CHARLOTTE— The Panthers have a new man in charge, Dan Morgan, who has been hired as the club's President of Football Operations/General Manager. Morgan is the fifth general manager in franchise history.

As Morgan gets settled into his new role in the Queen City, get to know the Panthers' newest GM (the fifth to hold that title) with these five facts.

First-round track record

Morgan is no stranger to Carolina Panthers fans, dating back to his playing days. Morgan was drafted by the Panthers in the first round, 11th overall, in the 2001 draft. The linebacker joined a defense that was the worst in the league during his rookie season. By his second year, however, Morgan and his teammates helped facilitate a turnaround that took the Panthers' defense to second-best in the NFL.

He was a crucial cog in a defense that helped lead the Panthers to the Super Bowl for the 2003 season. He racked up 25 tackles in the game, a Super Bowl record.

While with the Panthers, Morgan was named to the PFWA All-Rookie team and the 2004 Pro Bowl.

Morgan joined the New Orleans Saints in 2008, but injuries forced an early retirement. He concluded his NFL playing career having only ever taken in-season snaps with the Panthers. He finished his seven years playing with 457 tackles, eight sacks, five interceptions, and three forced fumbles.

Climbing the scouting ladder

Following his playing career, Morgan jumped into the personnel side of football, joining the Seattle Seahawks as a scouting intern in 2010. He stayed in Seattle through 2017, eventually working his way up to director of pro personnel. His time with the Seahawks saw him serve as the assistant director and then director of a pro personnel side that helped shape the Legion of Boom and won a Super Bowl following the 2013 season.

In 2018, Morgan moved to the opposite coast, joining the Buffalo Bills as director of player personnel. He learned under GM Brandon Beane for three years before returning home to Charlotte in 2021, as assistant general manager.

College Hall of Famer

Morgan had an illustrious career at the college level while playing for the University of Miami.

He started his career as a running back, the position he played in high school. However, just before his freshman season began, he was switched to linebacker. Morgan finished that first year with over 100 tackles.

It led to a college career that saw him rack up multiple defensive awards, earning unanimous All-American honors, and eventually being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Familiar with personnel

While with the Panthers front office for the past three seasons, Morgan was a part of the team that traded for the No. 1 overall pick to draft quarterback Bryce Young first overall. When changes were made with the previous regime following the 2023 season, Morgan was retained, serving as a bridge between the last staff and the 2024 staff.

His knowledge of the current roster and foresight of what the franchise hopes to do moving forward, coupled with his experience under Beane and Seahawks' John Schneider, made Morgan a natural choice to take over the reins.

"Dan has a thorough knowledge of our football personnel and a clear vision to take us where we all want to go," Panthers owner David Tepper said.

Ready to build around QB

One of Morgan's most significant responsibilities will be helping to develop quarterback Bryce Young from the front office point of view. Whether through free agency, the draft, or even trades, Morgan has exhibited a philosophy in the past that indicates he wants to build a roster that will elevate Young's game and take pressure off the young passer.

Consider what Morgan said heading into the preseason of Young's rookie year.

"He's special. He has the pocket presence, he has the poise, he has the accuracy, the anticipation, he has all those things you want," Morgan said. "And this isn't Bryce's show. He's not doing this alone. We're not dependent on him to go out and make every single play.

"This isn't something he has to do alone, and it's not all on his shoulders."