5 burning questions Panthers fans are asking ahead of 2023 offseason
Carolina Panthers extending Bradley Bozeman and D’Onta Foreman
Are the Carolina Panthers gonna re-sign Bradley Bozeman and D’Onta Foreman or fumble in free agency like always? – Jeffrey
This is a great question, Jeffrey. It’s going to be an interesting offseason as it pertains to these two pieces of the Carolina Panthers offense.
Let’s begin with Bradley Bozeman. Baltimore Ravens fans were upset when they lost him in free agency and rightfully so. The former Alabama center is a very good player at his position.
Bozeman is as physical as they come. Once he establishes an anchor and gets his hands on you, he’s a concrete barrier. He has the athleticism to work to the second and deeper levels of the field on gap-blocking plays, and he looks for work in pass protection to lay down anyone wanting to get to the quarterback.
The fifth-year veteran has a decent market value for this upcoming free agency period. His average per year is projected at $12 million, according to Spotrac. That would put him just outside the five highest-paid centers in the NFL.
Bozeman deserves every penny and his play has shown that. I think Scott Fitterer will pay him this offseason.
As for D’Onta Foreman, that could be a different story considering his position and its value. The former Texas Longhorn had a breakout season and will be looking for a decent-sized payday either in Carolina or elsewhere.
According to Spotrac, Foreman’s market value is only at $3.2 million per season with a projected one-year contract. While that seems like the type of team-friendly deal the Panthers would love, one-time Tennessee Titan could be looking to be paid somewhere in the $7-12 million range. That could be risky considering Carolina needs to focus on extending Brian Burns and other big-name defensive pieces.
I would love to see Foreman back. However, there are running backs that could offer similar production through free agency, the NFL Draft, or even on the Panthers’ current roster.