Panthers elevate former LB Dan Morgan to general manager
Charlotte, North Carolina Dan Morgan was elevated by the Carolina Panthers to the position of president of football operations and general manager on Monday, completing the first phase of their rebuilding process.
After the Panthers had the poorest record in the league (2-15), Scott Fitterer dismissed Morgan, 45, who had been his assistant general manager. In addition, he played seven seasons for the Panthers as a linebacker after being chosen out of Miami in the first round of the 2001 draft (11th overall).
His new title signifies a total overhaul of the front desk.
Carolina owner David Tepper stated in a statement, “Dan has a clear vision to take us where we all want to go and a thorough knowledge of our football personnel.” “We are confident he will seize this chance with the same fervor he did
According to a league source, Morgan has already been heavily involved in the hunt for a new head coach, which on Monday moved into its second phase with an in-person interview for Carolina defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
In-person interviews with offensive coordinators Brian Callahan of the Cincinnati Bengals, Dave Canales of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris of the Los Angeles Rams are also slated for this week, according to sources close to the Panthers.
When Morgan was the director of pro personnel and Canales was the wide receivers coach in Seattle, they collaborated. Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions and the front-runner going into the search, will not eligible for an interview until Sunday following the team’s NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Baltimore Ravens offensive line is no different.
Matthew Slater of the Patriots leaves the NFL after 16 seasons.
AMESBURY, Mass. — After 16 seasons, Matthew Slater—who now owns the NFL record with 10 special teams Pro Bowl appearances—announced his retirement on Tuesday.
Slater stated on social media, “I have given all that I possibly can to respect and honor the game,” in a message that the New England Patriots posted. “My love for the game will last forever, even though it’s time for our relationship to change.
Slater, who was drafted by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft out of UCLA, is the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jackie Slater. Slater played his whole career with New England. As a committed special teams player, he had a distinct job, and after his first training camp, he questioned if he would even make the club.
Bill Belichick, the former coach of the Patriots, had mentioned Slater as the best player to ever play the position in recent years. He expressed his gratitude for having as his coaches the greatest quarterback in NFL history (Tom Brady), linebacker Lawrence Taylor (a defensive player), and special teams player Slater.
“I arrived here as a young man in 2008 with Slater, who hailed his father as his inspiration, is the franchise’s all-time leader in special teams tackles and has won three Super Bowls with the Patriots.
“You paved the way, Dad. The bar is established by you. I hope I did a good job of following in their footsteps,” Slater wrote. It never felt heavy. Just a boon.”
With the Patriots, he appeared in 239 games, second only to Brady (285), in franchise history. His 25 postseason appearances in career are seventh most in NFL history.
Slater, 38, led the club for 13 seasons in a row as captain. His colleagues regarded his locker room remarks after games as particularly inspiring due to the way the devout Christian connected football to life.
God utilized football as a player to teach, punish, and
