Tag: Marcedes Lewis

Free agent TE Marcedes Lewis wants to play, waiting on opportunity in 2023

His chances of returning to Green Bay are slim, but Marcedes Lewis wants to play in 2023 and is waiting on his next opportunity.

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His chances of returning to Green Bay might be slim, but free agent tight end Marcedes Lewis wants to play in 2023 and is waiting patiently for an opportunity.

Another season played would give Lewis, who spent the last five seasons with the Packers in Green Bay, the NFL record for seasons played by a tight end at 18.

Lewis told Mark Long of the AP that his combination of blocking ability and asking price should be attractive for teams in need of a run-blocker who can mentor young players.

“For older players, there’s two things where they could potentially not get picked up,” Lewis said. “One is that their play is declining for their role. The second thing is they’re asking for too much money. I’m neither of those. I just want to compete.”

Lewis said he thinks he’s still the “best” blocking tight end in the game.

Bill Huber of SI.com reported following the draft that the Packers were not interested in retaining Lewis after the team selected Luke Musgrave in the second round and Tucker Kraft in the third round. With Lewis out and Robert Tonyan in Chicago, a youth movement is on at tight end in Green Bay.

Lewis, a first-round pick of the Jaguars in 2006, turned 39 years old in May. He played in 86 total games with the Packers.

Bears should consider signing TE Marcedes Lewis ahead of training camp

The Bears could still use a blocking tight end and Marcedes Lewis is looking for a home. Here’s why the two would be a good match.

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There’s still about a month to go before the Chicago Bears return to Halas Hall for the start of training camp but there are roster upgrades that can still be made before practices begin. While the talk of improving the roster at this point in the offseason has centered around the edge rusher position, there are other areas that could benefit from a signing or two. One of them is tight end where an aging, but excellent blocking specialist is still looking for a home.

Free agent tight end Marcedes Lewis, one of the oldest players in the NFL, is still looking for a place to call home for the 2023 season and the Bears are a logical landing spot for his services. Lewis was drafted in 2006 by the Jacksonville Jaguars but spent the last five years with the Green Bay Packers as a blocking tight end and has shown to still be effective well into his late 30s. He seemed destined to follow his former quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets but it doesn’t appear a reunion is in the cards, leaving Lewis to ponder where he might wind up.

In a recent interview with Mark Long of the Associated Press, Lewis says a few teams have called and still has confidence in his abilities. “My agent is in talks with a handful of teams, but it’s just small talk. I guess teams are trying to figure out their rosters and what they need,” Lewis said. “But if you just look at my film from the last three years, there’s no decline in what I’m able to do. I’m the best blocking tight end out there.”

Being a key blocking tight end has kept Lewis in the league for the last few years and it’s something the Bears could still use. They lost last year’s blocking specialist Trevon Wesco in free agency to the Jets and haven’t exactly filled his vacancy yet.

The team’s key move at the position this offseason was signing Robert Tonyan in free agency, a former teammate of Lewis’ in Green Bay. Tonyan will back up and compliment Cole Kmet, but his blocking leaves a lot to be desired. Behind the two of them are Chase Allen, Stephen Carlson, and Jake Tonges, all of whom will be battling for a spot on the team when camp begins.

Having a player like Lewis to fill that role would be a welcome addition for a team that relied on extra tight ends as blockers. Kmet will rarely leave the field and will be relied on as both a blocker and receiver. But Wesco played around 20 snaps per game last year and made key blocks that sprung long runs for the Bears, helping them gain the most yards on the ground in team history.

Lewis played that role the last few years for the Packers and helped elevate their rushing attack. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF) via Dairyland Express, Lewis earned the seventh-highest run-blocking grade among 84 tight ends last season.

The 39-year old also would have some familiarity with the offense and certain personnel. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy spent three years with him in Green Bay while Tonyan was his teammate at the position for the last five years. In fact, Tonyan developed a bond with Lewis during their time in Green Bay and the two grew very close.

“He cares about me and I know that,” Tonyan said about Lewis last August on the “Bussin’ With the Boys” podcast via Packer Report. “For what we talk about and what he’s done for me on and off the field, showing me things I’ve never experienced from a little small farm town in Illinois and he’s from LA. He just made sure I experienced stuff that I wouldn’t get to experience in the right way, and that is the most influential person with football that I’ve ever been around for me.”

A player like Lewis isn’t going to make or break the Bears offense, but having an extra tight end to create running lanes for the running backs as well as quarterback Justin Fields is never a bad thing. His former teammates also laud his leadership on and off the field. We’ll see how the position shakes out as camp approaches but Lewis makes sense for the Bears.

With Adrian Amos headed to Jets, only Mason Crosby and Marcedes Lewis remain unsigned

Only two unsigned free agents remain for the Packers: K Mason Crosby and TE Marcedes Lewis.

