Jace Billingsley: Detroit Lions promote practice squad wide receiver

Dec. 29 (UPI) -- The Detroit Lions have signed wide receiver Jace Billingsley to the active roster from the practice squad.

Detroit placed center Travis Swanson on injured reserve in a corresponding transaction. The Lions announced the moves on Friday.

Billingsley, 24, entered the NFL in 2016 as an undrafted rookie free agent signing out of Eastern Oregon. He began the 2017 season on the Lions' practice squad before appearing in the Lions' Week 8 and Week 9 contests.

The 5-foot-9, 189-pound pass catcher had 10 receptions for 106 yards in four games this preseason. He had 12 catches for 146 yards and two scores in four games during the 2016 preseason.

Billingsley has not registered a catch in a regular-season NFL contest. He collected two special teams tackles this season for the Lions.

Swanson's season ends early for the second consecutive season. He reported a brain injury after the Lions beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Dec. 10. The Lions sidelined him with a concussion designation. Swanson, 26, missed the Lions' Week 16 and Week 15 contests before returning to practice Wednesday. He missed Thursday's session.

The Lions will likely turn to Graham Glasgow to fill in at center in Week 17. Lions offensive linemen T.J. Lang and Don Barclay also missed time with concussions this season.

Swanson was a third-round pick by the Lions in the 2014 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-5, 312-pound center has appeared in 53 games during his four-year NFL tenure.

He is a free agent in 2018.