CHARLOTTE — The Panthers brought up some reinforcements to the roster Saturday in advance of the regular season finale.
They brought up four players from the practice squad, giving them a full complement for tomorrow's game.
They signed center Sam Tecklenburg and wide receiver Preston Williams to the 53-man roster and activated defensive tackle Phil Hoskins and cornerback Josh Norman (standard elevations).
Tecklenburg adds some line depth (though they've been remarkably healthy on the line this year, with four of the five starters playing every snap).
Getting Williams up adds a bigger target in the passing game, as the 6-foot-5, 215-pounder has the size they don't otherwise have at the position.
"He's like throwing to an aircraft carrier; you know?" offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo said. "He's a big man, right? He's got a big catch radius. He's quarterback-friendly that way. So anytime you get a guy like that, he's always open."
Williams caught 32 passes as a rookie with the Dolphins but has struggled with injuries over the course of his career.
Norman is expected to play a bigger role this week after the 35-year-old was limited in his debut against the Buccaneers last week. Getting him into game shape took more than three days of practice.
Hoskins gives them an alternative in the middle if starter Matt Ioannidis isn't able to go. He didn't practice this week with a back issue and was listed as questionable for the final game of the year.
The move gets them back to a 53-man roster, along with the two elevations.
