The Denver Broncos are 6-2 ahead of Week 9 and seem to have a favorable chance to make the playoffs. That said, they're dealing with a handful of issues that could prevent them from finishing the season hot. One of them is that they're not getting enough production out of the tight end position. Some of that is due to injuries, but free-agent acquisition Evan Engram has also left much to be desired. Looking back, the Jacksonville Jaguars were right to cut ties with the two-time Pro Bowl nod.
Expected to have a huge role in the Denver passing game, Engram has instead struggled to make an impact. Injuries have certainly held the former Ole Miss Rebel back, but even when he's been available, he hasn't been much of a factor. Not surprisingly, the Broncos have been looking for help at tight end.
The Broncos brought in Marcedes Lewis for a workout
You heard that right. Jaguars legend Marcedes Lewis is still around and recently visited the Broncos on a tryout basis, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Media. Several outlets later confirmed the news.
A first-round pick by Jacksonville in 2006, Lewis appeared in 170 games with 157 starts for the Jags in 12 years and hauled in 375 catches for 4,502 yards with 33 touchdowns. The former UCLA Bruin then spent five seasons with the Green Bay Packers before playing two seasons for the Chicago Bears.
Lewis has yet to play a game this year. If he suits up for the Broncos or any other club, this would be his 20th season.
But before giving the ageless Lewis a look, Denver placed waiver claims on tight ends Brendan Bates and Ben Sims. However, they were awarded to the Cleveland Browns and the Minnesota Vikings, respectively. All these attempts to bolster the tight end position have come in light of injuries to Lucas Krull and Nate Adkins. The former underwent foot surgery, and the latter sustained a knee injury in Week 8.
Adkins' injury will arguably sting the most, as he had developed into a key contributor in the Broncos offense.
By now, you may be wondering if Engram is also dealing with injuries. He isn't. He did sit out a game early in the season but has otherwise been available for Denver. Having said that, he hasn't had that much of an impact, hauling in a measly 26 receptions for 215 yards with one touchdown in seven bouts.
The Jaguars knew they were better off without Evan Engram
When the Jaguars cut Evan Engram before free agency, they cited the need to address the larger scale roster with the savings they got. That said, the team's brass also let him go because he wasn't a good fit in Liam Coen's scheme, which asked tight ends to consistently block, certainly not Engram's forte.
Before Brenton Strange sustained a quad injury, he had proven to be a worthy heir apparent at tight end. But even last year, the former Penn State Nittany Lion did enough to earn a starting role. That most definitely played a role in Jacksonville's decision to cut ties with Engram.
For his part, Engram is two years removed from his record-setting season in 2023 when he broke several franchise records and finished with 114 catches, the third most ever by a tight end in the modern NFL era. Now, let's make it clear, the veteran tight end can still help several teams, but he's most definitely not worth the two-year, $23 million deal the Broncos gave him.
The Jaguars knew it, which is why they let Evan Engram hit the open market.