Tag: Nate Becker

Packers claiming TE Nate Becker off waivers from Panthers

The Packers were awarded tight end Nate Becker off of waivers from the Panthers on Monday.

The Green Bay Packers are adding a new player to the tight end room ahead of a busy week of training camp.

According to Field Yates of ESPN, the Packers were awarded tight end Nate Becker off of waivers from the Carolina Panthers.

Becker (6-5, 264) was an undrafted free agent out of Miami (OH) in 2019. He’s spent time at the NFL level with the Panthers, Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills.

Becker joins Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis, Josiah Deguara, Dominique Dafney, Tyler Davis, Alize Mack and Sal Cannella to give the Packers eight tight ends on the current roster. General manager Brian Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur might want an extra tight end before facing the New Orleans Saints for two joint practices and a preseason game this week.

During the preseason last August, Becker caught three passes for 47 yards, including two catches for 33 yards in a game against the Packers.

In 2020, Becker played 34 total snaps (30 on offense) in the Bills’ 56-28 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the regular season finale. He was used as a blocker on 20 snaps.

Becker, 26, was on the field for 15 snaps for the Panthers in the preseason opener against Washington. He didn’t have a catch on one target and seven routes run.

The Panthers released Becker on Sunday. He must pass a physical in Green Bay before he’s officially added to the Packers roster.

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Panthers waive 5 players following preseason opener

The Panthers waived five players ahead of the preseason’s first roster reduction deadline.

The Carolina Panthers will be heading into joint practices with the New England Patriots starting this week. But, unfortunately for a handful of guys, they’ll be doing it with a reduced roster.

Less than 24 hours after the team’s 23-21 win in their preseason opener against the Washington Commanders, the Panthers have waived five players. The departed includes running back Darius Bradwell, tight end Nate Becker, offensive lineman Wyatt Miller, linebacker Kamal Martin and cornerback Chris Westry.

Tuesday marks the summer’s first deadline for cut-downs. Teams must get their rosters down from 90 men to 85 with the second batch (or third if you want to count the all-important Hall of Fame Game) of exhibition contests ahead.

The chopping block will be revisited by the Panthers and the rest of the league two more times before the start of the regular season—once prior to Aug. 23 to get to 80 men and the other prior to Aug. 30 to get to 53.

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Panthers sign two TEs on Thursday

With Ian Thomas and Colin Thompson dealing with injuries, the Panthers inked a pair of tight ends on Thursday.

The Carolina Panthers officially closed up training camp for the summer on Wednesday. But they’re not coming out of Spartanburg, S.C. unscathed.

In addition to the handful of injuries sustained at the cornerback position, the Panthers’ tight end room also grew a bit thin over in Wofford College. Starter Ian Thomas is expected to miss a few weeks with a rib injury while Colin Thompson, who has appeared in 26 games for Carolina over the last two seasons, is currently dealing with a calf injury.

So, they’ve enlisted the help of former Buffalo Bill Nate Becker and former New England Patriot Ryan Izzo.

Becker broke into the league as an undrafted free agent with the Detroit Lions in 2019. After being cut less than two months later, the Miami University (of Ohio) product landed in Buffalo.

The 6-foot-5, 264-pound pass catcher has played in just one regular season game at the pro level—a 2020 matchup against the Miami Dolphins. He registered 30 snaps on offense—with zero targets—and four on special teams.

Izzo was a seventh-round draft pick of the Patriots in 2019. He’s amassed 313 yards and a touchdown on 19 receptions over his three-year career.

To make room for Becker and Izzo, the Panthers waived linebacker Jacob Tuioti-Mariner and cornerback Devin Jones.

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Buffalo Bills add 2 to practice squad

Buffalo Bills sign two players, Antonio Williams, Nate Becker, to practice squad, move Evan Boehm to injured list.

Running back Antonio Williams and Nate Becker were re-signed by the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday. The pair of players will join the team’s practice squad, the team announced.

The signings comes as little surprise as the Bills hosted both on free-agent visits on Monday, as opposed to workouts which are less likely to turn into signings.

In a corresponding move, offensive lineman Evan Boehm was moved to the practice squad injured list. Boehm, who appeared in 13 games with the Dolphins last season and signed with the Bills this offseason, hasn’t yet appeared in a game for Buffalo in 2020. The Bills did not disclose the nature of his injured yet.  In Week 2 vs. the Dolphins, Buffalo’s starting tight end Dawson Knox left the game early due to a concussion. Considering Becker’s familiarity with the Bills offense, it would not be surprising to see him join the team’s practice squad, at least temporarily, to provide depth.

Becker spent time with the Bills over the past two training camps and had a little time on their practice squad as well in 2019.

Williams was an undrafted rookie free agent signee of the Bills following the 2020 NFL Draft. He has since been cut twice by the Bills. He briefly took a graduate assistant coaching position with his alma mater, the University of North Carolina, but promptly left it to re-join the Bills.

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Report: Bills re-sign TE Jason Croom

The Buffalo Bills have reportedly re-signed tight end Jason Croom.

The Buffalo Bills have reportedly re-signed tight end Jason Croom, per ESPN’s Field Yates. Croom was an exclusive-rights free agent for the Bills:

Croom suffered a hamstring injury last summer, and it plagued him throughout training camp, ultimately landing him in injured reserved for the 2019 season.

Croom had 22 receptions for 259 receiving yards and one touchdown reception in 2018, leading all Bills tight ends.

He will compete within a crowded tight end room. Incumbents Tyler Kroft, Dawson Knox, Lee Smith, Tommy Sweeney, and Nate Becker are all under contract for next season. The Bills were in the market for a new tight end via Greg Olsen, but the former Panther signed with the Seahawks instead of the Bills earlier this offseason. In wake of his decision, the Bills appear to be rolling things back with the same crew from last season, as Kroft restructured his contract on Friday as well.

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