CHARLOTTE – The Panthers have welcomed a familiar face back to both the 53-man roster and practice squad, promoting safety Robert Lester and signing guard Chris Scott to the practice squad.

Additionally, Carolina waived linebacker D.J. Smith, who played in one game and was inactive for two games after being signed on Sept. 23.

Lester, who played in 12 games with four starts as a rookie in 2013, spent the first six games this season on the practice squad but now joins a roster dealing with at least one lingering injury in the secondary. Head coach Ron Rivera said Monday that cornerback Bene Benwikere is likely to miss his second consecutive game Sunday at Green Bay with an ankle injury, and cornerback Josh Norman's status is unclear after he missed last week's game at Cincinnati with a concussion.

The Panthers have relied heavily on their nickel package lately – featuring five defensive backs and two linebackers instead of four defensive backs and three linebackers – so adding a defensive back at the expense of a linebacker makes sense regardless of the injury situation. Lester also could provide a spark on special teams.