Comparing Football Staffs: Panthers vs Giants

[Mr. Scot]

The topic of the Panthers front office and scouting staff makeup has come up in a couple of recent threads.  General Manager Dave Gettleman has thus far not made many changes to the overall structure, though it's possible there could be more to come.  With that in mind, I thought I'd take a minute to do a little direct comparison of the Panthers staff with that of Gettleman's former organization, The New York Giants.

 

So here goes...

 

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THE MAN IN CHARGE

 

Giants: Jerry Reese - Senior Vice President and General Manager

Panthers: Dave Gettleman - General Manager

 

Gettleman was up for the Giants GM job when Ernie Accorsi retired, but the job went to Reese instead.  If the Giants slide continues next season, I wonder if people will start questioning that decision.

 

CHIEF "CAPOLOGIST"

 

Giants: Kevin Abrams - Assistant General Manager

Panthers: Rob Rogers - Director of Team Administration

 

This isn’t a true equivalent as far as title, but it is in function.  Abrams is primarily a cap manager and contract negotiator and doesn’t really have a true ‘football’ background.  Essentially, he’s Marty Hurney.  And he’s fine in that role, just don’t put him in charge of the whole thing.  Rob Rogers is now what hurney once was, and he should probably stay there because he’s good at it, but don’t put him in charge of talent evaluation.  I imagine if the Panthers ever do hire someone with the title of Assistant GM, it’ll be more like what the Ravens have in Eric DeCosta.  Truthfully, if you were looking for a true "Second in Command" for the Panthers at this moment, it'd be most correct to give that title to Head Coach Ron Rivera.

 

CHIEF OF COLLEGE SCOUTING

 

Giants: Marc Ross - Vice President, Player Evaluation

Panthers: Don Gregory - Director of College Scouting

 

The Giants gave Ross a new title (and probably a raise) after numerous teams interviewed him for open GM slots, but as far as I know his duties are still the same as when he was Director of College Scouting.  Ross is someone I’d love to have here as an Assistant GM and an heir apparent to Gettleman (former Dolphins assistant GM Brian Gaine is another guy I could conceivably see in that role).

 

 

CHIEF OF PRO SCOUTING

 

Giants: Ken Sternfeld - Director of Pro Personnel

Panthers: Mark Koncz - Director of Pro Scouting

 

Both have previously worked in team ticket offices, though Sternfeld has some scouting background as well.  Koncz? Not that I know of, but the Panthers site doesn’t have bios on most of the staff like the Giants website does (wish they did).

 

 

GIANTS ONLY

The Panthers have no one on staff with equivalent titles and/or duties to the following:

 

Rita Giordanetti - Assistant to General Manager/Scouting

Matt Shauger - Assistant Director of Pro Personnel

Andrea Wagner - Assistant, Pro Personnel

 

Shauger is another one I would love for the Panthers to steal from the Giants for some kind of role here.  When he was Giants Director of Pro Personnel, Dave Gettleman commissioned Schauger to research and write a team scouting profile on the Patriots prior to their second Super Bowl matchup.  Schauger created a 125 page report that became the basis for the Giants game plan to beat the Patriots, and do so in more convincing fashion than they had the first time.

 

 

SENIOR SCOUTS

 

Giants:

 

Joe Collins - Executive Scout

Jeremiah Davis - Executive Scout
Steve Verderosa - Executive Scout

 

Panthers:

 

Ryan Cowden- National Scout/Senior College Scout
Jeff Morrow- National Scout/Senior College Scout

These are the guys who help settle the arguments when scouts disagree on prospects.  I actually think having three rather than two because then you’ve got a tiebreaker.
 

PRO SCOUTS

 

Giants:

 

Patrick Hanscomb - Pro Scout
Tim McDonnell - Pro Scout

 

Panthers:

 

Clyde Powers- Pro Scout
Don Warren- Pro Scout

 

Equal numbers, but I won't know how equal they are as far as experience without a little research.  Again, the Giants website provides bios for a lot of their "football" staff, including the scouting department.  The Panthers site includes bios only for General Manager Dave Gettleman, Team President Danny Morrison and Team Owner Jerry Richardson.
 

