In a bit of a surprise on Monday afternoon, the Jacksonville Jaguars released wide receiver Marqise Lee. The Philadelphia Eagles are desperate for help at wide receiver. Should they kick the tires on Lee?
A surprise: The #Jaguars are releasing WR Marqise Lee, source said. One of their most productive receivers is now a free agent – fully healthy and completely cleared medically — right before the draft.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 20, 2020
Lee is a salary cap casualty in Jacksonville because he has been unable to stay healthy since signing a significant contract extension a few years ago. After catching 119 total passes for 1,553 yards and six touchdowns from 2016-2017, Lee missed all of the 2018 season with a torn ACL and caught just four passes in six games in 2019.
During the offseason, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said that the Eagles need to get younger and avoid injuries, so targeting an oft-injured veteran wideout such as Lee would not seem to fit their current strategy. But with their current wide receiver cupboard so bare, could they be interested in Lee on a one-year deal? Such an agreement could, in theory, make sense for both sides.
Had 2 years left on his deal.
2020: $6.25m base (non-guaranteed). https://t.co/avy0eJSbWN
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) April 20, 2020
Lee is unlikely to have many suitors in free agency, especially since he was released less than four days ahead of what is supposed to be a loaded wide receiver class in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Jaguars did him no favors with the timing of this move. After missing most of the last two seasons with injuries, no team is going to offer him more than a one-year commitment. And if Lee is betting on himself, he should welcome a one-year deal and the chance to rebuild his value and hit free agency again in 2021, when he will still be just 29 years old.
So, should the Eagles be interested? He is not going to solve their problems at wide receiver. But the Eagles have next to nothing at the position. At the end of last year, they were running Robert Davis, Deontay Burnett, and Greg Ward out as their starting wide receivers in a playoff game. That can’t happen again.
The Eagles are also expected to draft at least one wide receiver in the draft this week, and they could take two or three. Lee could be a veteran option to help them bridge the gap for a year while they develop their young wideouts, especially with the uncertainty surrounding this offseason. With teams unable to hold minicamps and no one knowing when or if training camp will happen due to COVID-19, developing draft picks is going to be a unique challenge.
If he is willing to take a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum plus some incentives, then the Eagles and Marqise Lee seem like a good fit on paper. They are desperate for help at the position, and he is unlikely to find a better opportunity or a clearer path to playing time.
