Ok so there has been a partial regime change in Carolina. Ron Rivera steps in as head coach and he likely will have a good deal of influence over who the Panthers draft, but the ultimate decision comes down to General Manger Marty Hurney. Hurney has been with the team since 1998 and has served as General Manger since 2002.
Hurney has a pretty long history in the world of the NFL. He is a journalist by trade, and came to the NFL and the Washington Redskins when then owner Jack Kent Cook asked him to join the staff. He spent some time with the San Diego Chargers as the right hand to GM Bobby Beathard. This will be his tenth draft with the Panthers, but the first one he has not had Head Coach John Fox with him.
Over the last three years the Panthers have made it a priority to keep their draft picks in their system. The proof of that is in the past three drafts they have made 26 selections and all 26 players remain with the organization. Of those 26 players ten are starters, and we can count DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, and Jon Beason among the better picks made by this team.
The good news is Hurney has learned to use his late round picks on players his team can use. All in all though he has delivered a very mixed bag in terms of draft day success. He is unafraid to deal picks or players on draft day, and uses his scouts to full effectiveness and will not hesitate to draft players from smaller schools.
Related Links:
- Carolina Panthers War Room
- Joshua Lobdell.com