COMBINE SCOUTS

 

Giants: Chris Watts - BLESTO Scout

Panthers: Matt Allen- Combine Scout

Scouts with a special designation to work with the annual Scouting Combine, though to be clear all college scouts and the team GM attend the combine.

 

 

COLLEGE SCOUTS

 

Giants:

 

Steve Devine - Scout
Donnie Etheridge - Scout
Ryan Jones - Scout
Steve Malin - Scout
Chris Pettit - Scout
Jeremy Breit - Scout

 

Panthers:

 

Jeff Beathard- College Scout
Khary Darlington - College Scout
Robert Haines - College Scout
John Peterson - College Scout
Mike Szabo - College Scout
Eli Montague - Scouting Assistant

Once again, the Giants site giveth.  The Panthers site giveth not.  Six full scouts to five scouts and a scouting assistant.  Jeff Beathard is the son of former Redskins/Chargers GM (and Marty Hurney mentor) Bobby Beathard.

 

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So there you have the basics.  Now, because someone was kind enough to post a link to the Panthers media guide (I've forgotten who, but thank you again) I'm gonna have the chance to get a little more info on some of these guys here shortly.  I'll post that as I have time.

 

I actually would like to see the Panthers add some extra names and titles on the administrative side, but at least when it comes to the direct scouting area, it's pretty equivalent as far as numbers.

 

Changes to come? Possible.

 

I guess we'll see.

[frash.exe]

I highly doubt anybody reconsiders the Reese promotion since they won two superbowls while he was the general manager

[Mr. Scot]

I highly doubt anybody reconsiders the Reese promotion since they won two superbowls while he was the general manager

 

...with Dave Gettleman still on staff.  The same year Gettleman leaves, they tank.

 

Realistically, it's probably just a coincidence and in all likelihood, the Giants will probably be back to form next season.

 

But if they do tank another season next year and the Panthers look great again, you can bet there'll be someone who'll ask the question "Did we promote the wrong guy?"

 

 

[csx]

I don't see how Gettleman leaving could possibly affect the offensive play being the director of pro personnel. Especially given they kept the same offensive players and staff.

[frash.exe]

Correlation vs causation

Who really knows what the problem was with the Giants this year. It could be Coughlin's burning out or because Eli had a bad year. But Reese will never be questioned because he was the captain of the ship. Gettleman was the director of pro personnel for a bit but then he took a reduced role. His influence probably was far reaching in their office, but Reese has the final say on any decision.

[Mr. Scot]

Correlation vs causation

Who really knows what the problem was with the Giants this year. It could be Coughlin's burning out or because Eli had a bad year. But Reese will never be questioned because he was the captain of the ship. Gettleman was the director of pro personnel for a bit but then he took a reduced role. His influence probably was far reaching in their office, but Reese has the final say on any decision.

 

Gettleman's job as Director of Pro Personnel (before he took a reduced role) wasn't just evaluating free agents.  He was also the guy in charge of scouting opponents.  It's one of the things I liked when we were talking about hiring him.  That kind of experience and ability can come in handy for a guy building a team.

 

What went wrong with the Giants?  Unknown.  Short answer?  A lot of things.  I don't think a collapse like what the Giants had this past season can be pinned on one single factor.

 

Regardless, I'm not going to say the loss of Gettleman is what dropped them.  Nor would i say Jerry Reese isn't a good GM because his track record speaks for itself.

 

What i did say, and continue to say, is that if the Giants under Reese continue in a downward trend while the Panthers go on to improved success, someone - most likely someone in the New York media - will definitely ask that question.

[El Chingon]

I'm shocked no one else had given you Pie on this. Excellent work.

[Mr. Scot]

Since the media guide provides some background that isn't on the site, I'll be doing some more digging later.

But this weekend is The Super Bowl and my lady's birthday is coming up, so...