Panthers Pre-Draft Press Conference Notes: Communication is key for the new regime

The press for the Carolina Panthers got a chance to ask some questions about Dave Canales and Dan Morgan’s draft strategy and philosophy going into the 2024 NFL Draft.

The media got a chance to throw some questions at Panthers GM Dan Morgan and Head Coach Dave Canales on Thursday. The main point on the agenda was to discuss the Panthers general draft philosophy going into next week’s Draft. I find listening to Canales and Morgan giving insight on their process and goals to be refreshing compared to years past. Here’s a link to the video if you’d like to check out the whole thing.

I went ahead and took some cliff notes for those of you who did not watch the whole thing.

Dan Morgan

• He believes they addressed a lot of needs in free agency and believes they can truly draft the best player available.
• Dan mentioned that as far as differences between this year and last year’s draft, he has final say on the decisions now and he believes there’s a better understanding of what each part of the coaching staff is looking for. He also mentions that coming up the ranks, there’s always a thought of “how would I do this? and that he has his own way of doing things.
• When asked about the type of players they are looking for, he reiterated the Dawg mentality and passion for the game. He also said that height and weight/measurables are important but at the same time if they don’t have the mentality and drive they won’t reach their potential.
• Didn’t want to box them in when answering a question about trading back into the 1st round. He said later on to a different question he said they are going to be patient and he feels good players will be available at 33 and 39. He also mentioned that they will definitely field calls for trading back from 33 after night one while also having plenty of time to decide who fits best for them at 33.
• The team is leaving the door open for Stephon Gilmore, and will circle back to communicate with him after the draft.
• At one point a reporter asked him about takeaways on defense in follow up to a response to a previous question. He said that it is pretty obvious that the defense didn’t generate enough turnovers last season and that is a point of emphasis with their defensive prospects.
• Dan mentioned working with Dave is easy and they have fun. He believes the top to bottom culture is changing as well and is excited about the direction.
• Feels having 33 and 39 allows them a lot of flexibility in the draft.
• Getting all the communication from each position coach allows them to give the scouts a bit of a frame of reference while they are on the road as they can highlight what the coaches are looking for in a specific position and it allows everyone to be on the same page.

Dave Canales

• Dave feels the team is able to home in on what he called “Panther fit” after the free agency period.
• He mentioned multiple times how thankful he is for the continuity on defense with the coaching staff. He loves taking notes and learning new things as the head coach from the other coordinators and position coaches. He’s gotten good feedback from the players about implementing the scheme the way they are, in pieces and progressively on both offense and defense.
• Dave wants to create a place that people are excited to work, and he makes a point add a personal touch every day, such as direct interactions with all the players. The environment is important to him. He wants to foster player relationships with the coaches, and he wants everyone to feel safe to come in and do their work every day.
• When asked about positions they are targeting and a specific question about Austin Corbett at center, he said he feels they should be targeting every position and growing every day. He doesn’t want any player to become complacent and feel they “got this”. He thinks Corbett has a great opportunity at center, but if someone falls that can challenge him at center they will have to take a look, that sentiment goes across the board.
• Feels great about playing football with the offensive group they have, but feels there’s players there that can absolutely help them in the draft. He wants to target playmakers at every position as far as the offense goes skill-wise.
• Made a point to have the offensive and defensive staff, first with himself on offense and Evero on defense, then position coach by position coach, explain their philosophies and what they are looking for in scheme and in players to target. Dan also mentioned that he felt the difference between last year and this year was he feels they know better what guys like Evero are looking for and what the offense is looking for to be successful.
• His goal is to make a good team, not just to surround Bryce with good players. He feels that will allow Bryce to simply do his job and it will allow him to do his part. The pass game will be specific to Bryce, but they want to make the team overall better around him and let him do his thing. He said Bryce was most successful in college when surrounded by a good offense and a good defense, where he could simply worry about playing quarterback and winning games.

My Take

I was impressed with the in depth discussion about what exactly the coaching staff and front office did to get everyone on the same page. Elaborating more on the meeting where each position coach can explain their philosophy and what they want out of their position was a nice touch. I also feel they made a point to address that this Draft is not just about getting talent to help Bryce Young on offense, even though I think that’s going to be what the final class looks like. I did come away feeling there’s a long term vision in mind rather than simply making the offense better for Bryce in 2024.

However, there was plenty of your usual “answering the question without answering the question” being done during this press conference by both Dave and Dan. And obviously, we’ll need to see them put their money where their mouths are when it comes to being patient in the Draft. What are your thoughts on the press conference, Panthers fans?