Dave Gettleman

Fallout From And Reactions To Panthers Firing Dave Gettleman

It has never been more treacherous to be an NFL GM, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Over the last five seasons, we have seen 15 GMs fired in December/January, one fired in February, and two canned during the season. Now, we can add four spring/summer firings to the list. Scot McCloughan (March 9), Doug Whaley (April 30), John Dorsey (June 22), and Dave Gettleman (July 17) were all fired at unusual times.

Where did things go wrong for the Panthers and Gettleman? And what’s next in Carolina? Here’s the latest:

  • Panthers owner Jerry Richardson remains high on coach Ron Rivera, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. There will be major changes for the Panthers this year, but that apparently won’t extend to the sideline.
  • There were rumblings that all was not well with Gettleman and Richardson after star cornerback Josh Norman was allowed to walk, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Prior to the 2016 season, the Panthers rescinded the franchise tag from Norman, leading the way for him to sign a gargantuan deal with the Redskins. The Panthers lost one of the game’s best cornerbacks for nothing and their secondary suffered as a direct result. Apparently, the move did not sit well with Richardson and he never completely got over that bold miscalculation from Gettleman.
  • Gettleman took over what was probably the second worst cap situation in the NFL, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap (on Twitter) opines. Although the 2016 season was difficult, Fitzgerald isn’t sure that the Panthers could have asked for much more during Gettleman’s time in charge. In the 2015 season, the Panthers went 15-1 and reached the Super Bowl.
  • Earlier this summer, DeAngelo Williams said that he would not return to the Panthers if he was given a contract offer. Now that Gettleman is gone, he is singing a different tune. Norman and former Panthers great Steve Smith also seem pretty happy about Monday’s news.

DeAngelo Williams: I’d Play For Panthers

Dave Gettleman is out as GM in Carolina and some former Panthers notables are in favor of the surprise firing. The latest to join the fray is former Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams, who previously said that the Panthers were one of four teams that he would refuse to play for in 2017DeAngelo Williams (vertical)

[RELATED: Panthers Fire GM Dave Gettleman]

I want to publicly say [the Panthers are] off my list of teams I won’t play for due to the firing of that snake Dave Gettleman,” Williams tweeted.

The 34-year-old Williams spent the first nine seasons of his career in Carolina, but he left with a bad taste in his mouth after clashing with Gettleman. Cornerback Josh Norman and wide receiver Steve Smith left the Panthers with similar feelings and they also took to social media on Monday to celebrate Gettleman’s firing (Twitter links).

Panthers fans shouldn’t go dusting off their Williams jerseys just yet. The team is well stocked at the position with Jonathan Stewart, first round pick Christian McCaffrey, and second round pick Curtis Samuel leading the way. Familiar faces Fozzy Whittaker and Cameron Artis-Payne are also under contract.

Panthers Fire GM Dave Gettleman

The Panthers announced that they have fired GM Dave Gettleman. The news comes as a total shock, particularly since Gettleman was left in charge to oversee the draft and the main stages of free agency before his dismissal. Dave Gettleman

After much thought and a long evaluation of our football operations, I have decided to relieve Dave Gettleman of his duties as general manager,” Panthers owner Jerry Richardson said. “I want to thank Dave for the role he played in our success over the past four seasons. While the timing of this decision is not ideal, a change is needed.”

Like the Chiefs, the Panthers have shocked the football world by firing their GM late in the offseason. And, also like the Chiefs, they have already allowed a prime in-house candidate to leave for another team. Earlier this year, Brandon Beane left his post in Carolina as assistant GM to take over as the Bills’ new GM. In similar fashion, the Chiefs watched Chris Ballard take the Colts’ GM gig only to fire John Dorsey months later. The Chiefs went on to fill the vacancy by promoting Brett Veach to the top job. It remains to be seen whether the Panthers will immediately go in-house or if they will also consider outside candidates.

Whoever takes over for Gettleman, whether it be on a permanent or interim basis, will have to address some high-impact matters in the coming weeks. Gettleman was gearing up for extension talks with linebacker Thomas Davis and tight end Greg Olsen has been pushing for a revised contract. On top of that, someone will have to make the tough decisions as the Panthers trim down to a 53-man roster on Sept. 2.

