Bears Add Another Former Packer

Marcedes Lewis becomes second former Packers tight end on the Bears roster.

The Bears have brought in a player who is three years older than his position coach on the team.

Not content with one former Green Bay Packers tight end in Robert Tonyan Jr., they added a second to the rosteer by signing 39-year-old veteran Marcedes Lewis.

Bears tight ends coach Jim Dray is 36 years old and will be entrusted with coaching a player who broke into the league in the season when the Bears last made the Super Bowl, 2006.  So much for the Bears having one of the youngest rosters in the league per average age.

The Bears had Trevon Wesco as a third tight end/blocking tight end last year and he was not retained in free agency.

Lewis has long been one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL. Even at the age of 38 last year, Pro Football Focus gave him the fourth-best blocking grade among tight ends.

The 6-foot-6, 267-pounder played his first 12 years with Jacksonville, then went to Green Bay for five years. So he is well-versed in the offense the Bears run under offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, the former Packers quarterbacks and receivers coach.

Although Lewis has been known mostly for blocking and had just six receptions in 17 games played last year with the Packers, he has had seasons in the past with as many as 58 catches for Jacksonville (2010), and has 432 catches total in 730 targets for h is career. He  had 57 catches for 582 yards with the Packers in five seasons.

The Bears have veterans Stephen Carlson and Jared Pinkney on the roster competing for third tight end, as well as second-year undrafted free agents Chase Allen and Jake Tonges. 

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