When Kurt Coleman injured his knee on Sunday, it was clear that the Panthers would have to make a roster move to add some depth at the position; with Coleman expected to miss at least two games and maybe more, the Panthers have turned to former division rival and Pro Bowler Jairus Byrd, who played most recently for the New Orleans Saints. Byrd was a Pro Bowler in 2009, 2012, and 2013, all while with the Buffalo Bills; once Byrd signed with the Saints, he ultimately disappointed even as he racked up 157 tackles, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions. These numbers paled in comparison to the 356 tackles, 22 interceptions, and 11 forced fumbles totaled in five years with the Bills.
After signing for what was the most guaranteed money received by any free agent in the NFL during the 2014 offseason, Byrd started his Saints career on the wrong foot by having back surgery during the offseason before struggling to adjust to the defensive scheme of then-coordinator Rob Ryan, eventually tearing his lateral meniscus during practice before Week 5 of that season. He returned to start 28 games over the lat two season, but was ultimately released by the Saints after last season due to his large contract.
I know one guy who is excited Jairus Byrd is joining the team pic.twitter.com/TBqv4eksPm
— Max Henson (@PanthersMax) October 3, 2017
While Byrd did not play particularly well in 2015 or the beginning of the 2016 season, he did show great improvement down the stretch last season, even garnering compliments from Saints head coach Sean Payton. “I’d say in the last six weeks, he’s played as good of football as we’ve seen now, and that’s encouraging,” said the coach in December of last season as Byrd had two interceptions in a Christmas Eve win over the Buccaneers.
Byrd is an excellent tackler and has a good nose for the ball, as shown by his high turnover numbers in Buffalo; while he may not have stuck in a Saints defense that had multiple issues stemming from scheme to fundamental flaws, he has the talent to be a competent placeholder for Kurt Coleman as he will slot into the starting spot almost immediately. Byrd excels in zone coverage, which the Panthers run a fair amount of and should be able to step in and make an impact as the Panthers continue to face high-octane offenses in Detroit and Philadelphia the next two weeks before having their “mini-bye” after a Thursday night home game.
As one Byrd joins the team, fan favorite wide reciever Damiere Byrd heads to Injured Reserve with a broken radius. If the Panthers choose, they can bring him back to practice before their Week 11 bye and activate him to the roster for Week 13 and a possible playoff run. NFL rules allow two players to be activated throughout the season after spending six weeks away from practice, and one of those spots is assumedly earmarked for tight end Greg Olsen, who was placed on IR after Week 2 and would be eligible to be back on the active roster when the Panthers return from their bye.
