Panthers ink former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver
The Carolina Panthers are signing former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Deon Cain to their practice squad. This comes days after Cain was released from the Buffalo Bills, allowing him to find a new home. A standout in the UFL over the last two seasons with the Birmingham Stallions, Cain hopes to find a new, permanent spot in the NFL, and the Panthers are giving him that chance.
The 28-year-old wide receiver has spent his career with multiple teams. Cain, the sixth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in the 2018 NFL Draft, spent the first two seasons with the Colts. However, once the Colts let him go in 2019, the Steelers jumped all over the opportunity to add him to the practice squad and eventually, the active roster. Cain spent all of 2019 and 2020 with the Steelers before heading to the Philadelphia Eagles for two years from 2021 to 2022, for most of which he was on their practice squad.
Since then, Cain has had those two stints in the UFL and previous USFL, earning opportunities with the Eagles again, Bills, and now the Panthers. The Panthers are somewhat of a homecoming for the Clemson product, who will go back south to try and prove that he belongs in the NFL.
While in the USFL with the Stallions, he was named the USFL Championship MVP in 2023. He has racked up just nine receptions for 124 yards in his NFL career, but has stuck around as a big play threat with great body control.
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Xavien Howard is one of the best players left on the free agent market and could sign with the Chiefs or Panthers in the coming weeks.
The regular season is less than a week away, but star cornerback Xavien Howard is still a free agent. A second-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Howard quickly established himself as one of the league’s most dangerous and aggressive defensive backs with the Miami Dolphins. Blessed with an elite nose for the ball, Howard led the league in interceptions twice, made four Pro Bowls, and earned First-Team All-Pro honors for his fantastic 2020 season.
Xavien Howard slowed down a bit in his age-30 season, and his relatively pedestrian play combined with his massive cap hit gave Miami no choice but to cut him and make him a free agent. This happened months ago, yet Howard has been unable to find a new home. He’s not an elite player at this point in his career, but with Stephon Gilmore in Minnesota and Adoree Jackson in New York, he’s the best cornerback remaining on the market. Howard can still help a secondary in need, and the Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers are the most likely destinations.
Panthers, Chiefs Could Sign Free Agent Xavien Howard
L’Jarius Sneed is one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks and no single player can replace him in Kansas City’s defense. However, this doesn’t mean the Chiefs won’t have a good secondary in 2024. Trent McDuffie remains one of the game’s premier players, and former fourth-round pick Joshua Williams has played well in a limited role. However, with Williams now set to start, Kansas City could use a free agent like Xavien Howard to bolster the depth in the secondary.
Xavien Howard can be a fine emergency starter, but the free agent won’t need to be the second-best cornerback to make an impact for the Chiefs. Thanks to the presence of Patrick Mahomes, opposing offenses will throw the ball early and often to try and keep up with Kansas City’s high-flying aerial attack. The Chiefs will likely spend most of the season in nickel and dime packages, which means more defensive backs on the field. Even if it’s in a depth role, Howard and his ball-hawking abilities should be a welcome addition to this defense.
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