Jacksonville Jaguars: Marqise Lee could return kicks in 2019
By Larry Brake
This season, Marqise Lee could be the Jacksonville Jaguars kick returner. He will fight for the final wide receiver roster spot.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have quality depth in the receiving corps entering the 2019 season. Marqise Lee might find it difficult to reclaim his spot in the receivers rotation. However, it’s possible that returning kicks would lock his name on the Jaguars 2019 roster.
Jacksonville selected Lee in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Since joining the Jaguars, he has played in 53 of 80 regular season games. He has struggled to stay on the field because of nagging injuries. He missed last season after suffering a devastating knee injury.
Lee suffered his latest injury during a 2018 preseason game against Atlanta. Currently, he is working on the side during Jacksonville’s organized team activities (OTAs). Michael DiRocco of ESPN reports the following:
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"Lee will work off to the side during the offseason conditioning program and organized team activities, which could put him slightly behind the rest of the offense in picking up new coordinator John DeFilippo’s system."
Until Lee gets cleared to play by team doctors, he will be regulated to fighting for the fifth receiver position. It’s possible that he would assume that role that Rashad Greene did in the past few seasons. Westbrook is a huge upgrade over Greene.
He will have difficulty breaking into the staring lineup. Dede Westbrook, Chris Conley and D.J. Chark have the inside track to be the top three receivers. Lee and Keelan Cole will battle it out for the remaining playing time.
Statistically, Lee doesn’t have impressive career numbers. He has caught 171 passes for 2,166 yards with eight touchdowns. Cole, in just two seasons, has caught 80 passes for 1,239 yards with four touchdowns.
The best scenario is for Lee to return kicks until he can regain his confidence in his knee. Lee usually ran crossing routes across the field. It might be some time before he trusts his knee to absorb the hits.
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If he returns kick, especially punts, he should be able to see opposing players closing in on him. Returning kicks allows him to experience speed of the game. Also, he would relieve Westbrook and Chark from special teams duties. Jacksonville needs to bounce back from the disastrous 2019 season. Expect Lee to play a huge role in the rebound