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And then there were two. Safety Adrian Amos signing with the New York Jets on Tuesday leaves only veteran kicker Mason Crosby and veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis as the two unsigned free agents for the Green Bay Packers.

Neither veteran player is expected to return to Green Bay.

Amos, a defensive captain in 2022, is the ninth player to leave the Packers this offseason and the eighth former Packer to join Aaron Rodgers with the Jets.

Receivers Allen Lazard (Jets) and Randall Cobb (Jets), tight end Robert Tonyan (Bears), defensive linemen Dean Lowry (Vikings) and Jarran Reed (Seahawks), linebacker Krys Barnes (Cardinals), safety Vernon Scott (Panthers) and now Amos (Jets) all signed new deals elsewhere. Rodgers was traded by the Packers to the Jets in April.

Crosby, a sixth-round pick in 2007 who has been the Packers kicker for 16 seasons, turns 39 in September. Lewis, a first-round pick in 2006 who spent the last five seasons in Green Bay, turned 39 in May. It’s possible both highly-respected player will officially retire from the NFL before the 2023 season.

The Packers moved on at both positions. Kicker Anders Carlson was selected in the sixth round out of Auburn, and the Packers used a pair of Day 2 picks to take tight ends Luke Musgrave out of Oregon State and Tucker Kraft out of South Dakota State.

The Jets appear to be set at kicker and tight end, but things can change quickly in the NFL. Would Crosby or Lewis sign up for a season with Rodgers in New York if the opportunity arose? Keep an eye on Dallas for Crosby; he’s from Texas, and Mike McCarthy’s Cowboys might need a kicker. The Jets and Raiders previously had interest in signing Lewis.

Packers to pass on re-signing veteran TE Marcedes Lewis

The Packers won’t be re-signing TE Marcedes Lewis, per Bill Huber of SI.com.

The Green Bay Packers will be moving on from free agent tight end Marcedes Lewis after drafting Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft, according to Bill Huber of SI.com.

Lewis, who turns 39 later this month, played five seasons in Green Bay. His deal voided earlier this year, making him an unrestricted free agent.

The Packers are rebuilding the tight end position. While Josiah Deguara and Tyler Davis will return, both Lewis and Robert Tonyan — the primary players at the position over the last few seasons — are both departing. Tonyan signed a one-year deal with the Bears.

With extra picks from the Aaron Rodgers trade in a potentially historically deep draft class at tight end, the Packers selected two of the consensus top six at the position, taking Musgrave at No. 42 overall in the second round and Kraft at No. 78 overall in the third round.

As is the case at receiver, the Packers are going young at tight end in a transition year. Deguara (third round, 2020), Davis (sixth round, 2020), Musgrave and Kraft will dominate the snaps at the position in 2023.

Lewis caught 57 passes for 582 yards and six touchdowns between the 2018 and 2022 seasons with the Packers. He played in all but one game over the five seasons, appearing in 81 of 82 regular season games and all five playoff games for the Packers. Lewis was on the field for 2,028 offensive snaps and 203 special teams snaps in Green Bay. He played at least 40 percent of the offense’s snaps all four seasons under coach Matt LaFleur, who made him a key part of the run game as an inline tight end.

If he plays for another team in 2023, Lewis will become the first tight end in NFL history to play 18 seasons. He entered the league as a first-round pick of the Jaguars in 2006 and has 39 career touchdowns in 251 games.

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Keisean Nixon, Rasul Douglas want Packers to bring back Marcedes Lewis

Count Keisean Nixon and Rasul Douglas among those who want the Packers to bring back TE Marcedes Lewis.

All-Pro kick returner Keisean Nixon has only one thing left on his offseason wishlist for the Green Bay Packers: Bring back tight end Marcedes Lewis.

Nixon made his wish known in a Twitter post on Tuesday night.

“Bring 89 back,” Nixon wrote.

Cornerback Rasul Douglas echoed the sentiment while sharing Nixon’s post: “He’s the definition of a leader.”

Lewis, who turns 39 later this year, is an unrestricted free agent after his contract with the Packers voided. Signed in 2018, he’s played the last five seasons in Green Bay, serving mostly as a valuable in-line run-blocker at tight end.

The Packers drafted Luke Musgrave in the second round and Tucker Kraft in the third round, improving the depth and giving the offense two “all-around players” at tight end, but Lewis could be an important mentor to both, a valuable bridge player as the two rookies learn the NFL game and a capable blocker for the run game.

The Packers have left the door open on a return. In fact, the team handed out several uniform numbers to rookies but kept open the No. 89, Lewis’ number.

According to Justis Mosqueda of Acme Packing Co., Lewis is open to returning to the Packers.

