The Green Bay Packers are keeping an open mind when it comes to the tight end position. After Tyler Davis tore his ACL in the first preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the team’s plans at the position were forced to change.
Davis, a key special teams contributor, was expected to see his role offensively increase as well. The role that Marcedes Lewis has been filling the last few years was up for grabs and he was in line for those snaps.
With Davis now sidelined for the 2023 season, someone else is going to have to step into that spot in the lineup. Austin Allen will get the first crack and he certainly has the frame to succeed in such a role. Listed at 6’9” and 255 pounds, he is a mountain of a man who should be able to succeed as a blocker.
Even if he does play well enough to warrant regular-season snaps, it wouldn’t be the worst idea for the Packers to explore making an outside addition. Preferably, that player would have some NFL experience as well to help a tight end room that has played 0 NFL snaps combined, not counting the injured Davis.
One player who could fit the bill is Ian Thomas of the Carolina Panthers. Thomas was suggested as a player that the Panthers should look to trade ahead of the season by Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report, with the Packers being a potential landing spot.
“Thomas would be better suited in a tight end room that doesn’t have a veteran. The Packers would fit that description. Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft will be called upon to play roles as rookies, but Tyler Davis suffered a torn ACL.”
Thomas is entering his sixth season in the NFL, which isn’t old by any means, but compared to the rest of the Packers pass catchers, is ancient. There isn’t a single wide receiver or tight end with more than one season of NFL experience projected to make the 53-man roster.
Thomas has not developed as a pass catcher as the Panthers had hoped. After finishing his rookie season with 333 receiving yards, he has recorded only 666 in the next four seasons combined and hasn’t caught a touchdown since 2020. He leaves something to be desired in that sense, but that isn’t what the Packers would need him for.
Green Bay would benefit greatly from his blocking ability, stepping right into an in-line role. Acquiring him would bring a much-needed veteran presence to the locker room, helping replace what the Packers lost when Lewis signed with the Chicago Bears.
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