Panthers

Offense

Chudzinski, 43, has worked wonders for Derek Anderson in Cleveland and rookie Cam Newton in Carolina. His loss would have the potential to be a significant blow to the Panthers. Carolina’s 2011 offense set a franchise record for yards (6,237), a year after finishing last in the league. Only the Packers, Saints, Patriots, and Lions scored more points than the Panthers this season.

“That Chud will come back is simply a prediction,” writes columnist Scott Fowler, “not a fact.” Chudzinski did draw initial interest for the Jaguars’ head-coaching vacancy, but reports since have indicated Falcons OC Mike Mularkey and Bengals OC Jay Gruden may be higher on Jacksonville’s short list. Chudzinski’s return would be excellent news for Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.

Mike Sherman is the only finalist thus far, though the Bucs seem to be in no hurry to turn to him after losing out on Oregon’s Chip Kelly. The Bucs are testing Panthers coach Ron Rivera’s patience with their protracted search. “We’ve heard nothing,” said Rivera. “Hopefully, we’ll hear something by the end of the week.”

During Hurney’s second season as Carolina’s general manager, they went to the Super Bowl. It’s been mostly downhill since thanks to awful drafting and free-agency moves. He wasted picks on Jimmy Clausen and Armanti Edwards, and also wildly overpaid Jake Delhomme in 2009. During Hurney’s 10 years in charge, the Panthers have never posted back-to-back winning seasons and are a league-worst 9-29 since the start of the 2010 season. Hurney strangely gave DeAngelo Williams a $43 million contract in 2011 and then handed out a $37 million deal to Jonathan Stewart just before this season. The Panthers have proceeded to utilize a pass-first offense. The Ron Rivera coaching regime is officially on notice as they take a 1-5 record into Week 8.

The team’s charter plane is scheduled to leave for Kansas City from Charlotte at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday. This does not rule out the possibility of the game being cancelled, but it certainly looks as though the league intends for the game to be played.

They’re looking to replace Marty Hurney, who was fired on October 22. Accorsi will immediately begin assisting owner Jerry Richardson by recommending to him GM candidates. Accorsi helped Falcons owner Arthur Blank hire Thomas Dimitriff, so there is some historical evidence that Richardson picked the right guy to lead the search.

As is Bengals DBs coach Hue Jackson. Carolina’s interest in Shurmur was first reported on Friday. The conservative Shurmur would be a supremely uninspiring hire for Cam Newton’s prospects both in real life and fantasy, and a major downgrade from Rob Chudzinski. Jackson is the far more compelling candidate, though his iconoclastic reputation could hurt him.

Owner Jerry Richardson has shown a tendency toward hiring people from the Carolinas, and Popp has local ties. The long-time CFL executive has an impressive track record, with four Grey Cup titles. Over 19 years, each of his teams has made the playoffs. Popp is one of five or six candidates for the position in Carolina.

The Panthers reportedly want to run an offense similar to the one used by Rob Chudzinski the past two years, combining a vertical passing attack with a zone-read package to highlight Cam Newton’s running ability. While elevating Shula would make for the most seamless transition, Jackson has a more impressive track record.

Per beat writer Joe Person, the Panthers want to keep running the same style of offense they were using under former OC Rob Chudzinski. That would make Shula, the son of legendary Dolphins coach Don Shula, the favorite. The only other known candidates right now are West Coast guru Pat Shurmur and power-running Hue Jackson.