Panthers now up to 4 candidates for assistant GM position
With five trades and 11 total picks made, the Carolina Panthers were arguably one of the busiest teams in the NFL this past week. And even with the draft now over, well, they’re still pretty busy.
According to a few nuggets dropped on Friday, the team’s search for their assistant general manager has now doubled, from two known candidates to four. Scroll on down to see who is now reportedly in the running to be Scott Fitterer’s right-hand man.
Dan Morgan
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Currently the director of player personnel for the Buffalo Bills and formerly the beloved linebacker for the Carolina Panthers, Morgan was the first name to pop up in this widening search. And not only was he well-received in the latter of the two aforementioned roles, but his work in multiple NFL front offices since also has him acclaimed for the former. Following his seven seasons on the field, each of which coming with the Panthers, the 2001 first-round pick started his transition behind the scenes as a scouting intern for the Seattle Seahawks in 2010. He then ascended up the ranks numerous times in his seven years with the organization before being hired away by Buffalo in 2018. Morgan, in addition to the next candidate, was interviewed virtually by Carolina this past Wednesday.
Ian Cunningham
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Cunningham joined in on the Cinco de Mayo festivities, accounting for the Panthers' other virtual meeting two days back. The former University of Virginia offensive lineman spent nine years as a talent evaluator with the Baltimore Ravens before rising to some pro prominence in 2017, when he was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles as their director of college scouting. He was promoted to his current role as assistant director of player personnel just a few years later.
Jimmy Raye III
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Perhaps a name some of you may recognize from the Panthers' facade of a general manager search in 2018, Raye III interviewed for the spot on Friday. He's not a stranger to the area either, having been born a Fayetteville, N.C. native in 1968. Football has been life for Raye III. He is the son of former NFL offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye II and started his own pro journey as a wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams in 1991. He'd enter the coaching realm four years later on offensive quality control for the Kansas City Chiefs. Raye III then dipped his foot into the front office of the San Diego Chargers as a scout in 1996, eventually ascending to the roles of director of college scouting and director of player personnel through 2012. After stops in Indianapolis as their vice president of football operations and in Houston as their vice president of player personnel/assistant general manager, he jumped into his current position as a senior personnel executive for the Detroit Lions.
Jeff King
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Yes, it's that Jeff King! The former tight end, another ex-Panther now joining the assistant general manager search, reportedly received an interview request from the team on Friday. The 2006 fifth-round selection spent five of his seven pro seasons in Carolina, totaling 1,323 yards and 12 touchdowns on 156 receptions over his career. King was brought on as a scouting intern by the Chicago Bears in 2015. He is now the team's assistant director of pro scouting. [vertical-gallery id=636321]
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