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Marcedes Lewis

Jaguars To Release Marcedes Lewis

March 20th, 2018 at 12:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Marcedes Lewis is hitting the free agent market. The Jaguars will release the tight end after 12 seasons with the team, according to Mark Long of the AP (on Twitter).

[RELATED: Jaguars Release WR Allen Hurns]

The moves comes as a surprise since the Jaguars exercised their 2018 option for Lewis in late February. Then again, their March signing of Austin Seferian-Jenkins made Lewis less of a priority and new pickup Niles Paul crowds the depth chart somewhat. Paul now figures to serve as ASJ’s primary understudy with Ben Koyack, James O’Shaughnessy, and David Grinnage vying for the No. 3 TE role.

“I think I deserved a little better than I got,” Lewis said of the release (Twitter link). “I wish they would have done it sooner.”

Lewis’ $3.5MM salary for this season was not guaranteed, so the release will not leave any dead money on Jacksonville’s cap. He leaves the team with the third most games played in franchise history. It wasn’t always fun times for Lewis as the 2017 campaign marked just the second winning campaign he’s experienced in his career.

Even though he’ll turn 34 in May, Lewis figures to find a healthy market for his services. Last year, Pro Football Focus ranked him as the league’s best run blocker, edging out Patriots star Rob Gronkowski.

Jaguars Exercise TE Marcedes Lewis’ Option

February 20th, 2018 at 11:24am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jaguars have exercised their 2018 options for tight end Marcedes Lewis, tackle Josh Wells, and guard/center Tyler Shatley, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.Marcedes Lewis

Lewis, 33, has been with the Jaguars ever since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2006, but the 2017 campaign marked just the second winning campaign he’s experienced during his 12-year career. While he stopped being a prolific receiving threat roughly a half-dozen seasons ago, Lewis is still perhaps the best blocking tight end in the league — indeed, Pro Football Focus graded Lewis first overall in run-blocking with a 87.1 mark, just ahead of Rob Gronkowski.

Given the importance of the run game in Jacksonville (and Lewis’ contributions to that aspect of the Jaguars’ offense), the veteran tight end’s $3.5MM base salary and $500K bonus for 2018 is eminently affordable. The Jaguars could even choose to tack on an extra year to Lewis’ contract later this offseason, as he’s expressed a desire to remain in Jacksonville for the entirety of his career, tweets O’Halloran.

Wells and Shatley, meanwhile, acted as reserves along Jacksonville’s offensive line last season. Both started four games a year ago, with Wells filling in at both tackle spots and Shatley taking over at center for an injured Brandon Linder. Wells will now earn $705K in base salary for the 2018 campaign, while Shatley will collect $790K.

Jaguars Move Marcedes Lewis To IR

November 21st, 2016 at 5:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Marcedes Lewis‘ 11th NFL season will conclude early after the Jaguars placed the veteran tight end on IR Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The former first-round pick sustained a calf injury against the Lions, bringing his season to a close after 10 games. Jacksonville claimed defensive tackle Jordan Hill off waivers from the Redskins to fill Lewis’ roster spot, Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk reports.

This will be just the second time in Lewis’ career he’s failed to play in 11 games during a season. Only in 2014 did he fall short of reaching the double-figure threshold for games played, with an ankle injury shelving him for eight games that season. The following offseason, the Jags signed Julius Thomas, leading many to believe the longest-tenured tight end in franchise history would be cut. But Lewis restructured his contract and has tacked on two more seasons to his stay in north Florida.

The 32-year-old tight end actually increased his reception total from a 2015 season in which he played 16 games, hauling in 20 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown this fall. Although, the 8.5 yards per catch is the lowest of Lewis’ career.

A 12th Lewis season in Jacksonville would cost the Jags $4.25MM. With Thomas set to earn $8.3MM, it shouldn’t be considered a lock Lewis will be back, even though the auxiliary tight end is signed through 2018.

Washington became the second team to cut Hill, doing so on Saturday after the Seahawks jettisoned the former rotational defensive lineman from its IR list earlier this season.

