The Carolina Panthers have already taken aim at two reunions this offseason—one successful and the other not. While they were able to hire their first starting quarterback in Frank Reich as their new head coach, they missed on bringing back their first-ever defensive coordinator Vic Fangio as their latest defensive coordinator.
So, will they take yet another swing for the past? According to Joe Person of The Athletic, they very well could.
With the team now having hired Ejiro Evero as their new defensive play caller, Person opined that Dom Capers—the first-ever head coach of the Panthers—could follow the 42-year-old over from the Denver Broncos. He writes:
On defense, keep an eye on Bobby Maffei, who worked with the secondary after Steve Wilks took over and coached in the Senior Bowl last week. The Panthers also could bring in Dom Capers, the first coach in team history, in a defensive consultant role. Capers has ties to both Evero and Reich, a quarterback on Capers’ first team.
Capers, now 72 years old, led the Panthers through their first four seasons—having amassed a 30-34 record from 1995 to 1998. That stretch was highlighted by a 12-4 campaign in 1996, where Capers was awarded AP Coach of the Year honors while guiding Carolina to the NFC Championship game.
With Evero turning down some intriguing opportunities elsewhere, it’s safe to say he’ll have a bit of pull in his new role—and he could help pull off another full-circle moment for the franchise this offseason.
