The Carolina Panthers are targeting Kansas City Chiefs vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis for a prominent front office role in their organization that matches him up with new general manager Dan Morgan, league sources told ESPN.
While expecting to take a significant Chiefs employee, sources told ESPN that the Panthers want to structure their front office like the San Francisco 49ers -- another team playing in Sunday's conference championship games.
The Panthers have given Morgan the official title of president of football operations/general manager -- the same title that the 49ers have given John Lynch.
Tilis is likely to land a similar role to 49ers chief contract negotiator Paraag Marathe, who has the title of executive vice president of football operations, according to sources. Then the Panthers would have Morgan and Tilis work in much the same way that Lynch and Marathe do.
But the Panthers are not done modeling their organization after others. New head coach Dave Canales is expected to lure some of the assistant coaches whom he worked with in Tampa Bay and Seattle the past two seasons.
Canales already is scoping out which Buccaneers assistant coaches he can add to the Panthers' staff, and according to sources, some are expected to make the move within the NFC South Division from Tampa Bay to Carolina.
Canales also is expected to reach back to his days with the Seahawks to pluck away some former Seattle assistant coaches. Two who are likely to join the Panthers are Pete Carroll's son, Nate Carroll, who works as the Seahawks' senior offensive assistant coach, and former Seahawks assistant special teams coach Tracy Smith, according to sources.
Carolina is hoping to make this a long-term project; indicative of this is the six-year contract that owner David Tepper gave to Canales. The Panthers officially hired Canales as their new head coach Thursday, three days after naming Morgan as their GM.