Money could be an issue. Over the last two seasons, Lewis made almost $8 million combined, including a $3.96 million salary last year. The Packers are getting younger and may not want to spend precious cap dollars on a soon-to-be 39-year-old tight end. But Lewis’ value goes beyond the numbers, and bringing him back could ensure the right type of leadership is in place as the Packers transition out of the Aaron Rodgers era and into the Jordan Love era.

Since the Packers hired Matt LaFleur in 2019, Lewis has played at least 400 snaps and at least 40 percent of the offense’s snaps each season. Despite his age, Lewis has missed just one game in five seasons in Green Bay, playing in 81 of a possible 82 regular season games and all five playoff games.

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8 veteran free agents the Jaguars should consider after 2023 NFL draft

Now that the 2023 NFL draft is in the books, which veteran free agents still on the market could give the Jaguars a boost?

The Jacksonville Jaguars played it safe in free agency, keeping a few of their own and setting themselves up for two or three compensatory draft picks in 2024.

But now that the dust has settled on the 2023 NFL draft, there are a few spots on the Jaguars’ roster that could use a little boost.

Fortunately for Jacksonville, any player signed at this point in the offseason won’t factor into the compensatory picks awarded next year. And after doing some contract maneuvering, the Jaguars currently have about $14 million worth of space under the salary cap.

A little over $3.1 million of that space will go toward the 2023 rookie class, but that still leaves room to add a veteran or two.

Here are eight players who would make sense for the Jaguars to target:

5 best and 5 worst ever Jaguars first-round draft picks

Who stands out as the best first-round selections ever made by the Jaguars, and which players were the worst?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a far from stellar track record when it comes to the NFL draft. It hasn’t all been bad, though.

Nearly three decades into the franchise’s existence, there are a handful of players who stand out as spectacular first-round choices by the Jaguars. Of course, there are plenty who stand out as especially poor selections.

It’s a little premature to judge the picks made by general manager Trent Baalke, although the early returns on Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne sure look great. But for the sake of the exercise, we’ll exclude players picked in the last three years.

Here are the five best first-round picks ever made by the Jaguars and the five worst:

Free agent TE Marcedes Lewis drawing interest from Jets, Raiders

The veteran Packers tight end could follow Aaron Rodgers to New York or join Davante Adams in Las Vegas.

Two teams with direct ties to the Green Bay Packers are interested in free agent tight end Marcedes Lewis.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Lewis is drawing interest from both the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders.

The Packers were not mentioned among the teams interested.

The Jets’ connection is obvious at this point: Aaron Rodgers is likely headed to New York via trade, and Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb could tag along for the ride. Rodgers mentioned Lewis as a player he’d like to finish his NFL career with following the 2022 season.

“A guy like Marcedes Lewis, he’s an important cog in the wheel of the locker room and the momentum of the team,” Rodgers said. “That’s a guy I want to finish my career with, you know? If I’m playing, I want that guy next to me.”

The Raiders have Davante Adams, who played with Lewis for four seasons in Green Bay before departing via trade to Las Vegas last March.

Lewis, who turns 39 years old in May, has been with the Packers since the 2018 season. He has 57 catches for 582 yards and six touchdowns over 81 games and 2,028 total offensive snaps.  His main contribution to the Packers offense has been as an inline blocking tight end in the run game.

“This game is about relationships,” Rodgers said. “It’s about the guys you rely on, even if they don’t show up huge in the stat book.”

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Jets reportedly interested in free agent tight end Marcedes Lewis

Yet another Packers player linked to the Jets

Yet another former Packers’ offensive skill player has drawn interest from the Jets. As Brian Windhorst once famously said, “Now why is that?”

This time, it’s free-agent tight end Marcedes Lewis, per Adam Schefter.

The longtime veteran tight end spent the last five seasons in Green Bay and has been in the league now for 17 seasons. His first 12 were spent in Jacksonville.

Schefter reports the Raiders are also keeping an eye on Lewis.

Lewis is now the third Packers free agent that has been linked to the Jets in terms of interest, joining wide receivers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb. It will be interesting to see how many of these players actually land with the Jets, particularly if they happen to (finally) land a certain quarterback.

Jacksonville Jaguars’ history with the franchise tag

The Jaguars have used the franchise tag nine times in their history. Here’s every player franchised by the team:

The Jacksonville Jaguars are approaching three decades in the NFL and that has meant using the franchise tag a few times along the way.

If the Jaguars use it this offseason — perhaps to retain tight end Evan Engram or right tackle Jawaan Taylor — that’d make it four straight seasons of designating a franchise player.

But prior to the current stretch of tagging players, there were significant stretches where the Jaguars didn’t use the tag at all.

Altogether, Jacksonville has used the franchise tag nine times and has never used the rare transition tag. Here is every time the Jaguars have designated someone a franchise player:

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