Wide receiver Jake Allen has been promoted from the practice squad and will replace Brett Swain, who is headed to injured reserve, Packer Report has learned.
Allen’s agent, James "Bus" Cook, told Packer Report in an e-mail.
Swain, a key player on special teams who stopped a fake punt against Chicago, needs season-ending surgery after injuring his left knee while covering a kickoff during the second quarter on Sunday in Cleveland. He had no receptions in five games.
Promoting Allen provides some continuity. Allen was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2008 after a superb career at Mississippi College. The 6-foot-4 Allen was a first-team Division III All-American as a senior, and he closed his career with school records of 152 receptions, 2,867 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Allen didn't have a strong training camp as a rookie but was saved by his intriguing combination of size and athleticism. Allen was much better during training camp this past summer, though he was beaten out by Swain, who had emerged on special teams to oust veteran Ruvell Martin. With Nelson out with a knee sprain suffered against Detroit and with Greg Jennings battling a sprained wrist and missing some practice time, Allen had been seeing more time in recent weeks.
Allen is likely to be thrown right into the fire on Sunday against Minnesota. Big-play tight end Jermichael Finley also figures to miss the game with a knee sprain, so the Packers probably will be unable to compensate for the absence of receivers Swain and Jordy Nelson by lining up with two tight ends.
The Packers replenished their practice squad by signing two wide receivers, Biren Ealy and Patrick Williams, and releasing guard Stanley Daniels. The 6-foot-1 Williams, an undrafted free agent from Colorado, spent the entire offseason in Green Bay but did not catch a pass in the preseason. He was placed on injured reserve during training camp with a hamstring injury and then was waived. The 6-foot-2 Ealy caught one pass for 6 yards in four games for Tennessee in 2007. He was an undrafted free agent out of Houston in 2007 and spent 2008 on the Titans’ practice squad.
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Bill Huber is publisher of Packer Report magazine and PackerReport.com and has written for Packer Report since 1997. E-mail him at packwriter2002@yahoo.com, or leave him a question in Packer Report’s subscribers-only Packers Pro Club forum. Find Bill on Twitter at twitter.com/packerreport and Facebook under Bill Huber.