03-10-2024, 09:32 PM -
From the Observer:
Bozeman wasn’t a great fit for the Panthers’ new wide-zone run blocking approach under new head coach Dave Canales. Bozeman is an old-school road-grading center with limited second-level mobility. The Panthers clearly saw that last season in the mid-zone-heavy scheme brought in by former head coach Frank Reich.
With Bozeman set to turn 30 in November, the Panthers likely saw this as a way to get younger and more athletic on the line. Bozeman is a great fit for a run-heavy system, and while Canales said he plans to be stubborn with using the run game, this offense is expected have a quick attack passing approach.
Eating a lot of dead money for Bozeman isn’t necessarily ideal, but the Panthers are doing this the right way. Under new EVP of football operations Brandt Tilis, the Panthers are taking their lumps now, instead of hurting themselves in the future. The Athletic has reported that the team plans to release tight end Hayden Hurst, who would only save roughly $52,000 with a release. He will leave $9.86 million in dead money on the cap this year, but the Panthers can move on from his salary in 2025 if he’s not designated a post-June 1 release. Cutting veterans who don’t fit into the long-term plans, despite the immediate financial penalties, is a way to justify a cleaner slate for a rebuilding process. It wouldn’t be surprising to see several moves like this over the next week or so as Canales and Morgan look to build the team in their own image as a new regime.
It’s a good time to need a center. Both the free agency and draft classes are full of options to explore, depending on how the Panthers want to attack the need. Incumbent linemen Cade Mays and Austin Corbett are also capable of playing center if the Panthers decide to rework the line even further. The free agency market at center is packed. Lloyd Cushenberry III, Evan Brown, Connor Williams and Tyler Biadasz are all younger and more athletic than Bozeman. While they all might fetch bigger contracts, their athleticism and youth make them worthwhile targets. In the draft, Wisconsin’s Tanor Bortolini, N.C. State’s Dylan McMahon, Miami’s Matt Lee and West Virginia’s Zach Frazier could be options for long-term growth and success at the position. No matter how the Panthers look to replace Bozeman, they’ll clearly have their options.
Read more at: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports...rylink=cpy
Bozeman wasn’t a great fit for the Panthers’ new wide-zone run blocking approach under new head coach Dave Canales. Bozeman is an old-school road-grading center with limited second-level mobility. The Panthers clearly saw that last season in the mid-zone-heavy scheme brought in by former head coach Frank Reich.
With Bozeman set to turn 30 in November, the Panthers likely saw this as a way to get younger and more athletic on the line. Bozeman is a great fit for a run-heavy system, and while Canales said he plans to be stubborn with using the run game, this offense is expected have a quick attack passing approach.
Eating a lot of dead money for Bozeman isn’t necessarily ideal, but the Panthers are doing this the right way. Under new EVP of football operations Brandt Tilis, the Panthers are taking their lumps now, instead of hurting themselves in the future. The Athletic has reported that the team plans to release tight end Hayden Hurst, who would only save roughly $52,000 with a release. He will leave $9.86 million in dead money on the cap this year, but the Panthers can move on from his salary in 2025 if he’s not designated a post-June 1 release. Cutting veterans who don’t fit into the long-term plans, despite the immediate financial penalties, is a way to justify a cleaner slate for a rebuilding process. It wouldn’t be surprising to see several moves like this over the next week or so as Canales and Morgan look to build the team in their own image as a new regime.
It’s a good time to need a center. Both the free agency and draft classes are full of options to explore, depending on how the Panthers want to attack the need. Incumbent linemen Cade Mays and Austin Corbett are also capable of playing center if the Panthers decide to rework the line even further. The free agency market at center is packed. Lloyd Cushenberry III, Evan Brown, Connor Williams and Tyler Biadasz are all younger and more athletic than Bozeman. While they all might fetch bigger contracts, their athleticism and youth make them worthwhile targets. In the draft, Wisconsin’s Tanor Bortolini, N.C. State’s Dylan McMahon, Miami’s Matt Lee and West Virginia’s Zach Frazier could be options for long-term growth and success at the position. No matter how the Panthers look to replace Bozeman, they’ll clearly have their options.
Read more at: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports...rylink=cpy