It is unclear whether or not Fitterer plans to accept the position as negotiations were ongoing.

Fitterer has been with the Seahawks since 2001, where he effectively operated as a co-assistant GM under John Schneider. He has worked with three head coaches during that span, with his focus primarily on evaluating incoming college talent.

If he accepts the position, Fitterer is expected to have the final say in personnel decisions in Carolina, although coach Matt Rhule will still have an input.

Fitterer’s potential hire comes following an exhaustive search by Panthers owner David Tepper, who interviewed 15 candidates for the position. The list was later trimmed to four with Fitterer, Titans director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort, 49ers vice president of player personnel Adam Peters and Chiefs assistant director of player personnel Ryan Poles being the finalists who were invited for a second in-person interview.

Fitterer would replace longtime general manager Marty Hurney, who was fired in December.

Tepper said at the time he was looking for a general manager who was more data-driven and is a believer in sports analytics. Tepper also said he was looking for ”alignment and collaboration” between the team’s next general manager and Rhule, who was 5-11 in his first season with the Panthers after signing a seven-year, $62 million contract.

“Collaboration doesn’t mean you don’t have arguments about who you are picking,” Tepper said in December. “(We want) a decision-maker, somebody who is a good manager.”

A two-sport athlete in college, Fitterer pitched three seasons in the Blue Jays organization. He began his career with the Giants before joining the Seahawks and rising through the ranks to direct their college personnel department.

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NEW ORLEANS vs CAROLINA
When: 1/3/2021 1:00 PM
Where:

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: 6
PREDICTION: CAROLINA , NEW ORLEANS

Oddsmakers currently have the CAROLINA listed as 6 point favorites versus the NEW ORLEANS, while the game’s total is sitting at 55.5.

There were moments this season when Tennessee played with such force and vigor that a playoff berth seemed all but assured, something akin to a foregone conclusion given their offensive weapons.

But with five teams vying for four AFC playoff spots all sporting the same record, there are no guarantees for the Titans (10-5) on Sunday when they face the host Houston Texans at NRG Stadium.

“I think your approach is that you just have to do things that help you win,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel said of the pending sense of urgency. “You have to play complementary. You’ve got to take care of the football. You’ve got to try to get some turnovers, be sound in the kicking game. Not trying to do too much but go out and make plays and make plays to win the football game.”

The Titans rank third in the NFL in points (450) and fifth in yards (5,851) behind the imposing collective of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, running back Derrick Henry and receivers A.J. Brown and Corey Davis.

Tannehill ranks fourth in passer rating (106.7) and seventh in touchdowns (32) while Henry is threatening to claim a second consecutive triple crown for running backs by pacing the league in attempts (344) and yards (1,777) while sitting one touchdown shy of co-leaders Dalvin Cook and Alvin Kamara (with 16 apiece).

Brown and Davis both have 60 receptions for 900-plus yards while Davis is tied for sixth in the league with 10 receiving touchdowns.

Yet Tennessee has been undone by its defense, which ranks 29th in yards allowed, and is now in need of relying on past playoff experience to navigate the potential landmines in Houston. In theory, the run to the AFC Championship Game last season should serve the Titans well on Sunday, but in a season where guarantees have been few and far between, nothing is certain.

“I don’t know that,” Vrabel said. “We’ve got to focus on the Texans and the challenges that they present and our ability to prepare. I think you try to take from the games that you’ve played and past experiences and try not to think that it’s going to guarantee success because it doesn’t. Each week and each play doesn’t mean anything about the next one. It’s just about finding a way to get there.”

The Texans (4-11) are aiming to get Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson through the season finale. Watson has taken his lumps in recent weeks yet has remained a dynamic force. But the blow he took to his throwing arm in the fourth quarter last Sunday against the Bengals was worrisome enough to lead some to suggest that Watson should sit and call it a season Sunday.

Watson has made it clear, however, that if he is healthy he will play. And by all accounts, he will.

“As far as I know, he’s doing pretty good,” Texans interim coach Romeo Crennel said. “I haven’t heard that he’s not doing well, and so since I feel like he’s doing good, I hope he does good on Sunday, too.”

The post NEW ORLEANS vs. CAROLINA 1/3/2021 NFL Odds, Pick & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

“I would consider anything as we move forward,” Rhule said Thursday on a Zoom conference call. “I’m supportive of the cause. I’m supportive of the movement. I’m supportive of social justice. I think for every person, coach or player, that will be a very personal decision. I think it has to be made at the right time and the right reason for everybody.”

