Carolina Panthers Hiring Miami Star And Former LB Dan Morgan

A familiar name is making headlines around Bank of America stadium. That's because former Panthers linebacker and university of Miami star, Dan Morgan has been hired president of football operations and general manager of the Carolina franchise.

"By putting Morgan in this position, it allows them to tap into his football background and capitalize on his relationships with players, coaches, and agents throughout the league, with the context of the toughness he brought to the game," the Panthers announced last evening.

Morgan now steps into his new front office role and will get ready to dig into rebuilding the 2-15 team. Here's how Morgan's impressive experience can lead the team to success.

In short, he has lived what he will bring to the organization.  After amassing 532 tackles as a star linebacker for the Miami Hurricanes, Morgan was drafted 11th overall in the 2011 NFL draft. After eight seasons in the NFL, Morgan had to retire due to nagging injuries. Shortly after, he was inducted into University of Miami Hall of Fame. Throughout his playing days, Morgan was known as a relentless worker. In fact, he totaled 25 tackles in the 2004 Super Bowl. However, it may be the work he has been in post-football that is the most impressive.

In 2010, Morgan began his new career outside of the locker room. He was hired as an intern for the Seattle Seahawks in their scouting department. Quickly, Morgan was able to have an impact relating to players, building culture, and finding quality talent. He would spend five years in Seattle. During this time, the team played in two Super Bowls and won once vs. the Denver Broncos.

Then, Morgan spent three years as the Director of Player Personnel with the Buffalo Bills before the Panthers brought him back. Morgan has been in the building as Assistant General Manager since 2021.

Yesterday, Panthers owner David Tepper gave Morgan a ringing endorsement. Publicly he assured #55 is the leader to bring Bryce Young and the team to where they want to go. "We know he will attack this opportunity with the same intensity he did as a Panthers player," Tepper said.

Upon being a professional athlete, where you endure fame and an incredible spotlight, not many people would embark on starting over all the way down at the intern level. The Carolina Panthers see the natural grit Dan Morgan exudes and have high hopes he can now embed that attitude into the entire team.

On Wednesday, December 27, North Carolina will play their last game of the season in Charlotte (Duke's Mayo Bowl vs. West Virginia). With Drake Maye being one of the top prospects in the 2024 NFL draft, it's time to take a look at three potential landing destinations for the star quarterback.

UNC is coming off a 8-4 record this season. Although his statistics were not as high as last year, Maye still had an incredible year, throwing for 3,608 yards and 24 touchdowns. At just 21 years old, Maye is the ideal size for a NFL quarterback, standing 6 foot 4.

Many of the top players have still to officially declare for the draft. Yet, the expectation is that all the names we are seeing atop the mock draft boards will be moving up to the next level. There have been eyes on this year's class for a few years now. That's largely due to the generational quarterback pool.

USC's Caleb Williams is a safe assumption to be the first overall pick. That's where things can get tricky. The Carolina Panthers currently have the worst record at 1-11. However, due to last year's trade, the Chicago Bears own their pick. Do the Bears need or want a QB? They just drafted Justin Fields. Of course, we still have the NFL combine, player pro days, and team meetings ahead of us. Much can change in that time. Still, I believe Maye will be the next quarterback taken after Williams.

To further emphasize how deep (and potentially special)  this class is, three of the four Heisman Trophy finalists this season are quarterbacks. None of them are named Caleb Williams or Drake Maye (Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr.)

Come April, we can see as many as 10 NFL teams in need of a new quarterback.  Here are three NFL teams that have a good probability of selecting in the top five picks of the NFL draft, where Drake Maye will likely be taken.

Mac Jones may be handing his #10 jersey to another #10. With Jones expecting to be gone in New England, the Patriots will be one of the many teams interested in Maye. Their record also indicates they will have a top pick. What makes this equally intriguing is the fact that Maye could come into the Patriots at the same time as a new coach.

This would be a fantastic landing spot for Maye. Daniel Jones is out for year with his knee injury. The Giants could once again use a fresh start. Maye has many of the characteristics of a tough traditional Meadowlands quarterback, much like Phil Simms or Eli Manning. Maye has the demeanor, confidence, and intangible attributes to be the new face of this franchise.

Here's the wildcard of the bunch, and perhaps a stretch. Why? Because the Vikings will have to trade and move up to have a realistic chance at Maye. Crowd-favorite Kirk Cousins tore his achillies and doesn't have the long-term contract to fall back on. Furthermore, head couch Kevin O'Connell was a NFL quarterback himself. A young guy coming and developing under his tutelage would be a welcomed change that sets up Maye with support and success. It also doesn't hurt when you a guy like Justin Jefferson in house to throw the ball to.