The Panthers went 6-10 in 2016 after making the playoffs in each of Gettleman’s first three seasons with the team. He was scheduled to return from his Cape Cod vacation this week. Now, Gettleman may want to look into extending his trip.

Cole’s Latest: Panthers, Rivera, Watson, King

If the Panthers don’t earn a postseason berth in 2017, head coach Ron Rivera and general manager Dave Gettleman could be on the hot seat, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Carolina, of course, finished the 2016 campaign with a 6-10 record after losing only regular season game and securing a Super Bowl appearance the year prior. Both Rivera and Gettleman are now facing extra pressure, says Cole, which would be one reason the Panthers handed defensive tackle Kawann Short an extension earlier this week, as the club may have wanted to ensure Short was present for offseason activities.

Here’s more from around the league, all courtesy of Cole:

  • Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson displayed a “CEO presence” in predraft meetings with NFL team, and his intangibles are highly impressive to personnel executives, reports Cole (video link), who adds Watson is considered the best leader among the top QB prospects. Listed at 6’2″, 220 pounds, Watson’s size does have some scouts concerned, as they aren’t sure he’ll be able to withstand the pounding of an NFL campaign. For what it’s worth, I sent Watson to Kansas City in PFR’s first 2017 mock draft.
  • Some NFL decision-makers believe Washington cornerback Kevin King is the most overrated player in the 2017 draft, per Cole (video link). King is an impressive physical specimen, especially for a defensive back, as he stands at 6’3″ and 200 pounds. But evaluators don’t believe King’s performance on the field matches his stature. While King has been creeping into the first round of mock drafts — specifically as a possible Seahawks target — one scout said he grades King as no better than a seventh-round choice.
  • As Peter King of TheMMQB.com reported earlier this week, the 49ers and Jets are among the clubs most eager to trade down at the top of the draft, but any such deals could come with a relatively cheap price attached, according to Cole (video link). Outside of Texas A&M edge defender Myles Garrett, the draft doesn’t contain multiple “overwhelming” players, per Cole, while the supply of clubs looking to trade down doesn’t equal the demand of teams hoping to move up.
  • One prospect that could lead to draft-day discussions is Stanford pass rusher Solomon Thomas, whom most NFL clubs consider the “clear” No. 2 player in this year’s class, reports Cole (video link). If the cost of trading up does remain low, several teams might consider moving up the board in order to land Thomas, as such a maneuver would be viewed as an “extraordinary bargain.”

Dave Gettleman On Tackles, Oher, UFAs

Coming off one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history, the Panthers are set to make their first draft pick at No. 8. A position the team could look to target is tackle, where its incumbents have uncertain futures and potentially lower career trajectories than talents available at 8. But GM Dave Gettleman doesn’t hold this incoming tackle class in particularly high regard.

It’s not great,” Gettleman said, via Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer, of the 2017 tackle class. “Here’s the other thing. In the past I’ve gotten killed for not drafting tackles. I’ll tell you right now, if you overdraft a guy, you’re going to be upset. The coaches are going to be upset. The team is going to be upset. Everybody’s going to be mad at the guy, and it’s not his fault. … I just will not reach. No matter how bad the perceived need is, I’m not going to reach.”

Alabama’s Cam Robinson, Wisconsin’s Ryan Ramczyk and Utah’s Garrett Bolles are viewed as first-round talents. Mike Remmers will be a UFA, and Michael Oher‘s future is uncertain after a severe concussion forced the recently re-signed left tackle to IR. The team drafted Daryl Williams in the fourth round in 2015 and started him in 10 games in his second season. As for Oher, signed to a three-year deal worth $21.6MM last offseason, Gettleman does not know about his 2017 status but will gauge the veteran tackle market for depth purposes if nothing else.

