Bills Central

Buffalo Bills pressed to poach defender from Carolina Panthers

The Buffalo Bills are being urged to consider stealing a defender from the Carolina Panthers.
Nov 10, 2024; Munich, Germany; Carolina Panthers safety Xavier Woods (25) celebrates with teammates against the New York Giants in the second half during the 2024 NFL Munich Game at Allianz Arena.
Nov 10, 2024; Munich, Germany; Carolina Panthers safety Xavier Woods (25) celebrates with teammates against the New York Giants in the second half during the 2024 NFL Munich Game at Allianz Arena. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills are currently a top Super Bowl contender this season. While they are an elite contender right now, their championship window is not guaranteed to stay open long-term.

In order to continue being contenders year in and year out, the Bills will need to make smart roster moves and continue bringing in new talent.

With that in mind, the front office is likely already looking ahead to the upcoming offseason. There are some areas that Buffalo could use improvement, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Thankfully, the Bills are going to be one of the most coveted free agency destinations for players looking to coimpete for a championship.

Bleacher Report has already named a player that Buffalo should consider pursuing. They think that the Bills should try to poach a defensive back away from the Carolina Panthers in NFL free agency.

"The Bills will likely look to move Cole Bishop into the starting lineup in his second season. That should be the expectation based on his draft pedigree. However, Damar Hamlin is set to become a free agent and the Bills could look to upgrade. An overlooked veteran such as Xavier Woods would be a good value signing if that's the case. The 29-year-old has played well in Carolina and given up a passer rating of just 66.5 when targeted, per PFF."

Woods would be a very intriguing sleeper pickup for Buffalo. He isn't going to break the bank and he has been a productive piece for the Panthers' defense.

During the 2024 NFL season thus far, Woods has played in 13 games. He has racked up 89 total tackles to go along with three interceptions and five defended passes.

At 29 years old, Woods still has plenty of good football left in him. The Bills could sign him to a three-year deal and add a major upgrade to their secondary.

Damar Hamlin has played solid football this season, but there is no question that Woods would be a better option. If they can get something done with him that's reasonable from a money perspective, they should go all-out to get him.

All of that being said, this is just a suggestion. It's way too early to make concrete predictions, but a move for Woods would make a lot of sense to help improve the Buffalo defense.

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Evan Massey
EVAN MASSEY

Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst who covers college football, the NFL and NBA. He has contributed to the On SI network since July 2021. He has also written for ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, NFLAnalysis.net, NBAAnalysis.net and many other publications. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son.