Panthers agree to terms with new head coach Dave Canales: 3 thoughts on ex-Bucs OC’s fit

The Carolina Panthers have hired an up-and-coming offensive mind to lead their football team in 2024.

On Thursday, the Panthers announced the organization agreed to terms on a deal to make Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales the franchise’s next head coach. The terms of the agreement were not immediately made available, but according to a team release, Canales will answer directly to owner David Tepper.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Canales received a six-year contract from the Panthers.

“Dave’s background is rooted in success,” Tepper said in a team-issued statement. “He has an innovative mindset and positive energy that connects well with players and staff. We are impressed with his ability to bring out the best in players.”

While Canales had only spent one season calling plays with the Buccaneers, the Panthers decided to push forward with the longtime NFL assistant coach, who has ties to newly promoted president of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan. Canales and Morgan spent eight years together in Seattle with the Seahawks.

“I’m excited to work alongside Dave again,” Morgan said in a team-issued statement. “His background coaching multiple position groups has given him a great understanding of what it takes to build a successful team. His infectious personality resonates with players and everyone who comes in contact with him. I’m confident that will translate to the field.”

Canales will be in charge of developing quarterback Bryce Young, as he looks to put last year’s forgettable campaign behind him. Canales has revitalized the careers of veteran quarterbacks Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield in back-to-back seasons, and he should be viewed as a worthwhile teacher for Young, who was the first overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft.

And while Canales only has one year of play-calling experience, his output in Tampa Bay is noteworthy. Canales filled up stat sheets with a solid passing attack, which eventually elevated the team’s struggling run game in the playoffs. Tepper and Morgan are hoping that those results can be duplicated in Carolina after a miserable offensive effort last season under former head coach Frank Reich and offensive coordinator Thomas Brown.

Canales has quickly risen up the ranks in league circles because of his work with Smith and Mayfield. In his lone season as offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers’ offense ranked 17th in passing yards and 13th in passing yards per play. The Panthers finished in last place in both categories in 2023.

Canales, as the Seahawks’ quarterback coach in 2022, helped tutor Smith to a career-best season with 4,282 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Smith completed 69.8% of his passes and was named the 2022 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

Following Smith’s breakout season, Canales was hired as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator under head coach Todd Bowles. With Canales calling plays, Mayfield, a former Panthers quarterback, threw for 4,044 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Tampa Bay won the NFC South division title and made it to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.

Canales has a background in coaching both quarterbacks and wide receivers. The 42-year-old coach started his NFL coaching career as the Seahawks’ quality control coach in 2010. He later served as an assistant quarterbacks coach and wide receivers coach in Seattle before being promoted to quarterbacks coach in 2018. He was eventually named passing game coordinator in 2020 before being moved back to quarterbacks coach in 2022.

Morgan, the front office’s new top decision-maker, worked within the Seahawks’ scouting department while Canales coached the team’s wide receivers and quarterbacks. Both men started their respective careers around the same time and paid their dues in Seattle together. So, there is a relationship between the pair, which should, in theory, help with the collaborative process of redesigning the program and roster in Carolina.

Given the Panthers’ uneasiness in the passing game this past season, Canales might be just what Carolina needs.

Here are three thoughts on Canales’ fit in Carolina:

1. Canales and Young feel like a strong match

Canales is known for his high-energy nature. His personality and approach could be excellent complementary intangibles for Young, who is much more reserved and even-keeled.

Offensively, Canales has done strong work with a relatively short quarterback in Mayfield. He understands how to marry the quarterback’s strengths with passing concepts that allow receivers and tight ends to get open down the field. He also has allowed Mayfield to improvise as both a runner and a passer, which is something Young can benefit from as well.

Canales is still new to play calling but his immediate results were encouraging. Canales and Young can grow in their respective roles together and be a long-standing pair if everything works out for the better.

2. Will Ejiro Evero stick around?

Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero was blocked from interviewing for the same job with the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this offseason.

Since then, Evero has lined up in-person interviews with the Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons for their head coach openings. Clearly, Evero is a widely respected coach, who is coming off a season where his unit was one of the few bright spots for Carolina.

Last season, despite a plethora of injuries, Evero was able to lead his unit to consistent success. The Panthers finished third in the league against the pass and fourth in overall yards allowed.

Evero, if he is unable to land the top job in Atlanta or Seattle, would be an ideal partner for Canales as the “head coach of the defense.” Evero is under contract for the 2024 season, and unless Canales has a hand-picked defensive coordinator to replace him, the incumbent signal-caller should stick around in Carolina.

Evero is clearly one of the bright young defensive minds in the NFL.

3. Canales needs to figure out the offensive line and playmaking departments

Canales built a relationship with Morgan in Seattle. Morgan and Canales will now need to work together to build a better roster for Carolina.

The new leadership pair will have their work cut out for them on the offensive side of the ball. While the new head coach should feel good about his quarterback room, the rest of the unit needs major lifting this offseason.

Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu might need a position change just three years into his tenure. While center Bradley Bozeman and right tackle Taylor Moton appear to be solid fits for what Canales did in Tampa Bay, the guard spots have some question marks. Could Ekwonu and left guard Brady Christensen swap places? Will right guard Austin Corbett bounce back after back-to-back knee surgeries?

In the playmaking department, the cupboard is almost empty. Wide receiver Adam Thielen, running back Chuba Hubbard and tight end Tommy Tremble are keepers, but the rest of the talent leaves a lot to be desired. Canales needs to have a plan in place to help get more playmakers around Young. The team also needs to determine if the reinforcements will come through free agency or the draft or a combination of both.

Canales will be able to put his stamp on things this offseason as the Panthers, at least offensively, look to be in complete rebuild mode.

This story was originally published January 25, 2024 at 12:34 PM with the headline "Panthers agree to terms with new head coach Dave Canales: 3 thoughts on ex-Bucs OC’s fit."

Mike Kaye

The Charlotte Observer

Mike Kaye writes about the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. He also co-hosts “Processing Blue: A Panthers Podcast” for The Observer. Kaye’s work in columns/analysis and sports feature writing has been honored by the North Carolina Press Association (NCPA). His reporting has also received recognition from the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE).Kaye previously covered the entire NFL for Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles for NJ Advance Media and the Jacksonville Jaguars for First Coast News. Support my work with a digital subscription