“Panthers Sign Rookie Tight End Swinson; Packers Restructure Roster After Injuries”
The Green Bay Packers had initially planned to develop tight end Messiah Swinson, but that plan has changed. On Tuesday, the Carolina Panthers signed the rookie from the Packers’ practice squad, as reported by Joe Person and Aaron Wilson.
The Panthers brought Swinson on board to address depth concerns at tight end, with Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas dealing with injuries. Swinson provides the Panthers with additional support ahead of the regular season.
Meanwhile, with running backs MarShawn Lloyd and Emanuel Wilson facing injuries, the Packers used the practice squad spot left vacant by Swinson’s departure to bring in another running back. General manager Brian Gutekunst signed Chris Brooks, a former Miami Dolphins player. Brooks played in five games last season as a rookie, gaining 94 yards on 15 carries, averaging 6.3 yards per attempt.
The Packers currently have Ellis Merriweather and La’Mical Perine on the practice squad as running backs, while Nate McCrary is on the practice squad injured reserve list and will be out for at least four weeks.
At tight end, the Packers have Luke Musgrave, Tucker Kraft, and Ben Sims on their 53-man roster. Tyler Davis has been placed on injured reserve and will miss the season. During the 90-man training camp roster, the Packers had both Messiah Swinson and Joel Wilson at tight end. After Swinson cleared waivers, the Packers opted to keep him on the practice squad, also signing fullback Andrew Beck, since tight ends and fullbacks are often interchangeable in Matt LaFleur’s offensive scheme.
Now that Swinson is gone, the Packers could consider bringing back Joel Wilson. Wilson, an undrafted rookie out of Central Michigan, previously spent time with the New Orleans Saints and Buffalo Bills. He was signed to the Packers’ practice squad last season and returned this year.
There had been an expectation that Wilson would make the practice squad, as he performed better than Swinson during the preseason, but the Packers had initially chosen to focus on Swinson’s development.