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QuikSand · 08-31-2005, 08:43 AM

Bubble Watch: RB Lewis Lee

As we head toward training camp, I will no doubt have some borderline cases to deal with. One that I can also see coming is RB Lewis Lee.

We picked up Lee as an undrafted rookie three seasons ago, and he has stuck as a decent deep reserve RB, and especially as a return man. In three seasons with the team, he has been on field for only 35 plays from scrimmage – yielding 6 carries for 20 yards, and no receptions. He is not a viable option in either the rushing nor receiving game, with no important skills rated over the 40s.

However, he currently is our best-rated return man, with skills in both punt returns (37) and kick returns (50/66). For his career, he has averaged 8.4 yards per punt return, and 25.2 yards per kickoff return – both are pretty respectable numbers. So, he has contributed, and if he makes the team, that would be why.

Our bigger issue is the roster spot he’d be squeezing out if he does indeed make the team. We already have three active rosters spots committed to RB Courtney Criswell, FB Chadwick Morimasa, and FB Cvharles Emerson. Trading for the rookie RB Ralph de lo Santos labels him as the young player we’d like to see get some reserve time in the backfield, so we’d prefer to have him active if possible. Retaining Lee for a return role boosts to five the number of players we’d have active in our backfield most weeks – and that’s a burden to worry about, I think.

Keeping Lee, a non-affinity player on a team trying to move in that direction as much as possible, would also mean releasing one other player somewhere else, to get down to 53 players. So – while Lewis Lee’s modest salary of $550K is a non-issue, the “opportunity cost” of keeping him is pretty high.

Our best alternatives in the return game are to use S Mark Carr (51/62) as our primary kick returner with Henry Birkland (26) as the second man. Birkland has to remain active anyway, as he is our CB mentor for your youngsters there. In punt returns, we don’t have a great option, but could end up with rookie CB Steven McWilliams as our guy – I can’t se his ratings yet, but I’m guessing he’ll be maybe a 10-20 rated guy in punt returns.

So, Lewis Lee, on the bubble. Keeping him costs us an overall roster slot, an active roster slot, and (in all likelihood) an affinity. Cutting him puts a bunch of dopes on the field to return punts and kicks for us. Not a promising situation.

08-31-2005, 08:43 AM	#117
QuikSand lolzcat Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Annapolis, Md	Bubble Watch: RB Lewis Lee As we head toward training camp, I will no doubt have some borderline cases to deal with. One that I can also see coming is RB Lewis Lee. We picked up Lee as an undrafted rookie three seasons ago, and he has stuck as a decent deep reserve RB, and especially as a return man. In three seasons with the team, he has been on field for only 35 plays from scrimmage – yielding 6 carries for 20 yards, and no receptions. He is not a viable option in either the rushing nor receiving game, with no important skills rated over the 40s. However, he currently is our best-rated return man, with skills in both punt returns (37) and kick returns (50/66). For his career, he has averaged 8.4 yards per punt return, and 25.2 yards per kickoff return – both are pretty respectable numbers. So, he has contributed, and if he makes the team, that would be why. Our bigger issue is the roster spot he’d be squeezing out if he does indeed make the team. We already have three active rosters spots committed to RB Courtney Criswell, FB Chadwick Morimasa, and FB Cvharles Emerson. Trading for the rookie RB Ralph de lo Santos labels him as the young player we’d like to see get some reserve time in the backfield, so we’d prefer to have him active if possible. Retaining Lee for a return role boosts to five the number of players we’d have active in our backfield most weeks – and that’s a burden to worry about, I think. Keeping Lee, a non-affinity player on a team trying to move in that direction as much as possible, would also mean releasing one other player somewhere else, to get down to 53 players. So – while Lewis Lee’s modest salary of $550K is a non-issue, the “opportunity cost” of keeping him is pretty high. Our best alternatives in the return game are to use S Mark Carr (51/62) as our primary kick returner with Henry Birkland (26) as the second man. Birkland has to remain active anyway, as he is our CB mentor for your youngsters there. In punt returns, we don’t have a great option, but could end up with rookie CB Steven McWilliams as our guy – I can’t se his ratings yet, but I’m guessing he’ll be maybe a 10-20 rated guy in punt returns. So, Lewis Lee, on the bubble. Keeping him costs us an overall roster slot, an active roster slot, and (in all likelihood) an affinity. Cutting him puts a bunch of dopes on the field to return punts and kicks for us. Not a promising situation.