Carolina Panthers signed Xavier Woods
- Three-year, $15 million deal | $2.8 million salary-cap hit (2022)
As stated previously, the Carolina Panthers need to find a productive partner for Jeremy Chinn at the safety position at some stage during the offseason. Acquiring Xavier Woods in free agency from the Minnesota Vikings ticks all the boxes and providing there is more to come, it’s another problem solved before the draft cheaply.
There were some who questioned whether Woods could salvage his career after a torrid end to his time with the Dallas Cowboys. As it turned out, linking up with a defensive-minded head coach in Mike Zimmer and playing alongside an All-Pro in Harrison Smith was the best possible situation for the former sixth-round pick.
The Vikings did not have the financial capacity to extend Woods before free agency. And the Panthers moved swiftly to secure his services for the next three years.
Woods is an instinctive player on the backend that has the skillset to complement what Chinn brings to the table. Juston Burris did have some nice moments, but injuries and inconsistency in coverage meant that an alternative needed to be sought.
Hopefully, Woods can build on this newly-found positive momentum in Carolina. If he can, then this contract will be outplayed in a hurry.