The Panthers are trying to build an All-Star front office this year so they can break out of the mediocrity that’s defined their last few seasons. Tonight, their efforts hit a speed bump. According to a report by Ian Rapoport at NFL Network, the Eagles denied a request to interview their vice president of football operations, Andrew Berry.
As Rapoport mentioned, Philadelphia can’t block the Browns from interviewing Berry because they actually have a general manager opening, unlike the Panthers.
This is the crux of the matter for Carolina fans who are worried about the direction of the franchise.
It was obviously time to move on from Ron Rivera, but the team is selling a clean slate when that’s not actually what’s going on. Marty Hurney’s continued presence raises questions about just how committed the organization is to making a fresh start.
Hurney has done quite well with his first-round draft picks historically, but the rest of his record as a GM is somewhat spotty. He hasn’t been able to find late-round gems the way some of his competitors like Howie Roseman and Thomas Dimitroff have. Hurney’s cap management has also been an issue in the past and his recent extension for Shaq Thompson resurfaced some of those concerns.
The Panthers don’t need to tear everything down and totally start over, but if team owner David Tepper really wants to begin a new era, he needs to consider forcing Hurney to take a step back so a new generation can lead.
