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Carolina Panthers met with impact center Garrett Bradbury

By Danny Jaillet

CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 02: Nyheim Hines #7 and teammate Garrett Bradbury #65 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack celebrate after Hines scores a touchdown against the South Carolina Gamecocks during their game at Bank of America Stadium on September 2, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 02: Nyheim Hines #7 and teammate Garrett Bradbury #65 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack celebrate after Hines scores a touchdown against the South Carolina Gamecocks during their game at Bank of America Stadium on September 2, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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The Panthers could use someone to fill the void at the position.

Anyone who watched the Carolina Panthers play last season knows that the offensive line was an issue for the team last.  Even still, despite all the injuries to that position group, the Panthers managed to fare pretty well. However, there is no denying that the team needs to get younger at the position and began building a better group to protect quarterback Cam Newton.

Fortunately for the Panthers, they may not have to look far in order to get help. Per a report from Marcel-Louis Jacques of the Charlotte Observer, the team met with North Carolina State center Garrett Bradbury. Bradbury is no stranger to football in the Carolinas, having played both tight end and defensive end in high school at Charlotte Christian. Following his playing days at Charlotte Christian, he went to North Carolina State where he began making a name for himself as one of the best offensive lineman in the country.

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Success followed him as a member of the Wolfpack, as he won several awards. In his senior campaign of 2018, he was named All-American and won the Rimington trophy, given to college football’s best center. Although he has not made a name for himself in the professional ranks yet, there is no doubt that he has made a name for himself in the Carolinas football circle. With the Panthers needing help on the line, it would not be a stretch to say that Bradbury and the team would be a perfect match.

I’ll admit, I am being selfish here when I say that I would love to see him on the Panthers. It would be a perfect story, the local boy working his way up the ranks of Carolina football to be drafted by the Panthers. It just so happens that this is a position that Carolina needs to fill as well. Ryan Kalil retired after 12 seasons with the team, officially announcing his retirement on December 31. There was certainly no animosity between player and team as he had signed a two-year deal with Carolina back in the summer of 2016.

Bradbury himself would love to be a member of the Panthers. Per Jacques’ report, Bradbury would be thrilled to be in Charlotte.

"“It’d be awesome. I think my parents would be more excited than I would. I just want to go somewhere and play football,” he said. “I don’t really care where. It’d be awesome for my family, be a little easier on them. But like I said, I just want to go somewhere and play football.”"

The attitude that he just wants to play football is something that would endear him to Panther fans as well. Having a rookie who loves the game can only mean good things for his career. A highly-motivated player is certainly an asset. At the very least, it is making a great first impression on prospective teams who want to draft him. You have to imagine that playing in his home state would only motivate him to perform even better on game day.

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Bradberry’s football career could come full circle. The Carolina Panthers need someone to fill the void left at center and Bradberry fill that role. He would get to continue his football career where it all started.

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