Frankie Luvu and 4 former players the Panthers definitely regret letting go
By Luke Gray
Bradley Bozeman - Former Carolina Panthers C
A surprise cap salary-cap casualty this offseason was center Bradley Bozeman. The former Alabama star and his family set down roots in the region, quickly establishing themselves as pillars in the community. Unfortunately, the NFL is a ruthless business and he found himself surplus to requirements.
After a down year in 2023, partially down to a poor scheme fit and the carousals at the guard positions, Bozeman was cut. The Carolina Panthers took on over $7 million in dead money. He found a new home swiftly, signing a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Bozeman has been part of a revitalized offense under new head coach Jim Harbaugh. The Chargers are 7-4 and firmly in the AFC playoff race. Don't be surprised to see them make some noise if they make it to the postseason.
The Panthers have had little problems at center this season. Austin Corbett, Brady Christensen, and most recently Cade Mays have all been deployed at the position and achieved success. However, one can only imagine the success Bozeman could have had in Dave Canales’ run-first offense.
Many of the problems Bozeman faced in 2023 stemmed from the issues at the guard positions. A plethora of injuries meant many players were deployed on either side of the veteran. But with the Panthers finding quality play from Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, Bozeman could have thrived in this new system.
While the Panthers haven’t suffered at the position in the absence of Bozeman, fans saw first-hand the damage he could do under Steve Wilks. He likely would have had a similar impact under Canales.
D.J. Moore - Former Carolina Panthers WR
The most obvious name that was going to appear on this list was former first-round pick D.J. Moore. Scott Fitterer is no longer the general manager in Carolina for a multitude of reasons. Looking back, trading up to select a potential franchise quarterback and trading away the Panthers' most prolific receiving threat was foolish.
A wide receiver room consisting of Adam Thielen, D.J. Chark, and Jonathan Mingo did little to aid in the development of Bryce Young. If the signal-caller had a true WR1 like Moore in his rookie season, one could only assume his development would be much further along.
Moore has continued where he left off in Chicago despite again suffering from below-par quarterback play. With Justin Fields under center in 2023, the Maryland product posted career highs in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns.
Despite some early troubles with Caleb Williams, the firing of Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has coincided with Moore becoming a bigger part of the Bears offense. He is once again on pace to get around the 1,000-yard receiving mark as he has consistently been throughout his career.
If the likes of Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker continue to develop, then the absence of Moore will be felt less keenly. That said, if Young does not pan out as the franchise signal-caller in Carolina, many will point to including the wideout over Brian Burns in this trade as a huge factor.