Packers add DE Shaneil Jenkins & send TE Beau Sandland to injured reserve

The Green Bay Packers made a pair of roster moves on Sunday afternoon, adding one player and sending another to injured reserve to keep the roster at 90 players.

First, the team opened up a roster spot by sending tight end Beau Sandland to injured reserve. The first-year tight end was a seventh-round draft pick by the Panthers last season, but was released at final cuts and landed on Carolina’s practice squad. The Packers signed him to the practice squad last November, two days after the Panthers released him.

Sandland has been battling knee injury throughout camp, and although he reportedly did not need surgery, placing him on injured reserve will allow him to stay in the organization throughout his rehab.

To fill his spot, the Packers claimed defensive end Shaneil Jenkins, who had recently been placed on waivers by the Seattle Seahawks. Jenkins, who played at Shepherd University in West Virginia, was eligible for the 2016 NFL Draft but was not selected, instead signing as a free agent with the Denver Broncos. He spent some time with the Dallas Cowboys before landing in Seattle.

In keeping with trends shared by the Packers and Seahawks, Jenkins is an excellent athlete for his size. He worked out at West Virginia University’s Pro Day last April and at 6’3”, 281 pounds, he ran the 40-yard dash in an impressive 4.84 seconds (with a 1.65-second ten-yard split). He added a 30-inch vertical jump and a 3-cone drill of 7.25 seconds. Jenkins is currently listed at 6’3” and 295 pounds, which could make him a candidate for the 3-technique or 5-technique defensive end positions in the base 3-4 defense, as well as an interior pass-rusher in the nickel.

The fact that the Packers did not replace Sandland with another tight end should be a sign that they are comfortable with Richard Rodgers as their number three at that position, and that Rodgers’ finger injury is not likely to be significant moving forward. Indeed, this was confirmed when Rodgers himself told reporters that he was able to practice on Sunday with a splint.

Stay tuned as the Packers return to practice in front of the public on Tuesday.