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What does 2015 have in store for Marcedes Lewis ?

By Justin Moore

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Marcedes Lewis is coming off a disappointing season where he once again dealt with injuries. He was only active for 8 games and he finished the season with a very low 18 receptions. Over the past 2 seasons Lewis hasn’t been the tight end that the Jaguars expected him to be as he only had 43 receptions and 6 touchdowns since 2013. In 2010 Lewis appeared to be an elite red zone target as he finished with 58 catches and 10 touchdowns but since then he has failed to live up to his potential. Granted, Lewis has a very important role in the Jaguars blocking scheme and this sometimes limits his chances at catching passes. However, for him to only have 43 receptions over the past 2 seasons is unacceptable and his inability to stay healthy is definitely a problem.

Rumors surfaced about whether Lewis would return as a Jaguar after the signing of former Broncos tight end Julius Thomas but it now appears Lewis is set for another season in Jacksonville. Marcedes recently agreed to take a pay cut from 6.65 million dollars to 2.65 million dollars. In my opinion this speaks volumes about his character, this shows that he is solely focused on the success of the team which is a must for a young team like the Jaguars.

Now that it seems safe to assume Lewis will be suiting up in the Black and Teal again this season, lets examine what role he will have in the Jaguars offense.

When the Jaguars signed Julius Thomas it was an obvious upgrade to the Jags passing game but one thing Julius Thomas isn’t known for is his blocking skills. Enter Marcedes Lewis, Lewis has been a superior run and pass blocker for the Jags when he is in the lineup and he was a big reason why Maurice Jones-Drew was so successful in his years as a Jag as well.

I originally feared that the Jags would let go of Lewis this offseason and lose the advantage that he provides in blocking situations but to my excitement, Dave Caldwell continues to out smart me. The Jaguars now have the best of both worlds at the tight end position, they now have one of the better pass catching tight ends in the league as well as a very good blocking tight end.

So what does this mean? Deciding to keep Marcedes Lewis should allow the Jaguars offense to be much more flexible, and they now have the ability to run a lethal two tight end set. Also, Marcedes Lewis could fly under the radar to defenders in the passing game because Julius Thomas will demand a lot of attention. Opposing defenders will now have to deal with two towering targets, as Marcedes Lewis stands at 6’6″ and Julius Thomas stands at 6’5″. Both of these players have the ability to rise over defenders and make plays and this should make life a lot easier on Blake Bortles which is the ultimate goal for the Jaguars offense.

Black and Teal Writer Luke Sims said this about Lewis,

"Personally, I would love to see what Lewis can do for the Jaguars and whether he has something left in the tank. It would be great to see a resurgence as he fights to prove he is still valuable even with Julius Thomas on the roster"

I’m also very excited to see what Marcedes Lewis can do in his new role, Lewis is not used to being the second tight end on the depth chart but I expect him to fit this role well. Also its safe to assume Lewis wont see as many snaps as he did in past years but that should give him a much better chance to stay healthy throughout the season. If the Jags use Marcedes in the proper formations and play him to his strengths then I think he will be very successful.

Here is what Lewis had to say about the Jaguars upcoming season,

"“I’m pumped to be a part of something exciting and be a big part of it.”"

At the end of the day, I don’t expect Lewis to put up big numbers in the receiving category but I believe he will provide flexibility and help lead to a more effective Jaguars offense.

Next: Who will start for the Jaguars in 2015?

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