The legal tampering period has brought a lot of rumors and talent to the Carolina Panthers. How do these early signings grade out?
It has been a very exciting time over the last couple of days where the Carolina Panthers are concerned. With rumors swirling over a certain quarterback and what talent may follow him, some of the acquisitions brought in during the early legal tampering period feels a little overlooked.
Carolina went into the free agency period looking to overhaul certain positions, add depth, and fill roles that were lacking last year. They have spent big money to make that happen and will look for these additions to make a big impact in 2022.
With or without future trades and signings these players are locked in for next year and beyond. It was a slow start overall as teams across the league made big splashes right out of the gate, but those in power got their hands on three top players despite their obvious priority surrounding the all-important Deshaun Watson meeting.
Whether this will come with the quarterback waiving his no-trade clause to join the Panthers remains to be seen. At the time of writing, Watson is planning to meet with the Atlanta Falcons – his fourth team this week – so Carolina remains in limbo at the most important position on the field.
How do these players grade out? Are they worth the money? Do they fill the role that Carolina was missing last year? Let’s dive right in and assign a grade and breakdown to each new signing.
Austin Corbett – Carolina Panthers OG
- 3 year, $29.25 million deal from the Los Angeles Rams
The Carolina Panthers’ biggest issue last year beyond quarterback play was most certainly a horrendous offensive line. They made it a top priority to attack it on the first day of free agency, filling the right guard position for the next three years.
Austin Corbett was drafted out of Nevada with the first pick in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft. He would only play in 14 games as a member of the Cleveland Browns before being traded to the Los Angeles Rams for a 2021 fifth-round selection.
Corbett, over the past three seasons, has started 39 of a possible 40 games for the Rams, filling an important role for them during that time. During the last two years, the interior lineman surrendered only four sacks.
This last season, as a Super Bowl champion, he had an overall grade of 68.8 for Pro Football Focus with a 63.8 in pass blocking and a 67.4 in run blocking.
Final grade: A
Carolina will look for him to take the place next to Taylor Moton and create a strong right side of the line, replacing a less than productive John Miller. He will fill in well for Ben McAdoo’s new downhill offense and add that extra push the Panthers will need, providing an upgrade regarding protecting the quarterback for good measure.
Xavier Woods – Carolina Panthers S
- 3 year, $15.75 million deal from the Minnesota Vikings
The Carolina Panthers have been looking for a roaming safety ever since the departure of Tre Boston and they may have just found it in Xavier Woods. He should fit well in this bend don’t break defense and allow Phil Snow to maneuver Jeremy Chinn – should he stay – in more creative ways.
Woods signed with the Minnesota Vikings last year and started every game under Mike Zimmer. The former sixth-round pick tied for the team lead in interceptions with three and was very solid in coverage on the back end of that defense.
With health being a recent issue in Carolina, it is good to note Woods was the only Vikings defensive player to play every single defensive snap for the team in 2021.
There were some questions about his dedication and taking plays off during his time with the Dallas Cowboys after the player admitted that he didn’t play “full speed for 70 plays” following an October 2020 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
This also had a tendency to show up on tape during his time with the Cowboys. That seems to have been resolved during Woods’ stint with Minnesota.
Final grade: B-
Woods should start immediately and be a major upgrade at a cheaper cost for the position going into 2022. This has the makings of a very solid signing.
D’Onta Foreman – Carolina Panthers RB
- 1 year, $2 million deal from the Tennessee Titans
One thing that the Carolina Panthers have lacked in Matt Rhule’s run-heavy mindset has been a power running back. This was very noticeable last year and especially when Christian McCaffrey was forced to miss time through injury.
D’Onta Foreman should fix that problem right away as he proved more than capable of shouldering a heavy load for the Tennessee Titans when filling in for Derrick Henry during the previous campaign.
Foreman revived his career with the Titans last season. The former Texas star churned out 566 rushing yards on 133 carries and added an eye-popping 123 receiving yards on nine receptions.
He was very productive in his fill-in spot last year. Foreman’s signature power running style gave the Titans a welcome boost without their focal point on offense en route to the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
Final grade: B+
With McCaffrey likely returning, Foreman will compete with Chuba Hubbard for the primary backup role and be the short yard and goal-line back for Carolina. This could end up being a low-cost, low-risk move for a player that the Panthers have been seeking since Mike Davis left for the Atlanta Falcons.