Although he’ll have the control a general manager should have for the first time in his tenure with the Carolina Panthers, Scott Fitterer will be working together with new head coach Frank Reich to find a quarterback. And he may have just given a hint as to what they’ll be looking for.
But before that, in his interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio on Thursday, Fitterer heaped praise on Reich—for his reputation, his acumen and his personality.
“Just getting to know him right now—but the way he interviewed, what he stands for, all of his character, principles, he’s off the charts,” Fitterer said. “Everyone that we talked to for references was over the top about him—as a person as well as a football coach. And, ya know, obviously the quarterback background—all those things added up to a guy that is the right fit for us.”
Okay, now here’s what you clicked this post for . . .
When asked if it’s important to maintain symmetry with Reich during their search for a passer, Fitterer dropped a little preview at the end of this here quote:
“You have to remember what we do have on the roster,” he responded. “We drafted Matt Corral last year. PJ [Walker] is still on our roster. Sam Darnold actually played well for us at times this year. He’s got a ton of talent. He’s a free agent, so we’ll have to make some decisions there.
“But, yes, we do have to be very much aligned. What are we looking for? What type of offense are we gonna run? Then, I know Frank and his staff will be able to adapt to that player’s traits. But there is a certain threshold we’ll want from a physical standpoint.”
Physical standpoint, huh? (Maybe they grew tired of seeing Baker Mayfield getting his passes batted down this past season.)
Anyway, Reich has historically worked with taller quarterbacks. In fact, none of the starters he’s ever coached were under 6-foot-4—with Andrew Luck, Jacoby Brissett and Matt Ryan measuring in at that mark and Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz and Nick Foles all at 6-foot-5 or above.
So, keep this in mind when draft season continues to pick up steam. (We’re looking at you, CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson.)
