Mike Disner helped engineer the turnaround of the Detroit Lions, providing a template for the lowly Panthers to follow.
As the Carolina Panthers search for a new general manager we will highlight the 10 top candidates in this five-part series.
Mike Disner – Chief Operating Officer, Detroit Lions
If David Tepper is looking to hire a salary cap guru who has helped transform a team from a laughingstock to a playoff contender, Mike Disner is at the top of the list.
The Detroit Lions shocking turnaround over the past two years has been remarkable. After five straight losing seasons the Lions went 9-8 in 2022 and 12-5 this year while winning their division for the first time in 30 years. Disner played a key role in helping turn the Lions into winners, including the recent hires of GM Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell, per the Lions team website.
Disner knows the salary cap inside and out. Much of his 16-year NFL career has centered on the salary cap and player contracts. His career began in 2007 with the New England Patriots as a scouting assistant. From 2009 to 2012 he shifted gears and took a job with the National Football League Management Council where he dealt with player contracts and the salary cap.
After this stint with the NFL he joined the Arizona Cardinals from 2013 to 2018 as director of football administration. In this role he led player contract negotiations and the team’s salary cap strategy. He then joined the Lions in 2019 doing similar work with contracts and the salary cap before being promoted to chief operating officer in 2022.
Disner seems to have some good people skills, too. SB Nation’s Lions site, the Pride of Detroit, highlighted Disner’s role in mending the team’s fractured relationship with Calvin Johnson, a Hall of Fame wide receiver. They quote Johnson as saying, “I’m excited about (Disner) actually reaching out and putting the effort forward to try and make that happen. That’s the difference that I have not seen in the past that’s happening now.”
The Panthers are today where the lowly Lions were just a few short years ago.
Mike Disner helped turn around the Lions. There’s a case to be made he could do the same thing in Carolina.
Ed Dodds – Assistant General Manager, Indianapolis Colts
Dobbs has over 20 years of NFL experience under his belt and joined the Colts in 2016 before being promoted to assistant general manager in 2018. Prior to his tenure in Indianapolis was with the Seattle Seahawks from 2007 to 2016. During his time in Seattle he evaluated college and pro players, ultimately reaching a senior personnel executive role.
Given the Panthers recent whiffs in the draft and free agent signings, having a GM with a keen eye for talent would be a boon to the franchise.
Dobbs has interviewed for several front office jobs in the past and has reportedly passed up other GM opportunities to stay with the Colts. Despite his apparent desire to stay in Indy, teams continue to pursue him. In addition to the Panthers, the Raiders have sought permission to interview Dobbs for their vacant GM job, so he’s in demand.
If the Panthers are going to take a risk on a first-time GM they could do worse than a candidate like Dobbs who has multiple years of assistant GM experience. Given Dobbs’ reluctance to leave the Colts and the other executive opportunities that might present themselves, he would likely need a hefty salary and multiple guaranteed years in order to join David Tepper’s dysfunctional franchise.
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