'What's the plan?' NFL agents call Panthers one of the few teams that aren't run well

Carolina Panthers get poor reviews from a couple of NFL agents in a recent survey by The Athletic.

CHARLOTTE, NC - OCTOBER 23: Carolina Panthers owner, David Tepper, during an NFL football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers on October 23, 2022 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. / (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Players win championships, but nothing can sink an organization deeper than an owner who doesn't know what he's doing and insists on getting involved, anyway (call it ElonMusking). That may be the root of the problem for the Carolina Panthers, who haven't had a winning record in seven seasons and have gone through about as much front office turnover as any team in recent years.

Agents around the NFL have taken notice of the dysfunction in Charlotte and a couple of them think this is one of the few remaining teams that really aren't run well. Here's what one of them had to say about the Panthers in a recent survey of agents by The Athletic.

"Organizational stability comes from the owner, and the front office needs more time than the owner (David Tepper) gives. A strong QB can keep a team viable regardless of the front office, but what’s the plan?”

Another agent chimed in with an even harsher critique of team owner David Tepper.

"I think the headline for this section should be that for the first time in my career, most NFL organizations are relatively competent. I can only think of a few that aren’t run well, starting with Carolina because of Tepper’s involvement. They didn’t get a big haul in the Brian Burns trade, either.”

It's fair to critique Tepper for the turmoil and the team for not getting a better return for Burns (or for trading him at all). At a minimum he did prove willing to make a big long-term investment in former head coach Matt Rhule, who got a seven-year contract. Tepper knows this is a results-oriented business though, and as of yet the results just haven't been there.

There are signs that the drought could be ending, though. Bryce Young has looked sharp during the preseason and if Dave Canales can help raise his game to another level, the Panthers could yet climb out of this hole.

- Enjoy more free Panthers coverage with Carolina Panthers on SI -

Carolina Panthers roster moves: 6 players waived, 9 signed to practice squad

Identifying the Panthers' biggest roster needs after NFL's annual cutdown day

Pressing questions about the Panthers' 53-man roster for the 2024 NFL season

Carolina Panthers roster cuts: The biggest surprises on 2024 cut down day