Reasons Why Packers Claimed TE Ben Sims Revealed

It was an open secret that the Green Bay Packers were going to make a move at the tight end position once training camp ended. After Tyler Davis tore his ACL in the preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Packers were left dangerously thin at the position.

Davis was expected to see an expanded role offensively after being a key special teams player. Marcedes Lewis’s role as a blocker was the one he was expected to assume. Austin Allen was getting the first crack at replacing him as his imposing size would make him an ideal run blocker.

Alas, Allen was released during cutdown day, leaving the Packers with only two tight ends on the initial 53-man roster; rookies Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft. There would assuredly be some tight ends released around the league that Green Bay would look into. Evidently, they found their man.

The Packers put a waiver claim in on rookie tight end Ben Sims and were awarded him. Sims was released by the Minnesota Vikings after being signed as an undrafted free agent. He was expecting to join the team’s practice squad before being told that Green Bay had scooped him up instead.

“A little surprising to be honest,” said Sims on Thursday about being a Packer. “I was in a practice squad meeting with Minnesota yesterday (Wednesday) at like 11:00 AM and I get pulled out of it because we are about to go through the process of that, and I get a text, and one of our player personnel people were like you just got claimed off waivers, you got to go. And I was like, where am I going? They said I was coming to Green Bay. So I grabbed my truck, packed my bags and drove here yesterday.”

Sims is someone that the Packers have had their eyes on for a while. He was hosted by the team for a top-30 visit during the pre-draft process. Sims fits the mold as the kind of tight end they were looking for to reshape their depth chart with.

Second-round pick Luke Musgrave is known for his athleticism, but Sims actually ran a faster 40-yard dash. That, along with the experience he has as a run-blocker, is what drew the Packers toward him.

“Ben’s a guy we brought in here for a (top) 30 visit,” said Gutekunst. “Another big guy, an athlete who can run very fast. What he was able to do in the last three weeks up in Minnesota, he really improved his game in some areas that gave us a lot of confidence to put that claim in.”

At Baylor, Sims played in a pro-style offense. He recorded nearly 1,000 snaps as a run-blocker, while also lining up in the slot as a pass catcher. Most importantly, he has special teams experience with 366 snaps there as well.

Possessing a well-rounded skill set, Sims is someone who can see his role grow as he gets acclimated to a new playbook. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur can get creative with schemes and formations as Sims’ versatility will keep opponents guessing whenever he is on the field.