Xavier Woods
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Tennessee Titans safety Xavier Woods.
Surely the Philadelphia Eagles have a plan at safety. They have to, right?
Otherwise, why would they let 2 starting safeties walk out the door — Reed Blankenship on a big-money free-agent contract with the Houston Texans and Sydney Brown via a trade to the Atlanta Falcons.
As it stands right now, the Eagles would be counting on promising 2nd-year safety Andrew Mukuba to hold things down back there — something that’s a dicey proposition after his season ended with a fractured ankle in 2025.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport thinks the smart move for the Eagles would be signing 30-year-old safety Xavier Woods, a versatile player who could fill either safety spot if needed.
Financially, getting Woods on a low-money deal might be an imperative as the franchise anticipates taking a huge dead cap hit if wide receiver A.J. Brown is traded after June 1, which many anticipate will happen.
“That could leave the Eagles sifting through the bargain bin to fill gaps on the roster, including at safety after Reed Blankenship signed with the Houston Texans,” Davenport wrote. “There isn’t a lot left on the veteran market at safety — a mixture of aging veterans and second-tier options … Xavier Woods kind of splits the middle between the two camps.”
Woods was released by the Tennessee Titans in March to clear $3.82 million in salary cap space as the franchise undergoes a top-to-bottom rebuild under new head coach Robert Saleh.
In 2024 with the Carolina Panthers, Woods had career highs of 119 tackles and 3 interceptions. In 9 seasons, Woods has 121 career starts for the Titans, Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, and Minnesota Vikings, along with approximately $25.3 million in career earnings.