San Francisco — The Carolina Panthers solved their dilemma at tight end in 2011 by making one of the great trades in recent NFL history and also signing an effective veteran in 2014 unrestricted free agency.
The Denver Broncos compensated smartly for the departure of their Pro Bowl tight end in March by signing an unrestricted free agent and trading for another veteran.
The tight end position, increasingly valuable in an increasingly passing-oriented league, was as good as it gets for the Panthers this season and more than just functional for the Broncos.
Those two teams will be meeting Sunday in Super Bowl 50 while the Green Bay Packers, a team that lost Jermichael Finley to a career-ending cervical injury in October 2013, will be watching from home still without a suitable replacement 2½ years later.