Who Should I Start? Ross Dwelley or Stone Smartt

Tuesday, December 30, 11:07 AM

The Carolina Panthers have signed tight end Ross Dwelley to their practice squad, per ESPN's David Newton. Newton reports that Dwelley has a chance to be elevated to the active roster for Carolina's Week 18 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in light of tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders (ankle) suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 17. Dwelley appeared in 11 games for the Detroit Lions this season, recording two receptions for seven yards on five targets. He's played in 112 career NFL games across eight seasons, hauling in 47 catches for 530 yards and five touchdowns. Carolina still has tight ends Tommy Tremble, Mitchell Evans, and James Mitchell on the active roster, so Dwelley would likely fill a depth role. Tremble appears most likely to serve as the team's primary receiving tight end with Sanders sidelined.

Thursday, March 13, 4:21 PM

The New York Jets signed former Los Angeles Chargers tight end Stone Smartt to an undisclosed one-year deal on Thursday, a source tells NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Smartt was a restricted free agent this offseason but was not tendered by the Bolts, making him available to all teams. The 26-year-old former undrafted free agent came on strong late last year for L.A. and finished with career-highs in catches (16) and receiving yards (208) on 19 targets in 15 regular-season games (two starts), although he didn't find the end zone at all. Smartt could have an opportunity to build on his 2024 season in his new home in New York in 2025, as Tyler Conklin and Kenny Yeboah are currently unrestricted free agents. The only other TE on the Jets' current roster is Jeremy Ruckert. The Jets could still add to the position in free agency and the draft, but Smartt will be one to watch heading into training camp this summer.