Contract Details: Forte, Lewis, Rey

March 11th, 2016 at 9:42pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Here are a few of the latest contract details for players who have agreed to new deals and/or signed them in recent days. Unless otherwise specified, all links are courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle…

NFC:

AFC:

  • Donald Stephenson, OT (Broncos): Three years, $14MM. $10MM guaranteed. $3MM signing bonus. $3MM salary for 2016 fully guaranteed. $4MM salary for 2017 guaranteed for injury at signing. Otherwise, Stephenson’s 2017 salary is guaranteed if he’s on the Broncos’ roster on the fifth day of the league year (Twitter links).
  • Matt Forte, RB (Jets): Three years, $12MM. $9MM guaranteed. $3MM signing bonus. $1M roster bonus due March 15. $1MM salary for 2016 and $4MM salary for 2017 guaranteed. $2MM stat escalator for 2017 and ’18 (Twitter link).
  • Marcedes Lewis, TE (Jaguars): Three years, $12MM. $5MM guaranteed. Jags must exercise $3.5MM club option for 2018 before 22nd day of the league year (Twitter link).
  • Vincent Rey, LB (Bengals): Three years, $10.5MM. $3MM guaranteed as a roster bonus on March 15. $500K roster bonus due on the fifth day of the 2017 league year. $500K playing-time escalator in 2017 and ’18. $12,500 per-game active roster bonus each year. (Twitter links).

Marcedes Lewis Re-Signs With Jaguars

March 9th, 2016 at 6:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

6:16pm: Lewis’ three-year deal will be worth $12MM, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter link).

5:32pn: Marcedes Lewis‘ once-tenuous tenure with the Jaguars will now extend throughout perhaps the remainder of the veteran tight end’s career. The Jags have re-signed Lewis on a three-year deal, Mark Long of the Associated Press reports (on Twitter).Marcedes Lewis

The soon-to-be 32-year-old Lewis decided to stay with the Jaguars despite late interest from the Rams, Long reports.

Lewis took a massive pay cut to stick with the Jags last season, slicing his cap number from $6.8MM to $2.65MM. The terms of this deal have not been announced, but it should be in that range considering where Lewis is at this juncture of his career.

Once thought to be expendable once Jacksonville brought in Julius Thomas on a five-year deal last season, Lewis remained and functioned as the team’s No. 2 tight end for most of 2015. But the former first-round pick in 2006 started all 16 games.

The 11th-year veteran has spent his entire career with the Jaguars. He caught 16 passes for 226 yards last season while operating as one of the best pass-blockers at the position when assigned to stay in and help.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

Jaguars Close To Re-Signing Marcedes Lewis

March 7th, 2016 at 2:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jaguars are nearing an agreement on a new contract for tight end Marcedes Lewis, a league source tells Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. Lewis, whose reps can talk to other teams, has never reached unrestricted free agency.Marcedes Lewis

A former first-round pick, Lewis was the Jaguars’ top tight end for several years, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2010 when he caught a career-high 58 passes and 10 touchdowns. However, in recent years, he has transitioned into more of a blocking role. In 2015, he recorded just 16 receptions, following the arrival of free agent signee Julius Thomas.

Lewis, who earned $2MM in base salary and another $400K in per-game roster bonuses in 2015, will likely be looking at a modest deal in that range this time around. GM Dave Caldwell expressed at the combine in Indianapolis last month that he wanted to lock up the veteran tight end before the new league year began, and Lewis himself has suggested that he values the fact he has spent his entire career with one team.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jaguars Rumors: Fowler, M. Lewis, Gerhart

February 25th, 2016 at 3:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking today to reporters, including Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Jaguars general manager David Caldwell said he doesn’t expect much to come of the NFL’s investigation into the Dante Fowler Jr. video published by TMZ earlier this week. The league confirmed that it is looking into the video, noting that it contained “disturbing images,” but it sounds like the Jags GM doesn’t expect Fowler to be disciplined as a result.

