Jags TE Lewis looking for bigger role in offense in 2017

As the longest-tenured Jaguar — entering his 12th year with the franchise — tight end Marcedes Lewis expects to be more involved with the offense in 2017.
Due to missing 19 games over the past four seasons, and the team emphasizing their young receivers/signing Julius Thomas in 2015, Lewis saw his role in the passing game diminish in recent seasons.
With Thomas being traded to the Dolphins this offseason, Lewis has a clearer path to more targets in the passing game.
One place where Lewis has excelled in recent years is racking up yards after the catch. In the last four seasons, Lewis has finished in the top 10 among qualifying tight ends in the stat three times. His best year was 2015, where his 9.9 yards after the catch ranked third among 73 eligible tight ends.
The Jaguars signed Mychal Rivera this offseason, the only real competition Lewis has for playing time on the roster.
As the Jaguars look to establish more balance on offense, Lewis could have a big hand in that by providing a safety valve for Blake Bortles in 2017.