The Luke Musgrave breakout season hit another bump in the road, as the second-year tight end landed on the injured reserve following a slow start to the season. Selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Oregon State product boasted a borderline-elite athletic profile which made him one of the most intriguing options in a stacked tight end class. While he didn’t match Sam LaPorta’s production by any stretch of the imagination, the rookie recorded a respectable 34 receptions for 352 yards and one touchdown on 46 targets.
Unfortunately, Musgrave could not build on his solid debut, as he recorded just five receptions for 22 yards on seven targets through the first five games of the season. Now on the injured reserve, Luke Musgrave will miss at least the next four games and possibly more. Head coach Matt LaFleur didn’t rule out a 2024 return, but if this keeps him sidelined for a sizable portion of the season, Green Bay could turn to the Baltimore Ravens or Carolina Panthers for trade assistance.
Luke Musgrave Lands On Injured Reserve, Could Signal Ravens, Panthers Trade
The Mark Andrews Era is all but over in Baltimore. A third-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Andrews entered the league with quarterback Lamar Jackson and quickly became one of his favorite targets. While he never matched the elite production of guys like Travis Kelce and Rob Gronkowski, Andrews was one of the premier receiving tight ends at the peak of his career. However, that peak appears to be over, as the tight end has just 10 receptions for 120 yards and no touchdowns through the first five games of the season. With Luke Musgrave on the injured reserve, perhaps these two contending teams could come to terms on a Mark Andrews trade.
Andrews won’t need to be his old self to help the Green Bay Packers. 2023 third-round pick Tucker Kraft has been a pleasant surprise, hauling in 16 receptions for 218 yards and three touchdowns on 22 targets through the young season. The South Dakota State product is good enough to be the top tight end in an offense with several adequate weapons, but someone must fill in while Luke Musgrave is on injured reserve. Andrews can still make plays as a depth option in the passing attack, and his veteran experience should be useful for a locker room loaded with younger players.
Panthers Look to the Future
Andy Dalton did his best to bring some life to the Carolina Panthers offense, but this team simply doesn’t have the necessary talent to compete. While the offensive line is significantly improved, the 1-4 Panthers should start looking toward the future and evaluate the young talent on the roster. Fourth-round pick Ja’Tavion Sanders has some pass-catching promise, but he can’t make plays while Tommy Tremble is keeping him on the bench. Seeing as the season is effectively over, the Panthers could trade their tight end to the Panthers while Luke Musgrave is on the injured reserve.
Tommy Tremble likely wouldn’t cost anything more than a late-round pick swap, which is a perfect price for the Packers to pay. As mentioned earlier, Kraft is more than capable of being the top tight end on this offense, they just need more depth while Luke Musgrave recovers on the injured reserve. With Tremble supporting a contender in Green Bay, Carolina can marginally improve their draft capital while seeing if Sanders has what it takes to be a fixture in the NFL.
Main Photo: William Glasheen – USA Today Sports
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