Who could the Carolina Panthers potentially target as a replacement for recently released veteran center Bradley Bozeman in 2024?
Another big domino has fallen within the Carolina Panthers. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the team plans to release starting center Bradley Bozeman at the start of the league year. Again, this avoids paying him a roster bonus and clears some salary-cap space heading into free agency.
Bozeman wasted no time in making his presence felt within the community. His production in 2022 was highly impressive, but the former sixth-round pick out of Alabama didn't look suited to the zone-blocking concepts implemented by Frank Reich and Thomas Brown last season. With head coach Dave Canales looking to adopt something similar, the veteran was deemed surplus to requirements.
In truth, this looked possible given recent speculation. That does nothing to detract from the gaping hole it leaves on Carolina's offensive line at the anchor position. Something those in power need to resolve as a matter of urgency.
With this in mind, here are three potential Panthers replacements for Bozeman in 2024.
Carolina Panthers could sign Brian Allen
Although Brian Allen didn't enjoy the best of seasons with the Los Angeles Rams in 2023, he's got familiarity with starting right guard Austin Corbett which could lead to a smooth transition. Much will depend on the money involved, but it's unlikely to cost the earth as the Carolina Panthers look to move forward with a cost-effective ethos during their first offseason under general manager Dan Morgan.
Allen fell out of favor thanks in no small part to a frustrating 2022 campaign on the health front. If everything checks out medically, this could be a decent short-term option for the Panthers, who appear to be embracing a rebuild of sorts despite the obvious need to maximize quarterback Bryce Young's rookie deal.
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Carolina Panthers could sign Mitch Morse
If the Carolina Panthers want to go a little bolder in their quest to properly replace and upgrade Bradley Bozeman, they might look to acquire another recently released veteran as part of many salary-cap cuts around the league. Someone that new general manager Dan Morgan knows well from his time on the Buffalo Bills.
In a surprising move, the Bills parted ways with Mitch Morse before free agency. He's got plenty of starting experience and performed well last season. Unfortunately for the player, the franchise needed to start cutting costs given the money tied up in quarterback Josh Allen's contract.
The former second-round pick gave up just one sack in 1,128 snaps on offense last season. Morse is supremely athletic and a tremendous asset in pass protection. His communication pre-snap and ability to pick out where specific blitzes are coming from is something else that could help Bryce Young enormously.
One potential stumbling block for the Panthers is the interest Morse might get from elsewhere. Players with his sort of pedigree are normally highly coveted on the free-agent market. This could mean Carolina is priced out of any potential deal despite Morgan's previous knowledge of the Missouri product.
If the Panthers did land someone like Morse, it should be considered a significant coup.
Carolina Panthers could draft Sedrick Van Pran
If the Carolina Panthers truly embrace a long-term rebuild around Bryce Young, then going down the draft route for their Bradley Bozeman replacement cannot be dismissed. This also has plenty of benefits attached given the offensive line class emerging from the college ranks in 2024 is incredibly deep.
Not having a first-round selection isn't ideal, but there should be plenty of value further down the pecking order for the Panthers to utilize. Finding the right prospects was a difficult task for the last two regimes more often than not. Hopefully, the new power couple of Dan Morgan and Dave Canales can change all that as part of their ambitious plans for progress.
Carolina could do far worse than examine Sedrick Van Pran's capabilities in greater detail. The Georgia prospect looks like a Day 1 starter providing some technical aspects are worked out throughout the offseason. He looks well suited to Canales' blocking demands and comes to the NFL following a glittering career with the Bulldogs.
Van Pran is equally adept at pass-protecting or carving out holes in the running game. He's explosive to the point of attack and is highly intelligent. Once he has leverage, the center rarely comes out on the losing end.
There are some difficulties once he gets moved immediately off the block. Van Pran can find it difficult to regain the upper hand in these scenarios, but there's a lot to like about his chances of successfully filling the gaping void left by Bozeman.