Panthers C Bradley Bozeman carted off with apparent lower leg injury

Update (12:31 p.m. ET): Head coach Matt Rhule told reporters on Wednesday that he expects Bozeman to miss two to three weeks.

Just as things were starting to look brighter for the Carolin Panthers’ offensive line, the team lost one of its most promising new faces to injury.

During an 11-on-11 session in the first joint practice session with the New England Patriots, center Bradley Bozeman sustained an apparent left ankle injury. He stood up on his own before being carted off the field.

Bozeman has been locked in a close battle with fellow veteran Pat Elflein to win the starting center position. Elflein started 58 games there for the Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets and Panthers, but is smaller than Bozeman—weighing 305 pounds at a height of 6-foot-3. Bozeman, by contrast, has started nine fewer games in his career, but comes in at 6-foot-5 and 325 pounds—which could help his fit in new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo’s physical style.

Throughout camp, the two veterans have split reps with the first-string offense as head Matt Rhule and offensive line coach James Campen try to find the right combination of starters. For now, though, Elflein will have to step up to be the first-string center as we await an update on Bozeman’s injury.

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Story originally appeared on Panthers Wire