By Jordan Long
The Jacksonville Jaguars might have found their replacement for tight end Julius Thomas. They signed Mychal Rivera. He will play opposite of tight end Marcedes Lewis.
The Jaguars needed to add depth to their tight end position. Jacksonville traded Thomas to the Miami Dolphins for a 7th round draft pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Thomas was in a Jaguar uniform for the last two years. His production was disappointing with 281 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns last year. The Jaguars felt it was best to give him a new start.
With Thomas gone, that left a major void at tight end with Marcedes Lewis being the only tight end with playing experience on the team. Lewis is not the player he once was. He is mostly a blocking tight end. The Jaguars were searching for a pass catching tight end. On Thursday, Mychal Rivera agreed to come to Jacksonville. The deal is for two years.
Rivera is a 4 year veteran, playing all of them for the Oakland Raiders. His best year was in 2014 when he had 534 yards and 4 touchdowns. Last season was a disappointment appearing in a career low 13 games starting 2 of them. The Raiders considered trading him. He was on the trading block during training camp, but the Raiders decided to keep him. Rivera lost playing time because the Raiders trusted the other tight ends Lee Smith, Clive Walford, and Gabe Holmes. Rivera had only 192 receiving yards, but his average per reception was an impressive 10.7 yards. In his 4 years with the Raiders Rivera caught 146 passes for 1,413 yards and added 10 touchdowns.
Rivera has a fresh start in Jacksonville. He should have the opportunity to be productive in the offense. Rivera will able to catch passes for first downs and touchdowns. According to actionnewsjax.com, Rivera said, “is just an incredible opportunity.” Hopefully he can help this team win games next season.
What do you think of the Jacksonville Jaguars adding Mychal Rivera to their team?
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