We’re still a few days away from the official start of free agency, but in the meantime, Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan is making decisions on his own guys that have expired contracts.
Over the last two days, the Panthers tendered restricted free agent center Cade Mays worth roughly $3.2 million and also re-signed veteran center Austin Corbett to a one-year deal that can be worth up to $7 million. If another team pursues Mays, the Panthers will have the ability to match any offer and retain him.
So with Corbett back and Mays likely staying in the fold, the writing seems on the wall for Brady Christensen, who started six games this past season, playing the bulk of his snaps at center following the injury to Corbett.
While the Panthers would probably like to re-sign Christensen, his asking price may be a tad higher than they’re willing to spend. They need money to spend on fixing the defense and addressing some other areas of the offense, so it’s unneccessary to have three centers on the roster, although Christensen can provide depth at guard and/or tackle.
The other piece to this is that Christensen can more than likely find a starting gig elsewhere, which can’t be promised in Carolina. Since the day he stepped foot in Charlotte, he’s bounced all over the place from guard to tackle to center from left side to right side. Starting anew may be in his best interest.