I agree that it would be nice to have details. I'm not an expert on how all things contracts work, but I assume they found a way to continue paying him roughly the same amount, while reducing the cap hit. I don't know if that is done by turning more money into signing bonuses or what it entails. Pay cut may not be the most accurate statement. Reduced cap hit is probably better. He will probably make the same, but count less against the cap.

The cap hit is the cap hit no matter what at this point in his contract.  Whatever they pay him is the hit for the season.  It's irrelevant if it's converted into some sort of bonus or not. 

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Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

People are assuming there's a pay cut here.  Has anything been reported to substantiate that?

 

What other explanation is there? Years weren't added on.

 

Here are the realistic possibilities: a team wanted to trade for him but didn't like his salary, that might be it, if it is we'll see him traded soon, but the fact that it didn't add any time makes it unlikely. Maybe Marcedes said "yeah, I'm an awesome player that you guys can't function without, so if you don't guarantee my salary I'm going to pull an MJD of 2012 and hold out all summer before begrudgingly showing up the first week of the season as the team's best player. (laughable)

 

The only reason that would make sense for a team with no cap problems to "restructure" a guy they have all of the leverage over at this point of the season is exactly what I said above. They approached him, let him know he's in serious jeopardy of getting paid nothing this season, and then offered him a small guarantee in exchange for lowering the overall amount of money he would make.

 

Considering he's not a good player and wasn't a lock to even make the regular season roster it's obvious what happened, he got what he could right now instead of risking it.

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This next season was the last of his current deal, and he was due to make $6.65m in base salary (plus a $150k workout bonus).  The Jags have $1.4m of unamortized bonus that was being charged to the cap this next year.  

 

It will be interesting to see the particulars of the restructure. Without an extension, they either got him to lower his salary to remain with the team, or they could have paid him some of the base upfront, thereby lowering his base for another team in a trade scenario.  I am guessing it is structured more as a salary reduction given Lewis's statement.   

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What other explanation is there? Years weren't added on.

 

Here are the realistic possibilities: a team wanted to trade for him but didn't like his salary, that might be it, if it is we'll see him traded soon, but the fact that it didn't add any time makes it unlikely. Maybe Marcedes said "yeah, I'm an awesome player that you guys can't function without, so if you don't guarantee my salary I'm going to pull an MJD of 2012 and hold out all summer before begrudgingly showing up the first week of the season as the team's best player. (laughable)

 

The only reason that would make sense for a team with no cap problems to "restructure" a guy they have all of the leverage over at this point of the season is exactly what I said above. They approached him, let him know he's in serious jeopardy of getting paid nothing this season, and then offered him a small guarantee in exchange for lowering the overall amount of money he would make.

 

Considering he's not a good player and wasn't a lock to even make the regular season roster it's obvious what happened, he got what he could right now instead of risking it.

There's nothing to indicate he'd be in serious jeopardy of getting paid nothing.  Some team would have picked him up even if he was released by the Jags. 

 

Considering the front office continues to say they want him on the roster is an indication to me that their evaluation of his playing ability doesn't mesh with yours. 

 

Keep on assuming he took a pay cut.  There's nothing that says he did.  They could have incentivized a portion of his contract.  Restructuring is rarely about cutting someone's pay, and on a team that isn't having cap issues, that's especially true. 

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Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

There's nothing to indicate he'd be in serious jeopardy of getting paid nothing.  Some team would have picked him up even if he was released by the Jags. 

 

Considering the front office continues to say they want him on the roster is an indication to me that their evaluation of his playing ability doesn't mesh with yours. 

 

Keep on assuming he took a pay cut.  There's nothing that says he did.  They could have incentivized a portion of his contract.  Restructuring is rarely about cutting someone's pay, and on a team that isn't having cap issues, that's especially true. 

 

What the front office says doesn't really tell us anything significant. They'll stand behind their guys until they're ready to throw them under the bus. It's like the team being behind Jedd Fisch until it wasn't.

 

A team picking marcedes up? Probably so, kick the tires, so to speak, but unlikely to be for a lot of money. Like I said, it's obvious what happened, Marcedes took a reduction in the possible pay he could get in exchange for something being guaranteed now. He's not a good player, he's likely not an opening day starter, and he's often injured.

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Previously scheduled to earn $6.65 million this season with a cap figure of $8.2 million, the renegotiated contract is likely to open up salary space for a Jaguars team that added veteran center Stefen Wisniewski on Saturday with a one-year deal worth $2.5 million.

<p style="font-family:arial, verdana, helvetica;color:rgb(34,34,33);">"I'm pumped to be a part of something exciting and be a big part of it," Lewis said, per Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida Times-Union.

<p style="font-family:arial, verdana, helvetica;color:rgb(34,34,33);">After signing premier pass-catcher Julius Thomas in March, Jacksonville now houses one of the AFC's better tight end pairings. If their offensive line can do a better job protecting the pocket this season, young passer Blake Bortles could be staring down a promising second campaign in the AFC South.

 

 

- Sessler NFL.com

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I'm not a huge Lewis fan but I'd keep him around unless someone offers a first (not going to happen) or second day draft pick. Like Sessler said we have one of the best AFC tight-end pairings, why take away one of the only guys Bortles has to throw to with experience for a late round pick?

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The Lewis complaints remind me so much of the Poz ones. Sure he's not amazing, but he's far from terrible. He's a perfect 2nd TE to JT.