The first-year coach hired from Baylor previously has told his players that he will support them for expressing their views about social injustice.

“I will support my players with whatever they do and then when the time comes I will really think deeply about what is the best thing for me and what is the best way I can show my support,” Rhule said.

In 2016, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice. His ex-teammate Eric Reid kneeled alongside him and later played for the Panthers. Both players reached settlements with the NFL after filing grievances alleging owners colluded to keep Kaepernick out of the league.

Texans coach Bill O’Brien previously has said he will take a knee alongside his players during the national anthem.

Rhule, who like O’Brien is white, said he will confer with his players before making any decision about whether to kneel.

“I think a lot of this has come from the players so I will wait to see what direction they are leaning, and then I will make my decision,” Rhule said.

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LAS VEGAS vs CAROLINA
When: 9/13/2020 1:00 PM
Where:

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: 1
PREDICTION: CAROLINA , LAS VEGAS

Oddsmakers currently have the CAROLINA listed as 1 point favorites versus the LAS VEGAS, while the game’s total is sitting at 47.

The post LAS VEGAS vs. CAROLINA 9/13/2020 NFL Odds, Pick & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

The youth will be able to participate as soon as August and with the support and mentorship of coaches from Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD and other community leaders.

“With the support of Christian, Shaq and 22 Together, and partnering with the Boys and Girls Club, we can be united in our effort to reach more kids and, through them, have an even broader impact on our community, including for our officers who gain much from their experiences as mentors and coaches,” Major Tonya Arrington of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department said in a release.

McCaffrey said right now it is important to make an effort to help the community work through the divisions that exist.

“Sports for me have always been a place for opportunity and for building a strong sense of team,” McCaffrey said. “It is a place where we can communicate values and begin building a more peaceful society. When we come together on a field of play, it helps unite us everywhere else.”

Thompson said when McCaffrey asked him to support the program it was “an easy decision.”

“This is exactly what our community needs right now,” Thompson said. “Something positive, uniting members of our community and police. This unity creates a bond and focuses on kids, so no kid feels left behind and suffers.”

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Perhaps being soaked by an early evening thunderstorm that delayed game action in the first quarter for 25 minutes led to their ill mood. But those who remained at Bank of America Stadium throughout had to be wondering how a Panthers season that started with high expectations is now teetering on the brink of disaster after an 0-2 start.

That became certain after Christian McCaffrey’s fourth-and-one fake reverse was stopped for no gain with 1:22 to play.

”It came down to the ball is in my hands and I’ve got to make a play at the end of the game, and I didn’t,” McCaffrey said.

It marked the third time Carolina was unable to convert a fourth-and-one play. Quarterback Cam Newton was stopped in the first quarter, and a pass by Newton was incomplete earlier in the fourth quarter.

The Panthers were just 3 of 14 on third downs, too.

Oh, and they failed to score a touchdown.

”It’s extremely frustrating knowing that you’re getting opportunities and you’re not putting the ball in the end zone,” Newton said

Carolina’s loss came on a night in which the Panthers were afforded numerous opportunities to even their record following a 30-27 home loss five days earlier against the Los Angeles Rams.

Tampa Bay had a missed touchdown catch on a drive that resulted in a missed field goal late in the third quarter, and the Buccaneers committed 12 penalties.

But the Panthers’ offense misfired time and again on a night in which Carolina’s points came on four field goals and a safety by Luke Kuechly.

”Through my lens, it’s hard to look defensive guys in the eyes after a game like this,” Newton said. ”Offensively, we’ve got to hold up our end of the bargain. We just didn’t uphold our end. And we’re past due.”

Newton, who had offseason shoulder surgery, was questioned earlier in the week about his team’s lack of deep throws.

He appeared to answer those critics with a 44-yard completion to Curtis Samuel late in the first quarter. But offensive line breakdowns led to pressure on six throws and Newton was sacked three times. He completed 25 of 51 passes for 333 yards.

Additionally, Newton’s usually effective running game was again non-existent.

The third all-time rushing quarterback in NFL history, Newton followed his career-low minus-two yards in Sunday’s loss with a second-worst game of two carries for zero yards. For the season, Newton now has five carries for minus-two yards with two fumbles.

”Obviously it’s very frustrating,” Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. ”It’s very frustrating when so many things go against us. And at the end of the day, that’s on me. We’ve got a couple extra days to watch some things on tape. We’ll get those things worked out and those things corrected. We’ve got 15 weeks and we’ll take them one at a time.”

McCaffrey followed last Sunday’s 209 total yards on 29 touches with 53 yards on 18 touches.