Here are a few more items of interest from Caldwell’s press conference in Indianapolis today:

  • Caldwell hopes to have a deal done with tight end Marcedes Lewis before the new league year begins on March 9th, per DiRocco (via Twitter). While Lewis has seen his role as a pass catcher reduced in recent years, the Jaguars still need a blocking tight end to complement Julius Thomas, so if Lewis is willing to remain in that role, it makes sense that the two sides should be able to work something out.
  • There’s a good chance that running back Toby Gerhart will be back with the Jaguars in 2016, according to Caldwell (Twitter link via DiRocco). Gerhart has underwhelmed during his time in Jacksonville so far, but the GM thinks there will be a role for him going forward, and the team certainly has the cap space to afford him.
  • The Jaguars’ staff is currently evaluating whether or not defensive end Chris Clemons will remain on the team going forward, per DiRocco. According to Caldwell, the plan is to reach out to the veteran defender’s representatives soon. I identified Clemons and Gerhart as possible release candidates when I previewed the Jaguars’ offseason earlier this month.

Extra Points: M. Lewis, Flacco, Smallwood, L.A.

January 7th, 2016 at 5:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Marcedes Lewis is eligible for free agency this winter, but the Jaguars tight end is hopeful he won’t reach the open market, preferring to work out a new deal that keeps him in Jacksonville, as Mike DiRocco of ESPN.com details.

“You rarely see players play 10 years for one team, let alone finish their career [with the same team], so it’s something that I want to be able to do,” Lewis said. “Hopefully we can get it done before all the other stuff even starts, if it’s possible. … I know where I want to be.”

As Lewis notes, he has spent the last decade with the Jaguars, catching 331 balls for the club during that stretch. Still, it’s not yet clear how serious the team will be about keeping him around going forward, now that Julius Thomas is in the mix. The 31-year-old hasn’t caught more than 25 passes since the 2012 season, and his 16 receptions in 2015 represented his lowest total since his rookie year, way back in 2006.

Here are more Thursday odds and ends from around the NFL:

  • Speaking this morning to Glenn Clark of PressBox (link via Justin Silberman of PressBoxOnline.com), Joe Linta – the agent for Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco – was cagey about his client’s contract situation. Flacco is projected to have one of the league’s highest cap numbers, at $28.55MM, but Linta said there are no negotiations ongoing with the Ravens at this point, adding that the veteran QB isn’t in any rush to rework his deal. “I mean, that’s the price of these types of quarterbacks,” Linta said. “Every deal that’s going to be done is going to be in that realm.” Earlier today, GM Ozzie Newsome acknowledged that the Ravens would like to reduce Flacco’s 2016 cap hit, but said the team has a plan to work around it if it remains at $28MM+.
  • Big 12 rushing leader Wendell Smallwood changed his mind about staying at West Virginia, and has now decided to enter the 2016 NFL draft, as Allan Taylor of the West Virginia MetroNews writes. Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk notes that Smallwood will join teammate Daryl Worley in heading to the NFL, despite the fact that the cornerback doesn’t project as a top pick.
  • During Wednesday’s team owner meetings in New York, Panthers owner – and Carson supporter – Jerry Richardson was “silent all meeting,” according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), who wonders if Richardson may be backing down from the joint Raiders–Chargers plan.
  • Cornerback Josh Norman is one of the most noteworthy players eligible for free agency this winter – he ranked third in PFR’s most recent free agent power rankings – but he says he won’t think about a new deal until the Panthers are eliminated from the playoffs or win the Super Bowl (link via ESPN’s David Newton). Meanwhile, GM Dave Gettleman admits it’s a “headache” trying to figure out how to keep Norman and all the other potential free agents the Panthers don’t want to lose, but he’s optimistic that the club will figure it out (link via Newton).

Sunday Roundup: Long, Wilkerson, Irvin

June 7th, 2015 at 12:40pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s have a look at some links from around the league on this Sunday afternoon:

