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The New Orleans Saints reunited with a familiar face on Monday, re-signing wide receiver Tommylee Lewis to a reserve/future contract, which guarantees him a spot on their 90-man offseason roster. He’ll have the opportunity to compete for a roster spot over the summer and through training camp, giving the Saints some experience at the bottom of the depth chart.
Lewis spent last offseason with the Detroit Lions after his first stint with the Saints wrapped up, but a training camp injury resulted in him not making it through roster cuts. He didn’t play in the 2019 season, though he did try out for a few different teams, including the Saints. He was selected by the XFL’s Dallas Renegades in the startup league’s inaugural draft, but declined to join them with NFL offers on the table.
Before that, though, Lewis appeared in 38 games from 2016 to 2018 (including the playoffs). He caught 20 of 28 passes for 252 receiving yards and scored two touchdowns, while also chipping in on special teams with 41 punt returns for 360 yards and 24 kick returns for 528 yards.
The arrival of rookie phenom Deonte Harris resulted in Lewis losing his roster spot and jersey number to the newcomer; including the playoffs, Harris bested Lewis’s number on both punts (fielding 40 for 382 yards) and kickoffs (returning 28 for 777 yards). It’s safe to assume Lewis won’t be a threat to Harris’s job security.
Lewis was the targeted receiver on the infamous no-call for defensive pass interference in the 2018 NFC Championship Game. His return signals little more than the serious need for better talent in the receiving corps behind first-team All-Pro Michael Thomas. Ted Ginn Jr. is headed for unrestricted free agency, while Austin Carr will have restricted status, and Keith Kirkwood will be an exclusive-rights free agent (meaning he likely returns). Here’s who the Saints currently have at wide receiver on the current depth chart:
- Michael Thomas
- Tre’Quan Smith
- Deonte Harris
- Lil’Jordan Humphrey
- Krishawn Hogan
- Emmanuel Butler
- Tim White
- Maurice Harris
- Tommylee Lewis
Interestingly, Lewis is the latest wide receiver from the Saints’ notorious group workout with Antonio Brown to get a job out of it. Lewis joins Harris and White with the Saints, while CFL all-star Reggie Begelton inked a reserve/future contract with the Green Bay Packers after working out for the Saints.
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