Panthers assistant GM Dan Morgan plans personnel shift for new 3-4 defense

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New Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero is installing a 3-4 base defense after Carolina previously ran a 4-3, and Panthers assistant general manager Dan Morgan is at work making sure the personnel matches the scheme.

Morgan, who played linebacker for the Panthers for seven seasons and has worked in personnel for various NFL teams for 13 years, told the Charlotte Observer he likes the opportunities to bring in different kinds of athletes in the Panthers’ new defense.

“This is the first time from a scouting perspective that the team I’m scouting for is actually a 3-4,” Morgan said. “So I’ve been a 4-3 guy this whole time. So, for me, it’s kind of exciting to be in this 3-4 hybrid. I feel like different players and different body types can fit in this defense then kind of what we’re used to.”

The Panthers will take a quarterback with the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, but in later rounds they’ll be looking to bolster their defense, and Morgan believes the scouting staff can now look at a wider range of athletes.

“In a 4-3, I feel like it’s a lot more specific about what you want, in terms of like a one-technique or a three-technique, and then your edge players,” Morgan said. “But in this defense, I feel like you can have some different body types, and have more versatile players in his defense. From a scouting perspective, I’m really excited about that.”

Morgan identified defensive lineman Shy Tuttle, whom the Panthers signed away from the Saints in free agency, as an ideal fit in a 3-4 front.

“Coming into our new defense with Ejiro, we’re getting guys for our scheme,” Morgan said. “And I think in our new scheme, [Tuttle] is going to be able to play a lot of different positions along our front. And then, along with that . . . the biggest thing that stands out on tape with him is his toughness and his motor to the football, and the way that he plays the game.”

Panthers fans will love it if Morgan can find players who play the game like Morgan himself did.

Link: https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/04/06/panthers-assistant-gm-dan-morgan-plans-personnel-shift-for-new-3-4-defense/