You want to have as good a set of backup players as you can. Where we’re at right now is we’re gonna look at players, because right now we just don’t know,” he said. “I haven’t spoken to Michael in a little bit. I haven’t texted with him in a little bit. I want to back off and leave him alone. Because we want what’s best for Michael, really and truly. … We’re gonna look [at tackle options] but it’s more a function of making sure you build your team as strong as you can, because the backups play.”

The Panthers have a sizable collection of noteworthy free agents, including Kawann Short, Mario Addison, Charles Johnson and Ted Ginn. Gettleman said the staff is in the process of determining who the team wants to retain. Addison said recently he wants to come back, and Johnson would be interested in returning as well after re-signing with the Panthers on a one-year deal last March. Rodrigue estimates Ginn will be a priority, along with Short. Ginn changed agents earlier this month, with Drew Rosenhaus now representing the 31-year-old wideout.

We’re not doing rocket science,” he said. “Anybody could identify the guys [with whom] we’re trying to get deals done. And I really believe deals get done when they’re supposed to be done. I know we’re reasonable, and every agent that we’ve dealt with to this point has been very reasonable.”

NFC Notes: Bears, Lions, Gettleman, Baalke

Bears kicker Connor Barth missed a pair of field goals during his team’s six-point loss earlier today. Through five games, the 30-year-old has connected on five of his eight attempts, and Barth has been around the league long enough to recognize that the Bears will probably explore the kicker market.

“Nothing surprises me these days,” he told Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s the NFL. So just gotta go back to work. Like I said, those are kicks I usually make. I gotta make them.”

Coach John Fox was non-committal when discussing Barth’s roster status, but he wasn’t ready to lay all of the blame on his kicker.

“We look at everything every week,” coach John Fox said. “But I don’t think that’s on one guy, by any stretch.”

The veteran was signed by the Bears right before the season, with the 30-year-old replacing long-time kicker Robbie Gould.

We took a swing around the AFC earlier today, now let’s round up a few more notes from around the NFC…

  • Ezekiel Ansah has been dealing with a high ankle sprain since Week 2, but according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter), tests have revealed that the injury is no more serious than that. Caplan reports that Ansah will not require surgery and the Lions are optimistic we will begin practicing soon.
  • Kyle Meinke of MLive.com does not expect Lions head coach Jim Caldwell to be fired mid-season, especially since he is still well-respected and even revered by his players. However, he will surely not survive into 2017 if the team does not show dramatic improvement over the remainder of the 2016 campaign.
  • The Panthers’ secondary is a mess right now, and as David Newton of ESPN.com writes, there is really no one else to blame but GM Dave Gettleman. Newton observes that the one area Gettleman hasn’t spent money on is the secondary. He has put together that unit in piecemeal fashion with midrange draft picks and older veterans who came cheap, letting starters like Captain Munnerlyn and Josh Norman walk because they didn’t fit into his financial plan. Now, Gettleman’s approach is starting to catch up with him.
  • Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com believes that 49ers GM Trent Baalke is on the hot seat, largely as a result of his repeated failure to address the team’s weaknesses at impact positions. The problem is that there is nothing Baalke can do to strengthen the team for the final 11 games, so if San Francisco does not improve on its own, Baalke’s tenure with the club could be over.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Sunday Roundup: Kaep, Bradford, Washington

Afters weeks of anxious buildup, the 2016 NFL draft is now over, but we’ll still be discussing the fallout from the draft years down the line. Let’s take a look at some of that fallout right now, along with a couple of other notes:

