Five things that should attract the Panthers' next head coach

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers remain arguably the least desirable vacancy among the six NFL teams still looking for a head coach, according to executives and coaches from other teams contacted by ESPN.

The evidence is there for all to see. The Panthers are coming off their sixth straight losing season, with a 31-68 record during that span that is tied with the New York Jets for worst in the NFL, and a league-worst 2-15 record this season. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, was historically bad, and there are no guarantees he will turn things around. The team doesn't have a first-round pick in April, and owner David Tepper has proved to be impatient, making three coaching changes in five years.

But there are reasons one of the candidates will jump at the opportunity, beyond the fact that there are only 32 of these jobs in the league.

At this time, Carolina has had virtual interviews with six offensive coordinators -- Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions; Bobby Slowik, Houston Texans; Brian Callahan, Cincinnati Bengals; Frank Smith, Miami Dolphins; Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens; and Dave Canales, Tampa Bay Buccaneers-- as well as Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Panthers interim coach Chris Tabor and Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.

Callahan was scheduled for an in-person interview with Carolina on Tuesday, but sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday night the Tennessee Titans are working to finalize a deal to make him their head coach. Evero had a second interview Monday, and Morris is scheduled for a second this week.

Johnson and Monken aren't eligible for a second interview until after Sunday's conference championship games.

Sources close to the situation have said from the beginning that a young, offensive-minded coach is the target, with Johnson -- who was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and raised in Asheville, North Carolina --being the top choice, as he was last year before pulling out of the running.

Johnson is also considered a top candidate for the Washington Commanders and has been interviewed by the Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers.

On Monday, the Panthers promoted Dan Morgan to president of football operations/general manager, making him the replacement for Scott Fitterer, who was fired two weeks ago. Morgan was the team's assistant GM the past three seasons.

With Morgan in place, here is a look at five things that might be attractive for the next Panthers coach:

Defense

Key pieces -- like Pro Bowl tackle Derrick Brown, cornerback Jaycee Horn and Pro Bowl outside linebacker Brian Burns (who likely will be franchise tagged if a new contract isn't worked out for the unrestricted free agent) -- from a unit that finished fourth in total defense (293.9 yards per game) will be back. Burns insists his first choice is to stay and advised after the season the team should "leave the defense alone.'' All but four of the starters are basically locks to return, with unrestricted free agent linebacker Frankie Luvu perhaps the biggest name outside of Burns who needs a new deal. There is also interest, according to a source with knowledge of the situation, in the team keeping Evero as the defensive coordinator if he doesn't land a head-coaching job, so the next coach won't face a rebuild on defense.

Bryce Young

Yes, statistically he was bad. For example, his 11 touchdown passes are tied for the fewest in a season in NFL history among quarterbacks with at least 500 pass attempts. But if you believe all he needs is more talent around him and better coaching, then the Panthers offer the next coach a quarterback on a rookie deal, whomTampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said in time will be "one of the best to ever do it." Having a potential franchise quarterback is important for any coach interested in the job. And turnarounds can happen quickly at this position. Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence, the top pick of the 2021 draft, went from 3-14 as a rookie under Urban Myer and an interim coach to 9-8 and a trip to the playoffs in his second season with Doug Pederson in charge.

Cap space

The Panthers currently have $26.1 million in cap space, according to Roster Management System. It's not a huge number, but it gives the new GM, Morgan, room to potentially upgrade the wide receiver position in free agency, with the likes of the Bengals'Tee Higginsand Tyler Boydset to be available. Or maybe a left tackle, with Dallas' Tyron Smith and New England's Trent Brown set to become free agents. Convincing free agents to come to Carolina may be the biggest challenge here.

Offensive line

Don't laugh. While this was statistically one of the worst lines in the NFL, injuries played a key role, all five starters are under contract for 2024 and they have backup depth. So while it needs an overhaul, there are pieces to work with. Fixing left tackle is key. Ikem Ekwonu, the No. 6 overall pick of the 2022 draft, had such a bad season that a couple of NFL executives suggested the former NC State standout would be a better fit at guard. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the 20 sacks given up on his pass blocks were the most by any player regardless of position. Again, injuries to interior blockers played a role; Carolina had seven different players at left guard and eight at right guard.

NFC South

Remember, Tampa Bay, who lost Sunday in the divisional round to Detroit, won the division with a 9-8 record. There still isn't a team with a franchise quarterback -- New Orleans' Derek Carr had the highest Total QBR in the division but ranked 16thoverall (56.4) -- which means no one will enter 2024 with a stranglehold on the division. Again, fixing the offense is where it begins. Not doing that led to the demise of the previous three head coaches -- Ron Rivera (2019), Matt Rhule (2022) and Frank Reich (2023). Doing that will determine the success of the next coach.