7 free-agent interior offensive linemen the Panthers could sign in 2023
By Ricky Raines
Carolina Panthers could sign Garrett Bradbury
Garrett Bradbury will be a familiar name for many fans as he was a star player at North Carolina State. Selected No. 18 overall in 2019 by the Minnesota Vikings, the center boasted an athletic profile and versatility that scouts and front office personnel highly covet.
With all that promise, expectations for the Charlotte native were lofty. I think it would be fair to say that those weren’t met in his first few NFL seasons.
Like many young players, Bradbury experienced a good amount of inconsistency out of the gate. While not necessarily a small human being at 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds, he did seem to have a steep learning curve dealing with the strength of NFL defensive fronts, as Matt Anderson of The Vikings Wire points out.
"“Since Bradbury entered the league back in 2019, he’s averaged 26.25 pressures per season which had landed him in the top ten for pressures allowed among centers in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. Even last season, which was his best as a professional, he was tied for 6th most in the NFL among centers with 24 pressures allowed.”"
Having dealt with the underwhelming start to his career, the 2022 campaign showed much more of that initial promise. Bradbury made a huge jump but has missed multiple games the past couple of seasons due to injuries.
Bradbury would only be on the table should the Carolina Panthers decide not to offer Bradley Bozeman an extended contract, as he’s likely to command an estimated annual salary of $11.9 million.