  • The draft has come and gone, and Colin Kaepernick is still a 49er. As Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle writes, the 49ers‘ actions during the draft–i.e. waiting until the sixth round to pick up raw signal-caller Jeff Driskel, instead of drafting a more pro-ready prospect in the early rounds as many pundits anticipated–suggest that one of Kaepernick or Blaine Gabbert will be the team’s starter in 2016. And, since Kaepernick’s most likely suitors drafted quarterbacks of their own, it looks like we can finally put the Kaepernick rumors on ice for a little while.
  • We learned last night that the Eagles have not had any contact with Sam Bradford since Bradford requested a trade, and head coach Doug Pederson–who is installing a new offense that projected backup quarterback Chase Daniel is very familiar with–admitted that Bradford is losing valuable time, as Kevin Patra of NFL.com writes. Philadelphia continues to insist that Bradford is the starter, but that could change if he misses significant offseason time. When Pederson was asked at what point Bradford loses the role of presumptive starter, Pederson said, “I think it depends on when he does come back and how fast we can catch him up and put him in that situation and see where he’s at, at that time.”
  • Washington was widely lauded for its selection of TCU wideout Josh Doctson in the first round of the draft, but, as anticipated, his arrival probably means the end of Andre Roberts‘ tenure in the nation’s capital, as Mike Jones of The Washington Post writes. Likewise, Jones writes that the addition of Virginia Tech corner Kendall Fuller could allow the team to release Chris Culliver, whose health status is still uncertain after his ACL surgery and who is due an $8MM salary–with a $9.25MM cap number–in 2016.
  • During his post-draft press conference Saturday night, Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie declined to tip his hand as to whether the club will pick up D.J. Hayden‘s fifth-year option, but as Jimmy Durkin of The Bay Area News Group points out, the team will almost certainly decline the $8.03MM option, thereby allowing Hayden to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2016 season. Durkin admits it was somewhat surprising that Oakland did not draft a corner over the past couple of days, as the Raiders are still thin at the position even after signing Sean Smith. The Raiders’ approach suggests that they expect Hayden to provide quality depth as a fourth corner, but he will have to prove himself in a big way in 2016 to remain with the club (and to remain in the league, for that matter).
  • Most GMs like to say that they do not reach for need during the draft and that they will select the best player available, regardless of position. As Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk writes, Panthers GM Dave Gettleman admitted last night that he adapted his strategy to make sure the team could adequately fill out its defensive back depth chart after the Josh Norman saga that ended when Norman signed with Washington. To that end, Carolina drafted three corners–James Bradberry, Daryl Worley, and Zack Sanchez–that looked like reaches to many fans. Gettleman insisted, though, that he did not reach, but he had to focus on corners to prevent a “position disaster.”
  • Greg Auman of The Tampa Bay Times expected the Buccaneers to draft one defensive end and one tackle, and while Tampa Bay did draft a DE (Noah Spence), the team did not grab a DT. As such, Auman expects the club to sign a DT before training camp opens (Twitter link).
  • Former Panthers offensive lineman Edmund Kugbila, whom Carolina selected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft but who has yet to play a single professional snap due to various injuries, has been medically cleared to play and has several visits lined up, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).

South Rumors: Panthers, Brees, Texans

Josh Norman admitted the Panthers‘ decision to rescind his franchise tag “sideswiped” him, as the fifth-year veteran was preparing to play in North Carolina again before Wednesday’s changing of his status eventually sent him up the Atlantic coast, David Newton of ESPN.com writes.

Dave Gettleman made his top offer — $44MM over four years — at the Combine but felt the $13.9MM franchise tag cost for Norman could have been spent better elsewhere, as his usual policy is not to spend big on defensive backs, Newton writes.

An extension for Kawann Short will be a likely domino to fall in Carolina as a result, Newton offers. The Panthers now have the fourth-most cap space in the league at $31.17MM, and the former second-round pick is entering a contract year.

Here’s the latest coming from the NFL’s southern contingent.

