What we learned from Panthers HC Matt Rhule and GM Scott Fitterer on Monday

After hearing from a number of their players, the Carolina Panthers brought out head coach Matt Rhule and general manager Scott Fitterer to speak on Monday. The two hit on a number of topics—the underwhelming 2021 results, the transition into the offseason and their outlook moving ahead.

Here are their most notable quotes from the afternoon on the team’s most pressing issues.

Panthers are open to having Cam Newton back

AP Photo/Jason Behnken

If it were up to Rhule, at least according to Rhule, he’d take Newton on his team for eternity:

“I think we’re probably pretty early in the process. The thing we all kinda agreed upon was we’d get here, then we would sit down at some point and talk about it. I’ll just say this: For Matt Rhule, I would have Cam Newton on my team like . . . forever. Any place I coached. Because of what he brings. The business part of it—the money, the negotiations, Scott—all those things, I can’t speak to that.”

Fitterer, who was highly impressed with Newton, is also open to bringing the franchise’s all-time leading passer back in 2022:

“I’ve never been more impressed by a player. His leadership and what he did, during a really tough time. We’re all over the place at quarterback—the injuries and the different things. And even when it was some of those tough days in the locker room after a loss, Cam brought the energy every day. He showed great leadership, he was positive. Like I told him, I was really impressed with him as a person. So, yes, I think we’re open to it. We have to see how it goes. What he’s thinking, what we’re thinking, how it all fits together. And we’ll come up with a plan. But, yes, we are open to it.”

Sam Darnold is a work in progress

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When asked of the Panthers’ quick decision to pick up Darnold’s fifth-year option in the spring, Rhule gave a, well, just watch and listen for yourself:

Fitterer was a bit more composed in his answer about the move:

“I never wanna say anything is a mistake. It’s not fair to the player. Sam comes in, he works his tail off every day. He studies, he’s here late. So I think that’s probably a little unfair. I can tell you, like, what I was thinking during that time. We had committed some resources to that position. We committed a second and a fourth-round pick and another pick in there. We wanted to show some confidence in him. We thought he’d come in and play at a consistent level.

“So that’s why we picked that up. And if you look at it, it’s an $18-million plus option. For this year, it’s $22 million over two years. If that’s your starting quarterback and you’re trying to build your defense, you’re trying to build your offense, that’s how we looked at it as allocating money at that point. That’s why we picked it up. And the story’s not written on Sam. He’s still developing.”

Christian McCaffrey remains a foundation piece

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Fitterer addressed the rumors of McCaffrey potentially being available via trade. He shot down any notion that the Panthers were seeking out a move of their star back and that’s he a key piece for Carolina:

“What I did tell him [Christian] though is ‘Hey, listen, as a GM, I’ll take any call. You call and make any offer you want. That doesn’t mean we’re doing it, that doesn’t mean we’re shopping you. I’ll listen.’

“I look at Christian as a foundation piece on this team, one of those building blocks. We’re a better team when he’s on the field. He’s one of the elite players in the NFL. I would love for him to be here. But I will never not take a call. If somebody calls and offers something crazy—yeah, you would look at it. There’s no intentions, right now, of trading Christian McCaffrey.”

. . . as does DJ Moore

AP Photo/Jason Behnken

Fitterer also praised Moore as a key piece, stating the team is certainly looking to extend him past the 2022 campaign:

“DJ Moore is one of the foundation pieces on our team. I talked to him this morning. Again, it’s just going through an evaluation period. DJ, for everything he does—the toughness, the playing through injuries, everything that he brings to our team—that’s the type of guy that you would like to bring back. It just has to make sense for the both of us. But I’m hopeful, and I think he’s hopeful. We’ll just see how it plays out.”

Fixing the offensive line will be the top priority

AP Photo/Brian Westerholt

Fitterer assured reporters that the longstanding problems along the offensive front will be atop their to-do list this offseason:

“Absolutely. I think both sides of the ball. But offensive line, that’s how you build a team. When we came in here, when I interviewed a year ago, it’s building on offensive and defensive lines. So that will be our priority.”

He also made particular note of Brady Christensen’s work at left tackle, despite what Rhule may have previously said of the rookie’s less-than-optimal arm length:

“I think once we put him out at left tackle, he did a good job. I know a lot of people talk about arm length at tackle. The one thing you can do—if you have compensating factors, if you have quick feet, if you have a quick set and take good angles, if you’re efficient with your hands, keep your elbows in, play out front—you can get away with it.”

Experience is key in the search for a new offensive coordinator

AP Photo/Rusty Jones

On his search for a new offensive coordinator, Rhule told reporters he’s looking for a candidate with prior play-calling experience:

“I’d like to have someone who has experience having done it, having been a coordinator. It’s one thing to have suggestions and all those things. It’s another thing to make the call and have success, not had success, learn from your success.”

He expanded on that thought, saying he’d like to have a proven body of work—preferably from the pro level—to evaluate any candidate during the process:

“Probably in the National Football League. But, again, I’m open to anything. Some guys have been OCs and they haven’t called the plays. I think, at this point for me, I want someone that I can go back and look at what they’ve done and said ‘Hey, this is who they are.'”

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