The Panthers introduced Frank Reich as their new head coach at a Tuesday press conference and one of the things that will determine Reich’s success in the role is the call the team makes at quarterback.
Reich’s Colts tenure was marred by an inability to find a lasting answer at the position and the Panthers’ plans to make sure they avoid the same fate were a topic of conversation. One route they could go is the draft — the Panthers have the ninth overall pick — and General Manager Scott Fitterer said on Tuesday that “in an ideal world we would draft and develop” a quarterback.
Fitterer said he wouldn’t commit to going that route at this point in the evaluation process, but added that he thinks the rest of the roster is in position to help a quarterback thrive right off the bat.
“I think you’ve got to have conviction,” Fitterer said, via Schuyler Callahan of USAToday.com. “If there’s a guy in this class that you like, you got to go up and go get him. We’re in a position now where we have a defense, we have an offensive line. We built around this for this opportunity. So if you have conviction, go get him. If not, you don’t want to force it. You don’t want to take a player and pass on a really good player, that might set you back. But you can’t be afraid to take a shot if you believe that’s the guy.”
The Panthers have 2021 third-round pick Matt Corral under contract, but his rookie year was a washout due to a Lisfranc injury and the team’s unlikely to see his presence as a deterrent to any move that may be available to them in the coming months.