CHARLOTTE – The Panthers are working through a second round of interviews because they are limiting their candidate list for their general manager’s vacancy.
After a first round of 15 virtual interviews, the Panthers met in person on Tuesday with Titans Director of Staff Monti Ossenfort, 49ers Vice President of Staff Adam Peters, and Chiefs Assistant Director of Staff Ryan Poles. Seahawks vice president of football operations Scott Fitterer had his second interview on Wednesday.
A decision is expected this week.
Peters has the best ties with the people on the track, as he played a defensive end at UCLA among a few guys who would look very famous. Panthers head coach Matt Rhule was his position coach in 2001, and UCLA’s defense coordinator that year was Phil Snow, who now holds the position with the Panthers.
Peters was with the Broncos before joining the 49ers, helping build the team that beat the Panthers in Super Bowl 50. He also worked for the Patriots.
Fitterer was one of the last to go through the first round of interviews and met with Rhule and owner David Tepper on video conference on Monday before arriving on Wednesday. He has been with the Seahawks since 2001 and works effectively as an assistant to John Schneider there.
Poles, a former attacking linebacker at Boston College (where he blocked for Falcons fullback Matt Ryan), has been with the Chiefs since 2009 and is the youngest of the four.
Ossenfort was in the Patriots organization for 15 years before leaving last season to join former collaborators Mike Vrabel and Jon Robinson in Tennessee.