After a positively surprising performance against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, wide receiver Bo Melton has been rewarded. On Monday, the Green Bay Packers promoted him to the active 53-man roster.
As a corresponding move, the Packers placed second-year wide receiver Samori Toure on injured reserve, probably ending his season — he would still have a chance of being activated if Green Bay reached the Super Bowl.
The team also signed safety Tyler Coyle to the practice squad, occupying Melton’s spot.
Path to the roster
It’s Bo Melton’s third stint on the Packers 53-man roster. He was signed off the Seattle Seahawks last year, but didn’t play.
This year, Melton had been promoted on November 22, right before the Thanksgiving game against the Detroit Lions. He had only two snaps and was cut.
After going unclaimed on waivers, Melton went back to the Packers practice squad. Since then, he has been elevated for gameday three times. In the last two games, his role got bigger, and he added 10 receptions for 149 yards combining the games against the Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings.
On Sunday night alone, he had six receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown — it was the first 100 receiving yard game for a Packers player this season.
Protection
After a fumble on special teams and a reception for negative yardage, Samori Toure’s situation on the Packers roster was always in jeopardy.
However, he got hurt during the game. So, instead of waiving the second-year receiver, the Packers were able to place him on injured reserve.
That’s a smart move, which allows the team to keep Toure’s rights. He is under contract through 2025, so he’s expected to be back with the team next season.
