Tag: Trevon Wesco

Revisiting the Bears’ 2022 roster cutdown waiver claims

The Bears will be all over the waiver wire this week when cuts are made, but how did last year’s moves fare?

In just a matter of hours, the Chicago Bears and the rest of the NFL teams will whittle their rosters down to 53 players as they prepare for the regular season. That will leave hundreds of NFL athletes without a team, and they’ll hit the waiver wire with an opportunity to be picked up by a new one. When they do, the Bears will be waiting as they have first dibs at the top of the waiver order.

Just like they had the first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft thanks to having the worst record in the league, the Bears also have the first waiver spot and will keep it until Week 3 of the regular season concludes. Then, waivers will be determined by the current league records, with the worst team getting the first spot.

Last year, the Bears had the seventh spot, but that didn’t stop general manager Ryan Poles from putting in quite a few claims for players. In 2022, the Bears led the league with six waiver claims on the first day (seven in total). Will Poles top that number this year as he looks to strengthen the roster?

Before we dive into possible waiver claims for this year, let’s look back to see how the 2022 waiver claims fared throughout the season.

Titans camp preview at TE: Locks, competitions, prediction

Titans TE Chig Okonkwo is set to lead the team’s tight ends room in 2023, but how will things shake out after him?

Our next training camp preview for the Tennessee Titans comes at tight end, a position that holds one of the team’s most promising young players, Chigoziem Okonkwo.

In a sea of disaster on offense in 2022, Chig was one of the few life rafts the team could cling to. Okonkwo finished the campaign with 450 yards, leading all rookie tight ends, and he tallied three scores while also proving to be one of the most explosive players at his position in the entire NFL.

Making Chig’s final numbers more impressive was the fact that former offensive coordinator Todd Downing seemed to not know his talented young tight end existed over much of the first half of the season, with Okonkwo being targeted just eight times over the first seven games.

If new offensive coordinator Tim Kelly wants to get in the good graces of Titans fans quickly, he has to do one simple thing: FEED CHIG!

While the spotlight is on Chig, who is expected to be a vital piece to the offense, other tight ends do exist in Nashville, one of which was a 2023 draft pick.

Here’s a look at the roster locks, players on the bubble, the competitions set to take place and a prediction for how things will shake out at tight end.

5 Titans who could start training camp on the PUP list

The Titans appear to have five players who are candidates to start training camp on the PUP list.

Injuries and the Tennessee Titans go together like peas and carrots after the team has been absolutely decimated by them the past two seasons. In fact, injuries in droves are practically expected for the franchise at this point.

With training camp rapidly approaching, it’s time to start taking a look around the trainer’s room to see who might start camp on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

Players placed on the list before camp can be activated at any time during camp, so there’s no reason to panic at that point. But if a player remains on the list through camp, he’s transferred to the Reserve/PUP and must miss the first four games of the season.

As things stand now, it appears the Titans have five candidates for the list. It looked like they might have six after Kristian Fulton was absent for much of the offseason program, but his absence turned out to be the result of him taking a different approach to training this year.

While Fulton looks to be in the clear ahead of training camp, these five players aren’t yet, although the outlooks for some are better than others.

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.

Contract details for Titans’ deal with TE Trevon Wesco

The contract details for the Titans’ one-year deal with TE Trevon Wesco.

One of the Tennessee Titans’ free-agent signings this offseason, the team inked Trevon Wesco to a one-year deal about a week ago, but the financial terms of the contract were not disclosed at the time.

However, thanks to Over the Cap, we now have those details. Wesco’s deal will cost $1.232 million in total, with just $352,500 of that fully guaranteed.

Judging from the contract, Wesco is anything but a lock to be on this team in 2023. Nevertheless, he does have a good shot, as Tennessee is looking for a blocking specialist and depth at the position.

That’s a role Geoff Swaim owned during his time in Nashville, but the eyes didn’t lie and it was clear he wasn’t as good as advertised. Swaim remains a free agent and there has been no indication Tennessee will bring him back.

By all accounts, Wesco is a better blocker than Swaim, so he would be an upgrade in that area. However, he doesn’t offer much as a pass-catcher, whereas Swaim could at least give you a little there.

Regardless of his ability as a pass-catcher, the Titans really just need him to block, as Chig Okonkwo will do the heavy lifting as the primary weapon at the position in 2023.

Even with Wesco aboard, the Titans could still use another body at tight end, but I wouldn’t expect anything major in free agency. I do think Tennessee could address it in the 2023 NFL draft, though.

