Fitt Should Be Fired Yesterday

[Bear Hands]

The other thing to note re:drafting -- there really can not be the usual "wait a few more years for the picks to work out" retort. 

The year where they said he had more say with Rhule, we traded up, TWICE.  And both of those guys are off the team completely after 1 season (Corral and Brandon Smith).  Corral is basically out of the NFL.

I'm going to repeat this ad nauseam, but we used 5 picks in the 2022 draft to take 3 guys ALREADY off the team.  Last years draft, 5 picks, completely gone, poof.

Ekwonu is struggling mightily, Mays and Barno, I mean, they're going to be depth here or elsewhere at best. 

I agree, that he has a certain eye, seems like a cool, professional, knowledgeable guy, knows who he is and how he operates, but he's made so many poor moves.  There's no justifying how bad it's been.  What we turned CMC's trade package into is just sad.   

Compounding 2021's disaster of a draft, 2022, and now this year's with Bryce, Mingo, and long shots in DJ and Zavala, that's three in a row with virtually nothing. 

2021 set it off for me not taking Slater.  I could be sold the idea of us not taking Parsons, Surtain, Devonta, & Darrisaw pre-hindsight, but not Slater.  So many wanted him right alongside Sewell.  

This year, the lack of speed on offense was a glaring problem.  There was Achane, Mims, Dell, Spears, Downs, Reed, Douglas, Scott, plenty to offer and we pressed elsewhere keeping a blind eye to such a critical component to success.  Gave up more picks during the draft for DJJ.  Could've easily landed some excitement on offense.  It's just all crap. Giving up so much for projects who amount to nothing.

 

 

[amcoolio]

37 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Fitts should've followed Rhule out the door and now we're going to pay dearly for not making that move. He's surpassed Hurney in terribleness at this point and he's challenging Seifert.

Hurney at least hit on 1st round picks. Fitt could draft his way out of a paper bag. I would take Hurney back as our GM if it meant getting those 1st round picks right again.

[amcoolio]

3 minutes ago, Bear Hands said:

The other thing to note re:drafting -- there really can not be the usual "wait a few more years for the picks to work out" retort. 

The year where they said he had more say with Rhule, we traded up, TWICE.  And both of those guys are off the team completely after 1 season (Corral and Brandon Smith).  Corral is basically out of the NFL.

I'm going to repeat this ad nauseam, but we used 5 picks in the 2022 draft to take 3 guys ALREADY off the team.  Last years draft, 5 picks, completely gone, poof.

Ekwonu is struggling mightily, Mays and Barno, I mean, they're going to be depth here or elsewhere at best. 

I agree, that he has a certain eye, seems like a cool, professional, knowledgeable guy, knows who he is and how he operates, but he's made so many poor moves.  There's no justifying how bad it's been.  What we turned CMC's trade package into is just sad.   

Compounding 2021's disaster of a draft, 2022, and now this year's with Bryce, Mingo, and long shots in DJ and Zavala, that's three in a row with virtually nothing. 

2021 set it off for me not taking Slater.  I could be sold the idea of us not taking Parsons, Surtain, Devonta, & Darrisaw pre-hindsight, but not Slater.  So many wanted him right alongside Sewell.  

This year, the lack of speed on offense was a glaring problem.  There was Achane, Mims, Dell, Spears, Downs, Reed, Douglas, Scott, plenty to offer and we pressed elsewhere keeping a blind eye to such a critical component to success.  Gave up more picks during the draft for DJJ.  Could've easily landed some excitement on offense.  It's just all crap. Giving up so much for projects who amount to nothing.

 

 

It's compounded by the fact we traded one of the NFL's best offensive players for draft picks then drafted clear busts immediately

[Shocker]

They should have taken Torrence instead of Mingo.  We would be so better off.

Fitterer has this philosophy of waiting for a “run” at a position and then reacting.  It doesn’t work at all.  Almost like he doesn’t really know talent.
 

Whatever I am done with him after his trades anyway

Edited November 6, 2023 by Shocker

[Bear Hands]

1 minute ago, Shocker said:

They should have taken Torrence instead of Mingo.  We would be so better off.

Fitterer has this philosophy of waiting for a “run” at a position and then reacting.  It doesn’t work at all.  Almost like he doesn’t really know talent.
 

Whatever I am done with him after his trades anyway

Add Juju Brents and Tuli Tu to that as well

[Mage]

I'm tired of taking turns firing GMs and HCs.  If we fire Fitt (and we should), then we need to fire Reich too.  Start over completely.  Have the next GM have a big say in the next HC.

[Shocker]

If Tepper is truly heavily involved with player personnel and the roster we are fugged beyond hope.  Cannot win with an owner doing that

[Paa Langfart]

Sorry Panthers fans, but it is time to let loose of that Dan Morgan making some 20 plus tackles in our first  super bowl  too. It doesn't mean dick when it comes to evaluating talent.  Might just mean old friendships and debts for all we know.  Get rid of these bums.  Clean fukin house please.

[heel31ok]

2 hours ago, Proudiddy said:

I know the issue has been discussed ad nauseum, but I figure this was thread worthy because up until this season, I was an adamant supporter of Fitt.  I believed in him.  He came from a front office and organizational culture that drafted, signed, and built a winner.  He seemed to have and flexed a wide net of connections across the league that greatly helped us facilitate trades that at times had tremendous value, or at least the potential of tremendous value - and that no doubt is a huge asset.  I also like that he seemed to target size/athleticism combos on all draft picks, because it seemed to follow the Seattle model.

But, it's time.  Not sure who has been responsible for what picks and signings at this point, because as has been discussed - we have no idea who was making the decisions since Tepper has been here.  With any personnel decision we've made under this ownership, we have to ask, was it Tepper's decision?  Rhule's?  Fitt's?  Who knows.  But someone has to answer for it.

The damage and casualties of the recklessness displayed by this front office is of a level I don't think the league has ever seen before, and I'm not exaggerating.  Between giving CMC away to one of the best teams in the league who you knew would utilize him to maximize his potential and not even being able to net a future first is absolutely fuging insane...  and to boot, he goes there and does exactly what we expected and is playing himself into being the MVP frontrunner.

Then we have 4 potential franchise QB considerations in the first round of the draft.  Only one of them refused to workout at the combine and also just happens to be built like a middle schooler.  Not only did we not stand pat and see what we would get at 9.  Not only did we not trade up into the top 5 to take one of them that fell to us.  We traded crazy assets to move up, just to take the worst candidate out of all of them (and that's even considering AR suffering a season-ending injury).  And in the process, on top of the cost of draft picks to do this, we trade a Top 5 WR talent in DJ to do so.  And in the ultimate insult to injury, because the guy we sold out to draft at #1 is ass and as a result we are unintentionally tanking, the number one pick we traded to get him will now put the Bears in position to potentially have the first overall pick from us and possibly another top 3 pick because they suck.  Don't think that has ever happened before either - a team trading a first to move up to first for a franchise changing player and then that same team becomes the worst team in the NFL after making that pick.  It is the absolute opposite effect you want from a #1 pick.

Then we have Burns.  Instead of just giving him a reasonable contract extension over the offseason, which was reportedly significantly lower than what the number would now be projected at, we decided to stupidly play hardball with him.  Instead of being decisive about his significance and role with the team, we pussyfooted around and neither extended him nor traded him for value...  passing up on draft capital that would've at least somewhat mitigated the hit we took in trading up for Bryce.  Now, Burns is understandably playing more cautiously to get through the season, got injured today in a game that Bryce, the guy they sold the farm for, single-handedly lost.  And again, things would feel different if this same FO that is so reckless with draft assets was actually good at identifying, acquiring and developing gems from later rounds in the draft or free agency, but nope.  The cupboard is pretty bare in terms of depth.

As I said, the mounting damage and casualties have reached an insurmountable level.  It can't be ignored.  It can't be swept under the rug and revisited later.  I'm sure Tepper had a hand in all of these moves, but if you don't have the balls to take a stand on something one way or another as the guy making the personnel decisions, then you gotta answer for them.  

Never in the history of this franchise has it ever felt so desolate and hopeless before;  Not just because of the decisions that have already been made (and horribly), but because of what those decisions cost us in the future and how long it will take us to get out of the hole that has been dug.  This poo could not have been imagined a bigger nightmare if Stephen King took up writing about NFL personnel departments.  And sadly, even if Fitt is fired, I don't see things getting any better unless Tepper stops meddling, and I don't see that happening either.  We are just in a very hopeless state right now...

We have time now but he shouldn't ever make another draft pick for us.

[Billy Goat]

2 hours ago, Mage said:

I'm tired of taking turns firing GMs and HCs.  If we fire Fitt (and we should), then we need to fire Reich too.  Start over completely.  Have the next GM have a big say in the next HC.

 

Ordinarily that's what should happen but it makes no difference with the Panthers. Tepper wants to be involved in every process and the GM will not have sole control over these decisions. We are stuck with a billionaire owner thinking he can apply his business acumen to a sports franchise.

[mrcompletely11]

8 hours ago, Shocker said:

If Tepper is truly heavily involved with player personnel and the roster we are fugged beyond hope.  Cannot win with an owner doing that

There isno if.  It's been documented heavily.  

[Soul Rebel]

12 hours ago, Bear Hands said:

The other thing to note re:drafting -- there really can not be the usual "wait a few more years for the picks to work out" retort. 

The year where they said he had more say with Rhule, we traded up, TWICE.  And both of those guys are off the team completely after 1 season (Corral and Brandon Smith).  Corral is basically out of the NFL.

I'm going to repeat this ad nauseam, but we used 5 picks in the 2022 draft to take 3 guys ALREADY off the team.  Last years draft, 5 picks, completely gone, poof.

Ekwonu is struggling mightily, Mays and Barno, I mean, they're going to be depth here or elsewhere at best. 

I agree, that he has a certain eye, seems like a cool, professional, knowledgeable guy, knows who he is and how he operates, but he's made so many poor moves.  There's no justifying how bad it's been.  What we turned CMC's trade package into is just sad.   

Compounding 2021's disaster of a draft, 2022, and now this year's with Bryce, Mingo, and long shots in DJ and Zavala, that's three in a row with virtually nothing. 

2021 set it off for me not taking Slater.  I could be sold the idea of us not taking Parsons, Surtain, Devonta, & Darrisaw pre-hindsight, but not Slater.  So many wanted him right alongside Sewell.  

This year, the lack of speed on offense was a glaring problem.  There was Achane, Mims, Dell, Spears, Downs, Reed, Douglas, Scott, plenty to offer and we pressed elsewhere keeping a blind eye to such a critical component to success.  Gave up more picks during the draft for DJJ.  Could've easily landed some excitement on offense.  It's just all crap. Giving up so much for projects who amount to nothing.

 

 

This is where I’m at. Fitts has a problem in Houston where a team that was arguably worse than us last year, has a coaching vacancy and needed a QB1 is thriving. Us…not so much.

Not taking Downs and going B2B WRs when you just traded away your WR1 and need to support your new QB1, for DJ is the r last straw for me.

We could’ve had an AJ Brown clone in Mingo and a Smitty-esque speedster in Downs. 
 

I don’t trust this organization to make the correct moves moving forward. We have to figure out LT, WR1, NT, CB1, CB2, EDGE and RB. 
 

[jimfear]

12 hours ago, Proudiddy said:

Never in the history of this franchise has it ever felt so desolate and hopeless before;  Not just because of the decisions that have already been made (and horribly), but because of what those decisions cost us in the future and how long it will take us to get out of the hole that has been dug.  This poo could not have been imagined a bigger nightmare if Stephen King took up writing about NFL personnel departments.  And sadly, even if Fitt is fired, I don't see things getting any better unless Tepper stops meddling, and I don't see that happening either.  We are just in a very hopeless state right now...

This is exactly how I feel. I'm old enough to have been a fan since the franchise started, but I don't remember feeling this hopeless. Choosing the wrong QB is bad, but we've done it and eventually moved past it. This time, we sold the proverbial farm to pick a guy with massive question marks who appears to be the wrong guy. The 2024 draft class is loaded with QB prospects, so of course the Panthers would mortgage the future to trade up in a weaker class and take a guy who would be an outlier if he is successful.

[Daeavorn]

If Fitterer is Tepper's yes man then he will stay as long as Tepper wants him to. I could see him being fired as a lamb to the fans but we shouldn't expect anything to change until Tepper comes in front of a camera and tells us he's going to fug off.