Were McCaffrey’s struggles a result of Newton’s inability to establish a running game that has churned for 4,808 yards in his first eight NFL seasons?

”I don’t know,” McCaffrey said. ”We’ll have to see.”

The loss gives Carolina its ninth 0-2 start in the franchise’s 25-year history – and first since 2013.

In 2013, the Panthers started 0-2 and 1-3 before an eight-game winning streak led to a 12-4 record. It marks the only time Carolina has recovered from an 0-2 start to have a winning record.

Even worse for the Panthers, Thursday’s loss marks the ninth time Carolina has started a season with two straight home losses. And the best the Panthers have ever done after losing their first two home games was 7-9 (in 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2007).

The home loss was the team’s fifth straight. That is tied for fourth-longest in franchise history.

Newton said he heard – and understood – the fans’ frustration in the form of boos.

”It’s embarrassing,” Newton said. ”I hear the fans. Walking off the field, I can’t deny the fact that I hear that. You can’t blame them. They deserve better.”

The post Newton, Panthers offense reeling after sluggish 0-2 start appeared first on IdealCapper.

TAMPA BAY vs CAROLINA
When: 8:20 PM ET, Thursday, September 12, 2019
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

TV: 8:20 PM
LINE: -6.5
PREDICTION: CAROLINA , TAMPA BAY

Oddsmakers currently have the CAROLINA listed as -6.5 point favorites versus the TAMPA BAY, while the game’s total is sitting at 51.

NFL Free Pick

Play: Carolina/Tampa Bay UNDER (Game 102).

Edges – Panthers: 1-4 UNDER on Thursdays … Buccaneers: 6-13 UNDER at Carolina, including 3-7 UNDER when coming off a loss … We recommend a 1* play on the UNDER in this game.  Thank you and good luck as always.

The post TAMPA BAY vs. CAROLINA 9/12/2019 NFL Odds, Pick & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

LA RAMS vs CAROLINA
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, September 8, 2019
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX.
LINE: Los Angeles -3.
O/U: 51
PREDICTION: Rams 27, Panthers 20

Oddsmakers currently have the CAROLINA listed as 3 point favorites versus the LA RAMS, while the game’s total is sitting at 51.

The Los Angeles Rams begin their quest for a third consecutive NFC West title – and a second straight trip to the Super Bowl – when they open on the road against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The Panthers hope to get back to the playoffs for the fifth time in seven seasons after missing out last year.

It’s a matchup of two of the NFL’s top rushing attacks as star running back Todd Gurley helped the Rams rank third in the league in rushing a year ago, while quarterback Cam Newton and versatile back Christian McCaffrey gave the Panthers the No. 4 ground game. Gurley should be fresh – like most of the Rams’ starters – as he didn’t play a snap in the preseason and will be seeing his first live game action Sunday. Carolina might consider that strategy next season after Newton suffered a sprained foot during the preseason that threatened to keep him out of the opener. The Panthers have won the past two meetings, including a 16-13 road victory in the most recent clash in 2016.

ABOUT THE RAMS (2018: 13-3, FIRST IN NFC WEST): Los Angeles boasts one of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses as Jared Goff emerged as an elite quarterback in 2018, passing for 4,688 yards and 32 touchdowns to complement Gurley. Goff is surrounded by a talented receiving corps led by Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks, a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in 2018. Veterans Clay Matthews and Eric Weddle were added to a defense anchored by back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, who led the league in sacks (20.5) and tackles for loss (25) last season.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (2018: 7-9, THIRD IN AFC SOUTH): The fate of Carolina’s season likely rests on the health of Newton, who had shoulder surgery in the offseason. If he is able to play to his full potential, the Panthers have plenty of talent around him to put up big offensive numbers, including McCaffrey and young receivers D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel. The defense will have a new look, featuring more 3-4 lineups, but veteran linebacker Luke Kuechly is still the centerpiece after collecting at least 100 tackles in seven straight seasons.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Carolina has won two straight season openers and four of its last five.

2. Gurley leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage (6,430), rushing yards (4,547) and touchdowns (56) since he entered the league in 2015.

3. Rams CB Marcus Peters has 22 interceptions since 2015, the most in the NFL over that stretch.

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The first-round draft pick from Florida State was impressive in his NFL preseason debut with two sacks in less than two quarters of action against the Chicago Bears on Thursday night. And he caught the eye of his new Carolina teammates and coach Ron Rivera even further when he celebrated with two Spiderman poses that would test the flexibility of even the most agile yoga instructors.

It even left quarterback Cam Newton playfully trying to mimic the move on the Carolina sideline.

