Rams add 'Baby Gronk' as the team prepares to face the pesky Panthers

Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead cleared his inbox with a flurry of roster moves on the day before Thanksgiving. What were they? Well, since many fans travel for Thanksgiving, let's sum up the plethora of moves to improve the roster. Los Angeles:

1. ... re-signed IOL Wyatt Bowles to the practice squad
2. ...re-signed safety Tanner Ingle to the practice squad.
3.... claimed former cornerback Derion Kendrick off Seattle Seahawks waivers.
4.... reported a batch of roster moves that included reactivating both wide receiver Tutu Atwell and cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon from injured reserve, claiming Kendrick off waivers, sending cornerback Roger McCarty to injured reserve, and signing tight end Nick Vannett.

Now, fans are rightfully asking, who the heck is Nick Vannett? Well, we did some digging, and you may enjoy what we've learned. Vannett is a 10-year veteran who has played for eight NFL teams. He was originally drafted in Round 3 by the Seattle Seahawks in 2016.

Best of all, he was asked about any nicknames in a 2016 interview, and admitted he was nicknamed Baby Gronk. That's gold, baby.

Nick Vannett is a blocking substitute for injured Tyler Higbee

Despite the nickname, Nick Vannett is likely a tight end added to ensure the roster can sustain its 12- and 13-personnel packages, despite the injury to tight end Tyler Higbee. And the 6-foot-5, 266-pound man-mountain certainly has the optics of a solid blocker.

Still, he can catch passes. While only starting 54 games and making 154 appearances over his 10-year career, he has hauled in 108 of 150 targets for 1,012 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. He played nearly his first four seasons with the Seahawks, but most recently competed for the Minnesota Vikings.

It's his time with the Kevin O'Connell-led Vikings that likely drew general manager Les Snead to sign the veteran. While he did not generate offensive statistics for Minnesota, he did play on offense and special teams, and even started one game.

With the 9-2 Los Angeles Rams and 10-2 New England Patriots leading their respective conferences in what appears to be a collision course replay of Super Bowl LIII, it's a fun irony that a tight end nicknamed Gronk will be in Horns this time around.

As always, thanks for reading.