The Denver Broncos went for experience last week when they added tight end Marcedes Lewis to their roster, and the 41-year old Lewis became the oldest tight end to play in the NFL when he appeared in the Broncos’ 18-15 win over the Houston Texans yesterday.
The Broncos didn’t wait long to throw Lewis into the fray. He entered the came for Denver’s fourth snap as he also became the oldest Bronco to appear in the NFL, but Lewis didn’t have a catch in this game.
“It feels amazing,’’ Lewis told Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette. “It’s special and I don’t take it for granted. If I’m not giving my absolute best at whatever I’m doing on that day, I can’t renew my contract for the next day.”
Lewis is basically a blocking tight end who can catch the ball occasionally, and he was a first-round pick back in 2006 of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who chose him 28th overall. His "happy to be here" attitude makes sense, especially since he looked to be out of the league when the season started.
“Obviously, finishing my 19th season, I had aspirations of getting 20,’’ said Lewis, who wasn’t with an NFL team this season before joining the Broncos. “Obviously, the beginning of this year didn’t go as planned and I couldn’t get into (a training) camp. It wasn’t a situation that I really wanted, as far as teams that were hitting my agent up, so I decided to wait it out. Being here (with Denver) is something special.”
As for the tight end’s effectiveness, it’s tough to make a definitive call there. Denver’s offense struggled throughout the game, but running back J.K. Dobbins did have some moments here and there as he ended up with 61 yards on 15 carries.
The other tight ends didn’t do much, either. Backup Adam Trautman caught a pair of passes for 25 yards, while Even Engram was targeted three times without a catch.
This is why the Broncos will likely still be looking for tight ends as tomorrow’s deadline approaches. Denver has a short week with the Las Vegas Raiders coming to town on Thursday, so whoever they add likely won’t be a factor in that game.
But a divisional showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs follows, and that’s the game the Broncos are probably targeting for their new tight end, assuming they add one. The Broncos are universally regarded as buyers right now, and no one would be surprised if they added a receiver plus some cornerback depth given their current situation at these positions.