  • The Panthers will look to add a veteran cornerback in the coming weeks, but it probably won’t be an unrestricted free agent, Newton reports. With Norman’s Friday-night defection putting Carolina in position to grab a compensatory third-round pick in 2017, the signing of a UFA corner — and one who hovers far beneath Norman’s career arc — would negate that opportunity. The Panthers will likely target a player who’s been released, with Newton mentioning Antonio Cromartie, who was cut after a one-season reunion with the Jets, as an option here. As of now, Bene Benwikere and Brandon Boykin are the team’s top two corners going into the draft, where Carolina’s need for another talent immediately increased.
  • Drew Brees reportedly being willing to restructure his $30MM cap number to help the Saints sign Norman struck Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio as a PR move as the 15th-year quarterback prepares for questions about that figure, which is by the largest in the league in 2016 — $6MM clear of Eli Manning‘s $24MM cap charge. Florio believes Brees was the source for the ESPN.com report that emerged after Norman signed with Washington, and the writer categorizes it as a calculated salvo from Brees in an attempt to preempt backlash that could come from fans realizing his 2016 cap hold was the main reason New Orleans couldn’t afford Norman or a player of his ilk earlier in free agency. The perpetually cap-strapped Saints cut Jahri Evans and Marques Colston in March, making the two Bayou icons the latest such casualties. The Saints have the least amount of space in the league at $2.9MM.
  • One of the receivers the Texans brought in for a visit, Leonte Carroo acknowledged the team is looking for a receiver to pair with DeAndre Hopkins, whom the Rutgers prospect spoke to during his Houston tour, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports. “That’s what I’m excited about, that they’re looking for a wide receiver,” Carroo told Wilson. “I fit their system very well. They could use a big, physical receiver like myself on the other side from Hopkins. I feel like I could help them tremendously.” Houston has essentially been seeking a quality No. 2 wideout during the franchise’s entire run, with Kevin Walter‘s late-2000s work representing the best the Texans have coaxed from this role. Carroo also visited the Saints, Patriots and Dolphins and worked out at the Jets’ and Giants’ local pro days.
  • The Titans have likely moved on from their interest in former Broncos All-Pro guard Louis Vasquez, Jim Wyatt of Titans.com writes. Cut by the Broncos early last month, Vasquez visited the Titans. But nothing emerged from the eighth-year veteran’s meeting and he remains a free agent. Chance Warmack and Jeremiah Poutasi reside as the Titans’ projected starting guards this season.

NFC East Rumors: Gettleman, Pederson, Cousins

When Ernie Accorsi retired as the Giants‘ GM after the 2006 season, he pushed hardest for Jerry Reese to become his successor despite Dave Gettleman‘s success within the organization, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes.

Reese, who coordinated the draft for Big Blue at the time, and salary cap expert Kevin Abrams joined Gettleman as the top in-house candidates to succeed Accorsi. Reese is now entering his 10th season as the Giants’ GM.

And I felt sorry for Dave on the thing, I don’t think it was an easy decision for John Mara or the Tischs,’’ Accorsi told media, including Schwartz. “When Jerry got it, I could tell Dave was down. I said to him ‘Look, I have no idea if I’m ever going to be able to deliver on this, but if I possibly can take care of you, I will.”

Accorsi helped the now-64-year-old Gettleman ascend to the Panthers’ GM position as a consultant. Gettleman, per Schwartz, helped the Giants in free agency when they signed Super Bowl XLII bastions Plaxico Burress, Antonio Pierce and others. Gettleman laid the groundwork for Pierce, an outside linebacker mostly in Washington, to move to the middle full-time in New York.

The Browns passed over Gettleman twice, in 2009 and 2010, when they hired George Kokinis and Mike Holmgren, respectively, over Accorsi’s recommendation, while the Chiefs hired Scott Pioli over Gettleman in 2009 as well.

Following these shortcomings, Gettleman, then the Giants’ director of pro player personnel, informed Mara he sought to retreat into a part-time role before getting the Panthers’ job in 2013.

Here is the latest coming out of NFC East cities.

