Thursday’s big decision wasn’t much of a surprise by the time it was made official, but the Carolina Panthers went a bit rogue in their addition of new head coach Dave Canales.
So, what are the key takeaways from the intriguing hire of the 42-year-old offensive coordinator?
Let’s run some of those down . . .
Nice for Bryce
As we stated with the general manager search—whoever was to come onboard as the next head coach had to be on board with Bryce Young. And now that it’s Canales who has stepped onto the deck, things appear to be in shipshape right now.
Canales’ West Coast offense, which relies heavily upon timing and accuracy, should play extremely well to Young’s strengths. That was not the case for the rookie this past season, who fell victim to an offense that featured prolonged drops and poor route running . . . among many other, um, less-than-desirable traits.
Tampa Bay’s attack this past season strived in the quick-hitting, uptempo approach—even with a less talented passer of the football in veteran Baker Mayfield. Along with Mayfield’s career campaign, the explosive Buccaneers recorded the sixth-most completions of at least 20 yards (60) and the third-most completions of at least 40 yards (12).
Young was the No. 1 overall pick for quite a few reasons—with his elite processing ability chief amongst them. So pairing him with Canales should open up a fresh, yet familiar set of superpowers in his second season.
No play-calling conundrums
In another contrast from the previous offense, the Panthers already seem to know exactly who will be making the calls.
When former head coach Frank Reich took the job last offseason, he played coy when asked whether he or offensive coordinator Thomas Brown would be in charge of the sheet. Well, the wishy-washy feeling never really dried up, as Reich and Brown engaged in a grueling game of hot potato that, in part, led to the former’s firing and the league’s most abysmal unit.
This time, the organization themselves told us whose responsibility that’ll be, and they did it right off the top. Carolina’s official announcement from Thursday night noted that Canales is expected to call the plays.
If that is indeed the case, look for the Panthers to bring in a lesser-known offensive coordinator—one who won’t be running the show from the start. Keep an eye on Canales’ buddy from Seattle and Tampa Bay wide receivers coach Brad Idzik, who has reportedly received an interview request from the team.
A cup of patience
That aforementioned announcement from the team also included an interesting little nugget about the organizational totem pole, which still ends at the top with the billionaire owner. Per the Panthers, both Canales and new president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan will report directly to David Tepper.
Yeah, the optics on including that in the release aren’t great given the perception of Tepper’s controlling nature. But, as long as he practices what he has preached as far as evolving as an owner, that detail may not be as soul-crushing as some may believe—especially considering that this practice isn’t an uncommon one in the NFL.
The more telling piece on Tepper, rather, was not included in that post.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Panthers have signed Canales to a six-year contract—something that is a bit uncommon in the NFL. Who gives a first-time head coach that long of a deal?
Well, the Houston Texans did with DeMeco Ryans. The Detroit Lions did with Dan Campbell. And the San Francisco 49ers did with Kyle Shanahan.
Hopefully for the Panthers, their commitment to Canales is as prosperous as any one of those three. But, for now, it’s evident that Tepper is willing to also practice some patience in getting this franchise right.
