Report: Packers to sign veteran WR Seth Roberts

The Green Bay Packers will soon add an experienced wide receiver.

According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, the Packers are planning to sign Seth Roberts to the team’s practice squad.

Roberts, who has played in 85 career games, was released by the Carolina Panthers on Monday. He signed a one-year, $3.75 million deal with the Panthers before the season but caught just four passes for 31 yards over Carolina’s first seven games.

Roberts played 44 snaps over the last three games with the Panthers but didn’t have a target or catch. Of the 191 wide receivers with at least one target this season, Roberts ranks 169th in yards per route run (0.53; 31 yards, 58 routes), per Pro Football Focus.

Last season, Roberts caught 21 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns over 16 games and 552 snaps with the Baltimore Ravens.

Before joining Baltimore, Roberts – an undrafted free agent from West Alabama – played five seasons with the Raiders, catching 158 passes for 1,826 yards and 13 touchdowns.

For his career, Roberts has averaged 11.6 yards per catch, while catching 60.7 percent of his targets and averaging 7.0 yards per target.

The Packers might have preferred signing an available veteran like Roberts over trading for a receiver before next week’s deadline. While Roberts is expected to begin on the Packers’ practice squad, he’ll have a chance to make the 53-man roster and contribute if he can learn the playbook and get comfortable in the Packers offense.

Roberts is most experienced playing from the slot. The Packers don’t have a traditional slot receiver on the roster.

At Pro Football Focus, Roberts earned an overall grade of 53.4 in 2020. He has never produced an overall grade above 63.5 in a single season.

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