5 second-wave free agents the Carolina Panthers could target in 2022
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers could target Jabrill Peppers
Adding another safety might not be in the Carolina Panthers’ train of thought right now after they signed Xavier Woods following a tremendous season with the Minnesota Vikings. However, if they were to go in this direction with someone like Jabrill Peppers, it would allow the coaching staff to deploy Jeremy Chinn as a game-changing hybrid all over the field – something that could take the former second-round pick’s game to completely new heights.
Peppers is coming off a serious injury with the New York Giants last time around that restricted the player to just six games. But his talent is undeniable and providing everything checks out on the health front, this is someone that would help the Panthers take that next step on defense.
Carolina does appear a little light at the second level despite the signing of Damien Wilson. There is hope Shaq Thompson and Frankie Luvu can fill the outside positions, but having the added option of Chinn at a position he thrived as a rookie could only help with the departure of Haason Reddick to consider.
This injury came at the worst possible time for Peppers, who tallied 91 tackles in 2020 and gave up just 65.2 percent of targets thrown his way. He has no trouble coming down to assist in run support and has proven more than capable of getting after the quarterback in specific blitz packages.
It might not be something the Panthers are thinking about. But the possibilities of how to utilize Chinn are endless with a signing such as this.