Bradley Bozeman’s free agency big for Panthers, and his family

Yes, family. That just became more than a talking point. The Bozemans welcomed their son into the world this week, and Bozeman is already walking around in a pair of new dad shoes (the Air Monarchs were a gift from a friend who sends them to all his new-dad buddies).

And now that they have a son, the consideration of where they want to raise him is a factor in all their decision-making.

But it’s not the only factor, and after carrying the scars of last offseason (when he didn’t find the long-term security he sought), he’s aware of what could happen.

The uncertainty works both ways, as well. Corbett tore his ACL in the finale against the Saints, which means his comeback will be pushing up against the start of the regular season. So if the Panthers want to keep a stable thing stable, having Bozeman back in the middle would be an important component. They have Cade Mays on hand (he subbed for Corbett against the Saints and played well), but if Bozeman’s here, it keeps them in a reasonable position of depth during the offseason while Corbett won’t be able to practice.

There are a lot of unanswered questions, including who the head coach might be and what other things might become priorities that no one’s able to consider at the moment.

And there’s a new mouth to feed.

But the Panthers like the idea of having Bozeman in the middle of the line. And the Bozemans like the idea of raising their son Brody here, so there are plenty of factors to consider.

“It definitely plays a role,” he said of their adopted city. “Nikki and I were talking the other day, and this place definitely checks all the boxes of where we want to live long-term. This is such an amazing city, and it would be a great place to raise a family.

“But it’s business, unfortunately. I wish it wasn’t.”