The ‘Boze’ is back in town: Panthers re-sign Bradley Bozeman following breakout season
Bradley Bozeman isn’t going anywhere.
The Carolina Panthers agreed to terms with the veteran starting center on a new contract on Monday, the team announced. The deal is worth $18 million over three years, a league source confirmed to The Observer.
Bozeman, 28, was the anchor of the Panthers’ ground-and-pound attack under interim head coach Steve Wilks this past season. After spending the first six weeks of the season on the bench as a backup, Bozeman was inserted into the starting lineup in Week 7. Bozeman took over for former starting center Pat Elflein, who sustained a season-ending hip injury against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 6.
Bozeman’s physicality and intelligence became key ingredients for the offense after running back Christian McCaffrey was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in October. The Panthers went 6-5 following that blockbuster deal, and Bozeman served as a staple of that turnaround success after a 1-5 start.
Bozeman’s new deal with the Panthers is paying off a mutual gamble.
The Panthers originally signed Bozeman to a one-year deal last offseason. The 6-foot-5, 325-pound lineman was added to serve as competition for Elflein in training camp. But Bozeman sustained an injury during the summer, and the Panthers went with Elflein in the middle for the first six weeks of the season.
Bozeman chose to sign with the Panthers because of offensive line coach James Campen. He picked Carolina’s one-year offer over more lucrative opportunities, and bet on himself to make the Panthers organization his longtime NFL home.
“We love this place, we want to be here,” Bozeman said following the season. “We love the organization. We love the city.”
With left guard Brady Christensen (fractured ankle) and right guard Austin Corbett (ACL) coming off major injuries, Bozeman’s return gives the Panthers some stability along the offensive line under new head coach Frank Reich.
While Christensen is likely to be available for training camp, Corbett might be sidelined until the start of next season — which means Bozeman could be lined up next to second-year guard Cade Mays, whom he mentored throughout this past season.
“There’s no value you can put on it — the guy that he is, the impact that he brought to this team (and) the community — him and his wife, they just put so much into this community and this team, and you feel it every day that he walks in here,” Mays said during locker room clean-out day. “He’s an unbelievable person to have in the locker room.”
During Bozeman’s 11 starts, the Panthers averaged 151.6 rushing yards per game. The offensive line also allowed just 1.5 sacks per matchup.
“He’s one of the bigger centers in the NFL,” GM Scott Fitterer said during his end-of-season press conference. “He’s very physical and what he does, he takes a lot off the quarterback’s plate, as far as line calls and managing the line up front.”
After signing Bozeman to a long-term deal, the Panthers will need to weigh the future of Elflein. The Panthers could keep Elflein as insurance, with Corbett and Christensen coming off notable injuries, but that could lead to a pay cut for the veteran lineman.
Elflein is set to make $3 million in base salary this season, but he has a $1 million roster bonus due on March 19, according to Over The Cap. The bonus deadline gives the Panthers a timeline to make a decision on Elflein’s future. Cutting him would result in a $4.26 million cap savings for the Panthers.
With more than a dozen unrestricted free agents set to hit the open market in March, the Panthers may choose to sacrifice Elflein’s spot to retain another veteran on a long-term deal. Bozeman’s new contract makes Elflein expendable, especially with Mays — a versatile lineman — developing into a worthwhile contributor.
This story was originally published March 13, 2023 at 7:25 PM.
