The Carolina Panthers added depth to a banged-up receiver group Wednesday night, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting that the signing of former Las Vegas Raiders wideout Willie Snead to the team’s practice squad.
Panthers are signing former Raiders’ WR Willie Snead to their practice squad, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 27, 2021
The 5-foot-11, 200 pounder is in his seventh season in the league, having played for the New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens and, most recently, the Las Vegas Raiders. Throughout his 93-game career, the veteran receiver has logged 278 receptions for 3,425 yards on a 67-percent catch rate.
Snead struggled to build chemistry with quarterback Derek Carr this season. He played in just eight percent of offensive snaps, amassing a mere three receptions and 32 yards before requesting his release due to a lack of playing time.
The timing of the move, in addition to Wednesday’s earlier addition of wideout Devin Smith, comes as the Panthers are dealing with a slew of recent injuries. Rookie Terrace Marshall Jr. remained out of practice to start the week with a concussion, while Brandon Zylstra sits on the injured reserve list for at least two more weeks after sustaining a hamstring injury in the Week 6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Thus, there is a realistic probability that Carolina will elevate a wideout from the practice squad for this week’s contest versus the Atlanta Falcons, and Snead could be the most promising candidate even on such short notice.