC South? Ryan comes from the “run the ball, stop the run” old school that I love. Ryan has been off the sidelines for a number of years now, on TV. I think that may have given him perspective he didnt have before. Look at Mack Brown at UNC. After being in a studio a few years, he returns to the sidelines energetic and seemingly in love with the game again. Rex Ryan would be a hit in Charlotte. Now granted, this one would require home runs on staff. An up and coming Offensive Coordinator would be a must. As would the health of Cam Newton (of which all three of this picks would have to address before anything else really). But how cool would it be to see Rex Ryan leading the Panthers out on the field..or telling the team to break and go get a damn snack. The Panthers would vault to the top of the league in must see in the locker room, sidelines, training camp you name it. Throw in Cam Newton to this mix? The possibilities are endless.
I know….its probable that none of these three are even on David Tepper’s short list. But how fun would it be in Charlotte if they were?
