Camera, Player, and GameObject Architecture

I'm currently refactoring.

I want my camera to follow a player, rather than being completely detached in third-person.

Goal: Allow a third-person camera while reserving the right to attach the camera to arbitrary objects.

What are some alternatives when constructing the player, camera, and game objects to allow this?

I currently have:
Input -> InputManager -> Camera => Modified Camera Position/Orientation

I've considered attaching the camera to an object (for instance, the player), and allowing the camera to modify the player position (since the camera receives the input). But this seems ludicrous!

Should the InputManager be provided with which object it should affect? And, if the camera happens to be attached to the affected object, that object is responsible for updating the position/orientation of the camera?
Input -> InputManager -> PlayerControlledObject -> Camera => Modified Camera Position/Orientation

Could anyone point me to a good example of how to do this, which allows for a good amount of flexibility in the future?

Thanks!

Using : JOGL 2.0