Who survives?

Atlanta is firing their OC, DC, and ST coaches. No telling what position coaches are being let go. Tepper has told Rivera to make some changes. So who's out, do you think? I have some thoughts, but several of you know more about all this than I do, so I'm interested in hearing yours.

• Norv Turner - Offensive Coordinator. I think he gets to come back if he wants to. Most of the year the offense wasn't the problem and when it was, it was because Cam was limited.
  • John Matsko - Running Game Coordinator. He's really our offensive line coach with a slightly better title. I'm not sure what to think of his job this year, because we were down our two starting tackles and somehow still had a top 10 unit according to Football Outsiders. Granted, when our line failed it did so in spectacular fashion, getting our QBs killed. But he's done a pretty good job in Carolina, particularly in developing talent.
  • Travelle Wharton - Assistant Offensive Line. I have nothing to say about him, outside of noting that I don't see how he could be viewed as a problem.
  • Jim Skipper - Running Backs. It's hard to believe he's the guy making decisions about how much to play CMC and to ignore CJ Anderson. He's also been around forever and wasn't part of any problem this year that I could tell.
  • Pete Hoener - Tight Ends. He seems to have done a decent job with our fourth round pick, for what that's worth.
  • Lance Taylor - Wide Receivers. On the one hand, look at how Moore and Samuel have developed so far. On the other, what happened to Funchess? He has a connection to CMC, but that's his only connection. Could be a symbolic dismissal.
    
  • Jerricho Cotchery - Assistant Wide Receivers. His situation is a lot like Wharton's. I think he's safe.
    
  • Drew Terrell - Offensive Quality Control. I can't imagine any of the quality control folks losing their jobs, although that's where analytics begin. I just have no idea how good he is at his job.
    
  • Scott Turner - Quarterbacks. If Cam likes him he's gold.
• Eric Washington - Defensive Coordinator. Not sure he should even be on the staff next year, he's certainly being demoted at the very least.
  • Brady Hoke - Defensive Line. Already gone.
  • Sam Mills III - Assistant Defensive Line/Defensive Line. How far can the Mills name take you in Carolina? I don't think the line played particularly well, although an argument can be made that we could have used more young talent. The coaching staff has done a shit job with Butler and no one improved in 2018. I really have no idea who had the idea that a guy who played in the secondary in college would be a good DL coach, it's almost like they just wanted to find a spot for him. Tepper never met Sam Mills Jr, to my knowledge, so there's a potential casualty here.
  • Steve Russ - Linebackers. I'm really not sure how you coach Keuchly and Davis, but Russ just finished his first year and I'm not aware of any connections he has to other coaches here. Could be a symbolic sacrifice, and it won't make much of a difference, particularly if TD returns.
  • Richard Rodgers - Secondary. Played in college with Rivera. Was Steve Wilks' assistant but given the full time job this year for the first time (Jeff Imamura had the title last year). I'm personally not a fan, we had guys out of position far too much and they just didn't seem to play well in general. I hope he's gone.
  • Jeff Imamura - Assistant Defensive Backs. Already fired.
    
  • Vincent Rivera - Defensive Quality Control. We should fire him and give his job back to Sam Mills III.
• Chase Blackburn - Special Teams Coach. For the first time in years I thought we had decent Special Teams play. Really hope he returns.
  • Heath Farwell - Assistant Special Teams. This is the Quality control guy for Special Teams. As stated, we seemed to do well on special teams this year. But again, no idea what this guy really brings or if he made any mistakes we don't know about.
  • Joe Kenn - Strength & Conditioning. I have no complaints at all in this area, and we need a guy with a chin like Joe Kenn.

 

Wilks will be back. Eric Washington will be back coaching the defensive line. He's a good soldier, and surely realizes he was out of his depth as a play caller. We might cut some fat with the miscellaneous positions (two different quality control coaches is a bit much) but I don't expect any other major changes on the football side. There's nothing to suggest we need a change in the training side either. I'm less sure about the medical staff. I don't know how you greenlight your franchise quarterback to play with a bad shoulder two out of the last three years. Vermilliam has been here forever, but maybe it's time for him to go.

 

I was under the impression that teams usually carry two QC coaches.

 

There's no reason why you can't consolidate that into one job (also, who does special teams QC??) but I think you make a good point about it being replaced with all together with something like an analytics person.

 

You realize Jerry’s grandson is still running pro personnel, right?

I’d look to make a change on that front yesterday.

 

I'm available.

 

Sorry, you point out inconvenient facts on message boards that are racially charged.

 

John Matsko is a damn fine man, and coach. But I’m biased, because he spent like 45 minutes talking with me and my son in front of Hooters after his first Panthers game this year.

 

I have a bad feeling about Norv Turner. I’m just uneasy about the guy. He looks and seems like a guy who would fucking “retire” halfway through a season.

 

If you're looking for more efficient quality control, the Panthers should hire me to sit beside Norv in the booth.