  • After Will Beatty‘s torn pectoral muscle threw the Giants‘ offensive line into a state of confusion, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com has received a number of questions from Giants fans curious about the status of free agent tackle Jake Long. Raanan writes that even though Long tore his ACL two years in a row, there will be a starting job for him somewhere this season if he is healthy. The Giants are still in the mix, but Long appears content to let the market for his services play out.
  • The Patriots have lost a number of big names this offseason, but Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com says tight end is one area where the team may have gotten stronger. Newly-acquired Scott Chandler will team with Rob Gronkowski to create a formidable pair of towers at the position, and Reiss predicts New England will deploy a number of two-tight end sets in 2015, just as they did in 2011 with Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.
  • Cameron Jordan recently signed a new five-year, $55MM deal with the Saints, and despite the similarities between Jordan and Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com believes Wilkerson will be aiming even higher. Jordan got $33.5MM in total guarantees, and Cimini thinks Wilkerson is seeking at least $40MM in guaranteed money.
  • Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com writes that Washington defensive coordinator Joe Barry does not plan on moving any of his cornerbacks to safety in an effort to bolster the team’s long-floundering safety corps.
  • Zach Miller has not played a regular season game since 2011, thanks to a bevy of injuries that have derailed his career. But for the second straight season, Miller is performing well in the Bears‘ offseason workouts, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. And if Miller can remain healthy, he could become a valuable weapon for Jay Cutler and take some pressure off Alshon Jeffery, rookie Kevin White, and first-string tight end Martellus Bennett.
  • When asked if his client had requested a trade, the agent for new Browns and former 49ers punter Andy Lee did not answer directly, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). The agent simply said it was an amicable parting that worked well for all involved.
  • Despite recent comments that created a minor controversy in Seattle, Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin said yesterday, “I would love to be in Seattle. That was the team that gave me a chance when nobody else did.” But as Manouk Akopyan of NFL.com writes, given the pending extensions that the Seahawks will undoubtedly hand out to Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson, and considering the amount of money Seattle has already invested in retaining players like Marshawn Lynch and Richard Sherman, Irvin will likely find greener pastures elsewhere.
  • The Jaguars plan to frequently utilize two- and three-tight end looks this season under new offensive coordinator Greg Olson, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. That scheme will offer plenty of playing time for Marcedes Lewis and Clay Harbor, who now find themselves behind Julius Thomas on the team’s depth chart.
  • In the same piece, O’Halloran writes that even though Tyler Shatley earned a place on the Jaguars‘ roster as an undrafted rookie guard last season, his task will be even more difficult this year. The team has shifted him over to center, which Shatley has never played, and Jacksonville appears committed to Stefen Wisniewski or Luke Bowanko at the position.

Jaguars, Marcedes Lewis Rework Contract

April 20th, 2015 at 8:22am CST by Ben Levine

MONDAY, 8:22am: According to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (all Twitter links), Lewis agreed to reduce his salary for 2015 from $6.8MM to $2.65MM, which consists of a $2MM base salary ($500K guaranteed), a $250K signing bonus, and $400K in per-game roster bonuses.

Lewis can earn a maximum of $3MM of that lost salary back through not-likely-to-be-earned playing time incentives, and his cap number is now $3.85MM, creating $4.4MM in extra room for the Jags.

SATURDAY, 12:55pm: After the Jaguars spent big money to secure Julius Thomas, there was speculation that tight end Marcedes Lewis could be let go. It appears the veteran is staying put, as Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com reports that the two sides have restructured the final year of Lewis’ contract. The 30-year-old is finishing up a five-year, $35MM contract signed in 2011.

Lewis’ cap hit for this upcoming season was at $8.2MM, and the team would have been left with $1.4MM in dead money if they chose to cut him prior to June 1st. O’Halloran suggests that the restructuring could make Lewis a more attractive trade asset, but his source indicated that the tight end would remain in Jacksonville through the 2015 season.

Lewis has struggled greatly since receiving that big contract in 2011. He rated as the 10th best tight end in the NFL in 2011, and fifth in 2012, before falling off a cliff and coming in at 30th and 48th the past two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Much of that fall in rankings is due to the decline in his ability as a run blocker, where he was among the best in the league for his career before grading out negatively in 2013 and 2014.

Of course, the reason he got that contract in the first place wasn’t for his excellent blocking skills. In 2010, in addition to being one of the best blocking tight ends in the league he caught double digit touchdowns to establish himself as a force at the position. He caught 10 touchdowns over the next four seasons combined. He will now be joined with incoming talent Thomas, in hopes together they can provide Blake Bortles huge weapons in the middle of the field.

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