  • Alex Spiro, the attorney for Jay Bromley, doesn’t expect the Giants defensive tackle to be charged (Twitter links via Jordan Raanan of NJ.com) after a woman said he attempted to rape her. The 23-year-old Bromley has not been arrested in connection with Saturday morning’s alleged incident.
  • Doug Pederson‘s proactive approach regarding keeping the Eagles‘ talented young players comes in contrast to Chip Kelly‘s more volatile method on display last season, Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com writes. Frank notes Pederson’s straight-forward style has helped stabilize the organization thus far after Kelly’s final days put staffers on edge, given the seismic moves he’d made. The new 49ers coach’s reluctance to compromise and employing an overmatched staff helped key his dismissal from Philadelphia, Frank writes.
  • The 49ers offered Pederson an assistant-coaching position in 2005, but the current Eagles coach turned it down to continue being a high school head coach in Louisiana, Zach Berman of Philly.com writes. Pederson continued to coach at a Shreveport, La., high school for four seasons and told the school’s athletic director he’d only leave if Andy Reid offered him a job in Philadelphia. He extended an offer to Pederson for an offensive quality control job before the 2009 season, leading to seven years of the pair working in tandem in Philadelphia and Kansas City.
  • Kirk Cousins‘ likely extension with Washington should be a four-year pact, John Keim of ESPN.com writes. He cites the majority of quarterback contracts agreed to in the past two offseasons being four-year deals — like those given to Eli Manning, Russell Wilson, or Philip Rivers — along with Cousins proving to be an effective, but not yet a game-changing quarterback, as the reasoning behind the estimation. Keim writes that Robert Griffin III can still be traded if he agrees to redo his fifth-year option ($16.15MM for 2016) but expects him to be released to help make room for Cousins’ deal.
  • Alfred Morris coming back to Washington after the running back put together his career-worst year in 2015 wouldn’t make sense, Keim writes. He also expects the team to bring in a back to compete with the thus-far-inconsistent Matt Jones for No. 1 runner responsibilities.

Panthers GM Talks Strategy, Offseason, Hardy

The Panthers are one victory away from their first Super Bowl appearance since 2003. A lot of this season’s success can be attributed to general manager Dave Gettleman. The team has made the playoffs in each of his first three seasons with the organization, and the executive’s shrewd offseason moves (including cutting bait with embattled star Greg Hardy) helped the team to a 15-1 regular season record.

Gettleman recently sat down with Alex Marvez of Fox Sports to discuss his team-building strategy, the logic behind his offseason moves, and the team’s reaction to the Hardy fiasco. The whole interview is worth reading, but we’ve pulled out some of the notable quotes below…

On what the front office looks for in draftees/potential free agent targets:

“I’ve never been on a team that’s had bad chemistry and gone to a Super Bowl.

“So we really look hard at character. We really do. It’s a big part of our draft, a big part of bringing in free agents. The other thing we do is tell them, “This is who we are. If you don’t want to be a part of this, it’s OK. It doesn’t make you a bad guy. It makes you a bad fit.” The cards are on the table, and everybody knows what’s expected. Everyone is held responsible.”

Dave GettlemanOn the team’s main priorities last offseason:

“One of the things was more speed on special teams. Our cover units hurt us last year. There were a whole bunch of things going on. We had a ton of injuries so Colin Jones, who’s our ace on special teams, becomes our nickel (cornerback). Now he’s playing 40 snaps a game, so you’ve got to pull him off a couple of teams (units). We lost (fullback) Mike Tolbert, who’s a solid special teams guy, for eight games. There was a domino effect. So we went out and got (cornerback) Teddy Williams, who’s a really core teams guy, we drafted (linebacker) David Mayo and incorporated Joe Webb more. That’s one of the checked boxes.

“Another thing was the left tackle spot. It was an issue. Anybody who watched film could see that. We really investigated Michael (Oher). Believe me – he has not disappointed. That was big.

“I also wanted to get a young developmental tackle. We got him in Daryl (Williams). We wanted to get a young running back in here, and we got Cameron Artis-Payne. And on (special) teams, we got David Mayo and he’s done a great job for us. We didn’t reach for any of those guys.

I felt like we answered a lot of the questions we had. I answered the question before the season began that I thought this was the best roster we’ve had since I’ve been here.”

On how the front office and team dealt with last season’s Greg Hardy situation:

“It was an incredibly difficult time. We had reporters saying we didn’t handle it well and we should have to go to (domestic violence) training and whatever. I made the statement (to the media) after the season was over that there is no one in this room who is qualified to deal with that issue. 

“It was tough on us; it was tough on the players. They didn’t understand what was going on. It wasn’t until his court case got pushed back from November to after the year that everybody said, “OK, he’s not coming back (from the commissioner exempt list).” Guys started to say, ‘If everybody does their job, we’ll be OK.”