Tight end Chad Upshaw is back with the Panthers.

   The Panthers claimed Upshaw off waivers from the Denver Broncos, the team announced Wednesday. Upshaw was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by Carolina last year. He spent one game on the Panthers practice squad before being cut. He was later signed to Denver's practice squad, where he remained for the last seven games of the season.

    Upshaw played in 44 games with 41 starts at the University of Buffalo -- one of the few in the league from my wife's alma mater -- and produced 94 receptions for 972 yards and seven touchdowns.

    His 94 catches rank as the second most in school history by a tight end, one shy of the all-time mark, and he ended career by catching a pass in 22 consecutive games. Upshaw is the son of Willie Upshaw, who played Major League Baseball for the Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians from 1978-88, and the nephew of Gene Upshaw, who played in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders from 1967-81.