CHARLOTTE – The Panthers are working through a second round of interviews, as they narrow their list of candidates for their general manager vacancy.
After an initial round of 15 virtual interviews, the Panthers met in person with Titans director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort, 49ers vice president of player personnel Adam Peters, and Chiefs assistant director of player personnel Ryan Poles on Tuesday. Seahawks vice president of football operations Scott Fitterer had his second interview Wednesday.
A decision is expected this week.
Peters has the closest links to the people on the job, as he played defensive end at UCLA under a couple of guys who would look very familiar. Panthers head coach Matt Rhule was his position coach in 2001, and UCLA's defensive coordinator that year was Phil Snow, who holds that position with the Panthers now.
Peters was with the Broncos before joining the 49ers, helping build the team that beat the Panthers in Super Bowl 50. He has also worked for the Patriots.
Fitterer was among the last to go through the first round of interviews, meeting Monday with Rhule and owner David Tepper by videoconference before coming in Wednesday. He has been with the Seahawks since 2001, and effectively operates as a co-assistant GM under John Schneider there.
Poles, a former offensive lineman at Boston College (where he blocked for Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan), has been with the Chiefs since 2009, and is the youngest of the four.
Ossenfort spent 15 years in the Patriots organization, before leaving last offseason to join former co-workers Mike Vrabel and Jon Robinson in Tennessee.
