Marcedes Lewis Drawing Trade Interest
Despite signing Julius Thomas, but Jaguars don’t plan on cutting veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Teams have inquired about inquiring Lewis via trade, however.
Earlier today, Jaguars GM David Caldwell told reporters that Lewis would “have to compete to be” with the Jaguars in 2015. Lewis, 31 in May, played in only eight games last season after suffering a high ankle sprain in September. His IR-DTR status allowed him to return later in the year.
In his limited time on the field, Lewis hauled in 18 catches for 206 yards with two touchdowns. Lewis’ best season came in 2010 when he recorded 58 catches for 700 yards and ten touchdowns, though he had a similar reception total in 2012. That 2010 campaign marked Lewis’ first and only Pro Bowl selection to date.
Jaguars GM On Murray, Cobb, Hardy
Jaguars GM David Caldwell told reporters, including John Oehser of Jaguars.com (on Twitter), that his work is not done in free agency. However, he says there’s not a whole lot brewing on star running back DeMarco Murray. Here’s more from today’s presser..
- Caldwell said that he had a brief conversation with Murray’s agent last night and he also talked with the team’s finance people, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com tweets.
- Caldwell says he wanted a slot wide receiver and targeted Packers star Randall Cobb, DiRocco tweets. He’ll only sign one going forward if the right situation presents himself. Of course, he’s not going to find another slot wide receiver as good as Cobb.
- Caldwell wouldn’t close the door on signing Greg Hardy, DiRocco tweets. The GM explained that he would have to do his research on the troubled star. His philosophy is that if a guy shows remorse for his actions, they can give him a second chance.
- Caldwell said Jared Odrick‘s versatility was key to his signing, Oehser tweets. Interestingly, Caldwell referred to Odrick, who previously lined up as a defensive tackle, as a defensive end. Odrick’s deal will see him earn $8.5MM per season with $22MM guaranteed overall.
- When asked about tight end Marcedes Lewis‘ future with Jacksonville, Caldwell said “he’ll have to compete to be here,” DiRocco tweets. Lewis, 31 in May, played in only eight games last season after suffering a high ankle sprain in September. His IR-DTR status allowed him to return later in the year.
- Caldwell said (via Oehser on Twitter) that the team had five initial targets and wound up landing three of them. Free agency might not have been a home run, he says, but he said it was probably more like hitting a double. The GM added that the Jags “probably haven’t” spent as much as he expected, according to Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union (via Twitter).
- Caldwell explained there has been no decision yet on Red Bryant, DiRocco tweets.
Jaguars Links: Blackmon, Rookies, Shorts
The Jaguars will be scoreboard watching this weekend, but not because of the playoffs. Instead, the team will be hoping that fellow 3-12 teams, the Jets and the Raiders, win their respective games. If those two teams win their contests and the Jags lose, Jacksonville will clinch the third pick in this year’s draft.
Let’s take a look at some more notes out of Jacksonville…
- Receiver Justin Blackmon sold his Queens Harbour home earlier this week, and Travis Gibson of First Coast News believes the sale could be an indication of the wideout’s future in Jacksonville. Blackmon is still suspended indefinitely for repeatedly violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.
- The Jaguars 2014 rookie class has proven that they’ll be contributors for years to comes, writes John Oehser of Jaguars.com. The writer focuses on all of the picks, including wideouts Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee, but he believes the legacy of the class will ultimately be based on the development of quarterback Blake Bortles.
- ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco previews some potential changes to the Jaguars roster this offseason. The writer expects wide receiver Cecil Shorts to test free agency, and he believes defensive end Tyson Alualu could opt out of his contract. Meanwhile, the writer questions whether the team will ultimately cut tight end Marcedes Lewis.
AFC Mailbags: Jets, Chiefs, Jaguars
It’s Saturday morning, and ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s take a look at some interesting notes out of the AFC…
- According to Rich Cimini, the vibe around the Jets organization is that owner Woody Johnson wants to replace general manger John Idzik. However, the writer suggests that Idzik could stick around in a reduced role.
- Cimini writes that the majority of the Jets upcoming unrestricted free agents are replaceable, but he believes linebacker David Harris “still has value.”
- As the Chiefs‘ contract negotiations with linebacker Justin Houston drag on, Adam Teicher is under the impression that the upcoming free agent is “headed for the franchise tag.”
- Of the Jaguars upcoming free agents, Michael DiRocco gives defensive end Tyson Alualu the best chance of returning. The writer is not very optimistic about Cecil Shorts, Alan Ball or Marcedes Lewis re-signing.
- Meanwhile, DiRocco focuses on positions the Jaguars will likely pursue in free agency. He points to offensive line, tight end and wide receiver as particular areas of need, and he throws out Patriots safety Devin McCourty as a “name to watch.”
Jaguars To Activate Lewis; Robinson To IR
Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles will get one pass catcher back in the lineup this week while another one has officially been ruled out for the rest of the season. According to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the team is activating tight end Marcedes Lewis from injured reserve and will place wideout Allen Robinson on IR, formally ending his rookie season.
