Jairus Byrd Reportedly Signed by Panthers After Kurt Coleman Injury

After three largely underwhelming seasons with the New Orleans Saints, Jairus Byrd will look for a fresh start with the Carolina Panthers after agreeing to a deal with the team Tuesday.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Panthers signed Byrd since starting safety Kurt Coleman is set to miss multiple weeks with a sprained MCL.

Byrd was the most prized free-agent safety on the market in 2014, and many were surprised when the Saints found a way to accommodate his six-year, $54 million deal.

A three-time Pro Bowler, he joined a secondary that allowed the second-fewest passing yards (194.1 per game) in 2013. It was the kind of win-now move that was going to help the Saints win a second Super Bowl.

However, Byrd played four games in 2014 before suffering a torn meniscus that ended his season. He remained relatively healthy in 2015 and 2016 but failed to recreate his prime years with the Buffalo Bills, per Pro Football Focus:

This past year, Byrd finished with 82 combined tackles and two interceptions, and Pro Football Focus graded him in a tie with Tre Boston and George Iloka as the 46th-best safety (78.1) in the NFL. As a whole, the Saints allowed a league-worst 273.5 yards per game and ranked 29th in pass defense DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average), per Football Outsiders.

NOLA.com's Larry Holder thought the effects of Byrd's meniscus injury lingered well beyond the 2014 campaign:

"He was never the same player after the injury. Setbacks seemed to occur during the rehab process and followed him during the 2015 season, even though he played in 13 games.

"Byrd never managed to regain the speed and quickness that made him such an elite talent in Buffalo. By the end of 2016, I started to feel bad for Byrd. It wasn't for a lack of effort; he just didn't have it anymore."

The Advocate's Nick Underhill wrote the Saints would've welcomed Byrd back in 2017 if his contract hadn't made it financially unfeasible:

"The feeling here was that Byrd would have been worth keeping around at a discounted rate, especially since he seemed to be playing well in coordinator Dennis Allen's defense, which allowed him to move around more than he had under Rob Ryan. But even with the positive signs last season, his money was always going to be hard to swallow, especially with Vonn Bell coming up behind him."

To a certain extent, getting out of New Orleans should be the best thing for Byrd. He'll no longer be burdened by expectation and the weight of a contract that for a short time made him the highest-paid safety in the league.

The eight-year veteran will turn 31 on Saturday. While the chances of his adding a fourth Pro Bowl to his list of accolades before he retires are slim, he can still be a starting-caliber safety for a few more years. The fact 2016 was Byrd's most productive year with the Saints is a reason for optimism as well.  

Byrd is a good buy-low candidate for the Panthers as they look to strengthen their secondary in the midst of Coleman's absence.