I'd rather him than Nic Jacobs out there. If he was making $2mil a year there would be hardly anyone complaining, its not his fault Gene Smith overpaid everyone.

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IT WAS ALWAYS THE JAGS

The Lewis complaints remind me so much of the Poz ones. Sure he's not amazing, but he's far from terrible. He's a perfect 2nd TE to JT.


I'd rather him than Nic Jacobs out there. If he was making $2mil a year there would be hardly anyone complaining, its not his fault Gene Smith overpaid everyone.

 

Lewis is one of the best tight end on the nfl right now. The team turned down lots of trade offers I bet.

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Another position group that's set for next year. Thomas, Lewis and Harbour are very solid and even though Lewis' primary role will be blocking tight end, he is a huge target in the red zone.

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- Sessler NFL.com

 

Aside from his best TE duo in the NFL comment which is coming out of left field everything he says indicates Marcedes took a cut. Unlikely to be earned incentives might allow him to make up for it if he has a really unusual season, but I could see him retiring after this year with his injury history and the low possibility of any other team paying him as if he were starting material.

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The Lewis complaints remind me so much of the Poz ones. Sure he's not amazing, but he's far from terrible. He's a perfect 2nd TE to JT.


I'd rather him than Nic Jacobs out there. If he was making $2mil a year there would be hardly anyone complaining, its not his fault Gene Smith overpaid everyone.

Don't you know that if you aren't an All-Pro then you are turrible and should be immediately replaced by just about any other guy on the open market or a late rd draft pick because the open market and the latter part of the draft is full of All-Pro level players just waiting to be picked up?

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I agree that it would be nice to have details. I'm not an expert on how all things contracts work, but I assume they found a way to continue paying him roughly the same amount, while reducing the cap hit. I don't know if that is done by turning more money into signing bonuses or what it entails. Pay cut may not be the most accurate statement. Reduced cap hit is probably better. He will probably make the same, but count less against the cap.

I would suspect they reduced the salary by turning part of it into performance bonuses, that reduces the cap hit since the bonuses don't count against the cap. In return for this change some of the salary was either guaranteed or turned into roster bonus, which is effectively the same thing. That way the team gets a lower cap hit and Lewis more money up front and less impact on his financial situation if he gets cut.

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Marcedes Lewis has been overly criticized by this fan base. He has been a Jaguar for a decade now, and no matter what any body thinks, he's been a hell of a TE in the league. Most players could only dream to have a career like he has. I think he was used for the better part of his career as Fred Taylor and then Maurice Jones Drew's blocker, but the guy can catch, I don't care what anyone says. He's made some baller catches even last year. He's a been one of the best all around TE in the league. Not necessarily a Gronk or Jimmy Grahm, but just as an overall TE, he's been a top player at his position. 

 

I think the team has been loyal with Marcedes and has rewarded him with two contracts, maybe he is realizing and returning the favor. He wants to stay here, he wants to play with Julius and see this team progress. 

 

Hope Lewis and Thomas create a great tandem this season.

So off base. Lewis has been a slim offensive lineman since he's been here who happened to have one good year of td catches. Good blocker and that's it.

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Yes, Lewis has been such a clutch TE for this team and deserves zero criticisms..


Now will someone hand me my copy of Braille Illustrated?

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Yes, Lewis has been such a clutch TE for this team and deserves zero criticisms..


Now will someone hand me my copy of Braille Illustrated?

Don't forget how his MMA training has helped him developed into a 18 catch beast last season.

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I'm pretty sure he'll be treated like Monroe.

 

He's a Jaguar, until he's not.

 

Until then... let him play, let him contribute.

 

As many folks said, a two TE set with Thomas and Lewis would create desirable matchups for us. 

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"You do your own thing in your own time. You should be proud."

There's nothing to indicate he'd be in serious jeopardy of getting paid nothing.  Some team would have picked him up even if he was released by the Jags. 

 

Considering the front office continues to say they want him on the roster is an indication to me that their evaluation of his playing ability doesn't mesh with yours. 

 

Keep on assuming he took a pay cut.  There's nothing that says he did.  They could have incentivized a portion of his contract.  Restructuring is rarely about cutting someone's pay, and on a team that isn't having cap issues, that's especially true. 

 

Would he have gotten nothing? Probably not. But more than what the Jaguars would have paid him? Probably not either. The team and Lewis probably agreed into something that works out for both of them; more than what Lewis would have gotten in the market had the Jags cut him out right but less than what his current contract guarantees.

 

And uh..if they changed the language of his contract to change a guarantee to incentive, then yeah, he took a pay cut.

 

Given that the team have zero need for additional cap space (we were at what? $30M after the Wiesnewski signing?), and there was not an extension involved, then yeah, I think it's a perfectly reasonable assumption that the purpose of this restructuring was to lower Lewis' salary this season.

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I think the lack of many decent Tight Ends in the draft might have played a part in this decision. But all in all (as others have said) it's been a pretty good week for us contract-wise. And with so many rookies in our squad, it will be a help to have those three experienced players (Lewis, Poz, Wisniewski) around the team.

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I've not been one who was excited about what M. Lewis has been producing in J'ville for some time. However, if his salary has been restructured so as to more closely reflect his recent levels of production, and given he isn't the #1 guy at TE, then he's probably worth keeping. 

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I y'ams who I y'ams and thats all I y'ams...