Jaguars To Release Marqise Lee

The Jaguars are releasing Marqise Lee, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. With that, the accomplished wide receiver will hit the open market just before the 2020 NFL Draft. The Jaguars will save $4.8MM by cutting Lee.

Lee signed a four-year, $38MM deal with the Jaguars in 2018 but did not do well to justify the team’s investment. A knee injury sidelined him for all of the ’18 season, and Lee battled ankle and shoulder injuries last season. The Jags placed him on IR. This cut was expected, but the team did Lee no favors by releasing him over a month after free agency’s outset.

The former Jags second-round pick caught just three passes last season. However, Lee was a reliable contributor in Jacksonville before his 2018 absence. He totaled 1,551 receiving yards between 2016-17, leading all Jags targets in that span. Despite the team still employing its GM and head coach from that span, it has parted ways with most of the talent responsible for the run to 2017’s AFC championship game.

While the Jags still feature D.J. Chark, Dede Westbrook and Chris Conley, they could be in the market for a wide receiver in the first round. Thanks to the Jalen Ramsey trade, the team holds two first-rounders. With the first of those picks coming at No. 9 overall, Jacksonville could be a landing spot for one of this draft’s top wide receivers. Barring another team trading in front of the Jags, they could be a threat to have their pick of the wideouts in this receiver-stacked draft.

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