The Green Bay Packers made two waiver claims after cutdown day last week. A player was added to each side of the ball, with tight end Ben Sims and safety Zayne Anderson being acquired.
Both players were added right to the 53-man roster and could have a role during the season. Sims fits the mold as the big, athletic tight end that the Packers have revamped their depth chart with. Anderson should step in right away as an ace special teams player on a unit that has lost numerous key players.
The Packers lost tight end Tyler Davis, who led the team in special teams snaps last season, to a torn ACL in the first preseason game. Cornerback Corey Ballentine and linebacker Tariq Carpenter were both released last week as well; Ballentine was signed to the practice squad, while Carpenter joined the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice squad.
Anderson had spent the entire summer with the Buffalo Bills but was released during the final cuts. He expressed a lot of excitement about joining the Packers, a team he has considered becoming a part of in the past.
“We had talked with my agent about potentially practice squad,” said Anderson on Thursday about the Packers. “They kind of had an eye on us for a year or two. Just happy to be here, man. It’s a blessing, and excited for the opportunity.”
Anderson has spent two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, mostly as a special teams contributor. Collegiately at BYU, he was a versatile piece defensively, playing mostly deep free safety but also lining up as a slot cornerback.
He certainly possesses the athleticism to play on defense, recording a 4.44 40-yard dash and 6.78-second three-cone drill during his pro day. While he may not receive many opportunities defensively in Green Bay, he is looking forward to playing under Rich Bisaccia.
“He’s one of the best special teams coaches in the business,” said Anderson. “And you can tell just the way he coaches his players and the way he handles everyone. He coaches with a lot of enthusiasm and I think that’s important, especially with the special teams unit to have that. So I’m excited to be able to work with him.”
Special teams is where Anderson will start his Packers career. However, he could also be given a chance to play some safety as the season wears on. That is arguably the team’s weakest positional group as no one seized and locked in a starting spot in training camp.
