Ron Rivera to coach the Carolina Panthers

Ron Rivera has left his Defensive Coordinator job with the San Diego Chargers, to take the Head Caching job with the Carolina Panthers. While I understand that when the NFL calls you go, but I got to think being in San Diego would be a heck of a lot better than being the head man for a highly questionable owner. Said owner, Jerry Richardson, constantly complains about his offense, but constantly goes out and hires a defensive minded head coach.

Rivera has earned his shot as the head guy, but this is not a great situation to be walking into. This team spent a high round draft pick on a QB, and Richardson is cheap enough to try and make that work instead of looking for a viable candidate in the draft. Given the defensive mind of Rivera I wonder if this makes it more likely that DT Nick Failey is the first overall pick in the coming NFL draft.

Now Rivera steps as the fourth coach in the history of the Panthers. I would expect him to return to his 4-3 defensive ways, after adopting a 3-4 style with the Chargers. I would also expect him to go out and find a dynamic Offensive Coordinator who can either get the most out of Jimmy Claussen or identify a person in free agency or in the draft to build an offense around.

So the Panthers situation is not a great one to step into, but it is just one of 32 jobs like it and it would be tough for anyone to turn down. I hope that Rivera can turn the ship around and make the Panthers a good team once again, but the deck is certainly stacked against him.

Related Links:

• Carolina Panthers news and notes
• The Business of the NFL
• Joshua Lobdell.com