Grading the Bears’ decision to re-sign TE Marcedes Lewis

The Chicago Bears allegedly plan to re-sign veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis to a one-year contract. The news was broken by Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer. Lewis is re-joining the Bears after playing for them throughout the 2023 campaign.

A little Sunday scoopage for @ChicagoBears fans, @MarcedesLewis89 tells me he is going to Chicago to meet with team tomorrow with intention of re-signing there tomorrow. Barring something unforeseen this will be Lewis’s 19th season as he comes in to help a young QB. 19 seasons,…

— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) June 9, 2024

The former UCLA standout played 332 snaps for the Bears last season. He was a crucial member of the offense, accounting for roughly 29.17% of all offensive snaps played by the Bears. Lewis essentially shared duties behind Cole Kmet with Robert Tonyan, who played nine less snaps (323) than Lewis did.

The Bears wisely moved on from Tonyan this offseason. General manager Ryan Poles signed Gerald Everett to replace him. Everett is expected to form an exciting one-two punch alongside Kmet in a pass-happier offense with rookie No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams at quarterback. New offensive coordinator Shane Waldron is overseeing an exciting shift in Chicago’s offensive philosophy.

Kmet and Everett aren’t expert blockers. Waldron should rarely utilize them attached to the line of scrimmage. Both are better pass catchers that do damage detached from the offensive line by creating mismatch opportunities versus coverage in space. Kmet earned a run-blocking grade of 54.9 last season, according to Pro Football Focus, and Everett was even worse with a 51.3.

READ: Twitter reacts to Bears re-signing Marcedes Lewis

Lewis was outstanding for the Bears as a run blocker last season, earning a grade of 73.7. That’s critical, considering the Bears signed free-agent running back D’Andre Swift to a lucrative multi-year contract. Lewis is also impactful as a sixth pass blocker, scoring a 68.4 in that department, helping Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright against high-end pass rushers as needed.

Lewis returns to the Bears for a historical 19th campaign after entering the league as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ first-round pick in 2006 (!). He’ll possess a clear role behind Kmet and Everett as the Bears’ blocking tight end. Re-signing Lewis is yet another shrewd decision made by Poles in what’s been an outstanding offseason.

GRADE: B

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