Mere hours after signing Yannick Ngakoue to bolster their pass rush, the Chicago Bears struck again. This time they went with a more unexpected move. The team reached an agreement with veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis on a one-year deal. A one-time Pro Bowler, he has spent 17 seasons in the NFL. The last five were in Green Bay. He has direct ties to offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and knows the offensive system the Bears run. This may shock fans, given his age (39) and the fact he only had 582 receiving yards in those five seasons.
However, his pass-catching ability isn’t why the team signed him. Lewis, even now, is one of the best blocking tight ends in the league. He will bring instant toughness to the offense. In his career, he’s pass-protected on 1,271 snaps. He allowed only 56 pressures and eight snaps over that span. If that weren’t enough, he’s maintained a grade of 70 or better in run blocking in four of his last six seasons. He was a vital component to the Packers’ wide-zone rushing success with Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon.
The Chicago Bears have a solid tight end room.
Cole Kmet remains the featured player with his unique blend of blocking and pass-catching skills. The difference compared to last season is the Bears have put two reliable pieces behind him. Robert Tonyan will be another quality receiving weapon for Justin Fields to utilize, especially in the red zone. Lewis is more of a benefit to the running backs. He will help set the edges, creating those critical lanes to the outside for Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman to exploit. A combination of him and Kmet could be dangerous.
More than anything, Lewis brings much-needed veteran leadership to a suddenly very young offensive huddle. Only one of their projected starters this year (Cody Whitehair) is 30 or older. Lewis has been around the league for a long time. He knows how to handle the grind, take care of his body, and always bring that juice on Sundays. The Chicago Bears wanted that veteran leadership as much as the blocking. Teammates reportedly love him. So he should fit in right away.
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