The team announced last week that Robinson had sustained a stress fracture in his foot and would miss the rest of the year, but since the Jags were on their bye week, they didn’t immediately place the first-year receiver on the injured reserve list. Robinson, who hauled in 48 passes for 548 yards and pair of touchdowns this season, is scheduled to undergo surgery soon on that injured foot, per John Oehser of Jaguars.com (via Twitter).
Head coach Gus Bradley initially said he expected to promote a player from the practice squad to take Robinson’s spot on the roster, but with Lewis set to get back on the field, it makes sense that the veteran tight end would slide into that opening instead. Lewis has been sidelined since Week 2 with an ankle injury, having received the designation to return when the team placed him on IR.
Jags Cut Cameron Bradfield; Lewis To IR-DTR
1:29pm: In addition to waiving Bradfield, the Jaguars have also placed tight end Marcedes Lewis on injured reserve with the designation to return, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com. The moves opened up two spots on the club’s 53-man roster, which Jacksonville filled by signing wideout Tavarres King from the Panthers’ practice squad and promoting tight end Marcel Jensen from the Jags’ own practice squad (Twitter link).
12:48pm: A week after their offensive line allowed Chad Henne to be sacked 10 times by the Redskins, the Jaguars are making some changes. According to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter), the team has cut starting right tackle Cameron Bradfield.
Bradfield, who turned 27 on Sunday, didn’t have a great birthday — according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he was responsible for two of the 10 sacks on Henne, and also allowed three additional quarterback pressures. The -5.1 grade for the game, on top of Week 1’s -2.5 mark, made him one of the league’s worst tackles through two weeks, per PFF. Unfortunately, that’s nothing new for the Grand Valley State product. His -29.1 mark in 2013 made him a bottom-five tackle in the NFL, out of 76 qualified players at the position.
The Jaguars inked Bradfield to a two-year contract extension in March, so they’ll be on the hook for a little dead money as a result of the move. However, that contract didn’t include a signing bonus, so the effect on the club’s 2015 cap will be limited. Sam Young and Austin Pasztor are among the in-house candidates to replace Bradfield at right tackle, and the team will also have an open roster spot to add another player, though it remains to be seen if that will be another lineman.
More Injury Updates: Monday
We passed along one round of Monday injury updates earlier today, and since then we’ve learned that the Bears will be placing Charles Tillman on their injured reserve list with a season-ending triceps injury. There are still plenty of items to round up this afternoon though, so let’s dive right in….
- Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis sustained a high ankle sprain yesterday and is expected to miss six to eight weeks of action, the team announced today (Twitter link). That recovery timeline could make Lewis a candidate for the injured reserve list with the designation to return.
- Jamaal Charles also appears to have suffered a high ankle sprain, though Chiefs head coach Andy Reid indicated today that it “doesn’t look to be a real severe one,” according to B.J. Kissel of KCChiefs.com (via Twitter). The timetable for Charles’ return isn’t yet clear, but it looks like Knile Davis will probably get the nod for Kansas City in Week 3.
- Per Aditi Kinkhabwala of the NFL Network (Twitter link), Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said today that it’s too early to predict a return date for Robert Griffin III, but Gruden expects the signal-caller to return this season and says he isn’t an IR candidate.
- Rams wideout Tavon Austin has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL and is expected to miss a couple weeks, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- Dolphins guard Shelley Smith will also be sidelined for two to four weeks due to a grade two knee sprain, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).
AFC Mailbags: Bengals, Steelers, Colts, Jags
ESPN’s NFL writers answered questions from their readers this weekend. Let’s take a look at some interesting notes from the AFC…
- Jay Cutler‘s deal with the Bears and Alex Smith‘s likely extension with the Chiefs will have an impact on the Bengals negotiations with Andy Dalton, writes Coley Harvey.
- Even though the team selected Jeremy Hill in the second round this year (and Giovani Bernard in the second round last season), Harvey would be surprised if the Bengals let go of veteran running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis.
- In spite of the above opinion, Harvey says the team will likely part ways with one of Green-Ellis, Cedric Peerman or Rex Burkhead. The writer believes that Burkhead is at the most risk of being cut.
- Scott Brown says “it would make all the sense in the world” for the Steelers to bring back Brett Keisel. In an another article, Brown writes that Heath Miller‘s recent quote (the tight end stated that the linebacker was not with the team “right now”) is an indication that the veteran will return.
- LaVon Brazill, Da’Rick Rogers and Griff Whalen will likely be competing for the Colts‘ final wideout spot, writes Mike Wells. The writer believes that Reggie Wayne, T.Y. Hilton, Hakeem Nicks and Donte Moncrief are locks to make the roster.
- If the Jaguars weren’t in such good shape cap-wise, Michael DiRocco thinks the team would have cut or tried to restructure the contract of tight end Marcedes Lewis.