”After I did the pose a lot of my teammates tried to figure out how I did it,” Burns said with a laugh Sunday. ”Cam was on the sideline trying to do it. But no one else can do it except for me.”

When asked if Newton came close to duplicating his pose, Burns laughed and said, ”No. The next time you get him for an interview, make him try to do it.”

Newton knows a thing or two about superhero poses.

He regularly celebrates his touchdowns by striking the Superman pose and pretending to slowly rip open his jersey to reveal an imaginary ”S” on his chest. And it was Newton who nicknamed the team’s top defensive player, linebacker Luke Kuechly ”Captain America,” although the mild-mannered Kuechly has never been one for posing after big plays.

The Panthers can use all of the superheroes – and playmakers – they can get after a disappointing 7-9 season in 2018 in which they missed the playoffs.

The defense was 27th in the league in sacks last year, but help may be on the way.

Burns and fellow outside linebacker Marquis Haynes, an undrafted rookie in 2018, both impressed Rivera, combining for four sacks in the win over the Bears as the new 3-4 defensive scheme received rave reviews. Both players started against the Bears with Carolina resting all of its normal defensive starters in the preseason opener.

”They are different style players where Marquis is a powerful, explosive guy and Brian is very quick and long,” Rivera said. ”So they have a different skillset.”

Rivera previously said he liked the three-man rotation at outside linebacker of Burns, Mario Addison and Bruce Irvin. But he said with how well Haynes played he’s now thinking it might be a four-man rotation.

”We have a tremendous gift; God has blessed us with the speed,” Burns said of himself and Haynes. ”It’s like a little tandem we got going on. He can definitely be a part of that rotation because we need fresh pass rushers in the game.”

Burns called it a good start to his NFL career, but said he there are bigger and better things ahead.

And more Spiderman poses, too.

”Just stayed tuned, there is a lot more to come,” Burns said.

The Panthers certainly hope so.

NOTES: Defensive end Kawann Short left practice early Sunday after getting kicked in the shin. Rivera offered no timetable on his return, saying ”we took him off and wanted to ice it so it didn’t swell up.” … The Panthers will host joint practices with the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday and Wednesday at Wofford College.

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CAROLINA PANTHERS vs CLEVELAND BROWNS
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 9, 2018
Where: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: 1
PREDICTION: CLEVELAND , CAROLINA

Oddsmakers currently have the CLEVELAND listed as 1 point favorites versus the CAROLINA, while the game’s total is sitting at 47.

The Carolina Panthers need a road win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday to buoy their fading playoff hopes. The Panthers have lost four straight contests to slide from division title contender to the fringe of the playoff picture.

With two matchups against NFC South-leading New Orleans in the final three weeks of the regular season, the Panthers can’t afford a fifth consecutive loss. “I think we’re in a spot where we need to win out,” Carolina safety Eric Reid told reporters. “If we are going to make the playoffs, that’s the only way to do it. If I had to guess, we need to win out and then cheer on a couple teams to help us get in.” The Browns aren’t quite postseason-ready, but they’ve made huge strides since last year’s winless campaign. Cleveland had a two-game winning streak snapped in a 29-13 loss at Houston last week, but winning out would give the team its first winning season since 2007.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Panthers -2. O/U: 47

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (6-6): Carolina has watched its season start to slip away one excruciating loss at a time, as its last three defeats have come by a total of 11 points. Cam Newton quietly is putting together an excellent season, as he has passed for 2,999 yards with 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while combining with Christian McCaffrey to lead the league’s No. 2 rushing offense. Turnovers have been the killer during the losing streak, as the Panthers have eight giveaways in their last four game after committing only seven during a 6-2 start.

ABOUT THE BROWNS (4-7-1): Rookies Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb have made Cleveland’s offense respectable, and the former passed for a career-high 397 yards in last week’s loss to Houston. The Browns were done in by four turnovers against the Texans, and the defense failed to record a takeaway for the first time all season. Second-year defensive end Myles Garrett (11.5 sacks) has been the brightest spot on a defense that ranks 29th against the pass and 28th versus the run.

EXTRA POINTS

1. McCaffrey is the first player in NFL history with at least 50 yards both rushing and receiving in five consecutive games.

2. Mayfield’s 263.9 passing yards per game is the second-highest average among rookies since 1970 behind only Andrew Luck’s 273.4.

3. Newton has thrown at least two touchdown passes in 11 consecutive games, the second-longest active streak in the league behind Philip Rivers’ 13-game run.

PREDICTION: Panthers 26, Browns 23

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