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Bears 2023 NFL draft preview: Where does Chicago stand at TE?

Next up in our Bears NFL draft preview series is tight end, which already looks improved with Robert Tonyan joining Cole Kmet.

The Chicago Bears have had a busy offseason, working to improve the team following their historic 3-14 run during the 2022 season during general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus’ first year with the team. Now going into Year 2, Poles and Eberflus are working to get the Bears back to relevancy and build a foundation that will eventually lead to postseason success.

Following their free agency frenzy, the Bears are setting their sights towards the 2023 NFL draft, which is quickly approaching. After initially winding up with the No. 1 overall pick, the Bears moved down to No. 9 following a lucrative trade with the Carolina Panthers. They will look to shore up certain positions such as offensive tackle and defensive line that still have glaring holes.

Here at Bears Wire, we’re going position by position to break down where Chicago stands entering the NFL draft. Up next is tight end, which has a pair of capable pass catchers at the top of the depth chart.

What Titans are getting in ex-Bears TE Trevon Wesco

We recently sat down with Alyssa Barbieri of Bears Wire, who gave us some information on the Titans’ newest tight end, Trevon Wesco.

The Tennessee Titans made a pair of moves on Friday, one of which included agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with former Chicago Bears tight end, Trevon Wesco.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Wesco is a solid add for the Titans, a team in need of multiple tight ends beyond budding star, Chigoziem Okonkwo.

While Wesco won’t solve the team’s need for pass-catchers, the former fourth-round pick has proven to be a good blocker during his career, something that could help him land a roster spot.

In an article grading the move, our Shaun Calderon gave the Titans a “B+”. Here’s some of what he had to say:

Wesco isn’t going to provide much in terms of his pass-catching abilities, but you can make a very strong argument that he is a massive upgrade over Swaim in the blocking department.

In order to get even more information on Tennessee’s newest tight end, we sat down with the managing editor of Bears Wire, Alyssa Barbieri, who gave us more details on the 27-year-old.

Fans, media react to Titans signing Corey Levin, Trevon Wesco

A look at how Titans fans and media reacted to the signings of Corey Levin and Trevon Wesco.

After a lengthy absence from making free-agent signings, the Tennessee Titans were back on the board on Friday, albeit with some minor moves.

The team announced a pair of signings in offensive lineman Corey Levin and tight end Trevon Wesco, both of whom were inked to one-year deals. Levin’s is for the vet minimum, per Justin Melo of The Draft Network.

Levin is an excellent re-signing for Tennessee. At worst he’s going to provide solid, reliable and versatile depth. At best, he could challenge for a starting spot at both guard and center, the latter of which he played well at in Ben Jones’ stead last season.

As far as Wesco is concerned, he’s not going to help in the passing attack but he is a good blocker. He’ll battle for a depth spot behind Chig Okonkwo.

Now, a look at how Titans fans and media reacted to the two moves.

Titans agree to terms with Corey Levin, Trevon Wesco

The Titans agreed to terms with OL Corey Levin and TE Trevon Wesco on Friday.

After a week-and-a-half of silence in free agency, the Tennessee Titans made a pair of moves on Friday, albeit minor ones.

The team announced it has agreed to terms with offensive lineman Corey Levin and tight end Trevon Wesco. Both are inking one-year deals but the financial terms were not disclosed.

Titans fans are quite familiar with Levin, a former 2017 sixth-round pick who has played in parts of three seasons in Nashville. Levin stepped into a starting role in 2022 after Ben Jones went down with a pair of concussions and played well.

The veteran figures to have a chance to grab a starting spot at guard or center in training camp, but he’ll most likely settle in as a versatile and valuable backup when it’s all said and done.

Wesco is a new name for the Titans.

A former fourth-round pick of the New York Jets in 2019, he spent 2022 with the Chicago Bears, reeling in two receptions for 26 yards. Depending on how many tight ends Tennessee carries, Wesco will in all likelihood factor in to the competition for a depth spot and blocking role.

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4 TEs the Dolphins should consider signing in free agency

Miami is set to lose their top tight end.

Entering the 2023 offseason, the Miami Dolphins have already moved on from one of their tight ends, releasing Cethan Carter to save cap space before the start of the league year.

Mike Gesicki is also set to hit the market on March 15, leaving an opening for Miami’s top spot on the roster. While Durham Smythe technically outsnapped Gesicki in 2022, he clearly isn’t as talented as the Penn State product.

With that said, the Dolphins may opt to scour the free agent market for a veteran tight end to fill the hole left by Gesicki in 2023 and beyond. Here are a few names they could look at: