[DYNASTY] Jai Lewis, George Mason (1 Viewer)

[Sigmund Bloom]

Hey folks,

if you're watching Uconn-GMason right now, make a note to watch Jai Lewis and picture him as a TE "blocking out" to get a reception. He's the next in a line of undersized power forwards that the NFL scouts are looking at as a TE. The record is mixed from the brilliant Antonio Gates to the interesting Wesley Duke to the never-really-got-a-shot Chevy Troutman...

This is an important to trend to watch for dynasty leagues, as you can get the drop on your leaguemates by knowing about these guys early. Wesley Duke was totally unknown at this time last season...

 

[Bri]

also Tony G

Panthers have)or had last summer) a former hoops player at TE

 

[Q-Bert]

Hey folks,

if you're watching Uconn-GMason right now, make a note to watch Jai Lewis and picture him as a TE "blocking out" to get a reception. He's the next in a line of undersized power forwards that the NFL scouts are looking at as a TE. The record is mixed from the brilliant Antonio Gates to the interesting Wesley Duke to the never-really-got-a-shot Chevy Troutman...

This is an important to trend to watch for dynasty leagues, as you can get the drop on your leaguemates by knowing about these guys early. Wesley Duke was totally unknown at this time last season...

Until now he was totally unknown at this time this season. At least to me. What is his deal? Is this guy the reason that Putzier is no longer in Denver?

I tried a board search but apparently search flood control is on.

 

[dgreen]

Jai has just never looked fast to me. He looks quick and pretty agile for his size, but he's not fast. Then again, I can't say I've ever seen him sprint, so maybe he just doesn't show it on the court. He does appear to have nice hands, though.

 

[Bri]

Hey folks,

if you're watching Uconn-GMason right now, make a note to watch Jai Lewis and picture him as a TE "blocking out" to get a reception. He's the next in a line of undersized power forwards that the NFL scouts are looking at as a TE. The record is mixed from the brilliant Antonio Gates to the interesting Wesley Duke to the never-really-got-a-shot Chevy Troutman...

This is an important to trend to watch for dynasty leagues, as you can get the drop on your leaguemates by knowing about these guys early. Wesley Duke was totally unknown at this time last season...

Until now he was totally unknown at this time this season. At least to me. What is his deal? Is this guy the reason that Putzier is no longer in Denver?

I tried a board search but apparently search flood control is on.

search flood control should only restrict ya if you clicked it twice in a short time frame like suppose you typed weslet+duke and "oops" clicked the back button and fixed the typo. Just an fyiDuke is over in NFLE so he's still a project. Probably not good enough yet to push Putzier out the door.

 

[Barry Jive and The Uptown Five]

Jai has just never looked fast to me.  He looks quick and pretty agile for his size, but he's not fast.  Then again, I can't say I've ever seen him sprint, so maybe he just doesn't show it on the court.  He does appear to have nice hands, though.

Ditto that.Just looking at the guys physique, he's not built like Duke or Gates (the prototypes for the PF to TE transition).

Listening to the announcers call the game, they were commenting on the fact that it was slightly unusual to see Jai play so many minutes at such a high level. That sounds to me like conditioning is not there either.

Heck, if anything, he looks more like a franchise tackle than a franchise TE.

 

[harrycarey]

Jai has just never looked fast to me. He looks quick and pretty agile for his size, but he's not fast. Then again, I can't say I've ever seen him sprint, so maybe he just doesn't show it on the court. He does appear to have nice hands, though.

Ditto that.Just looking at the guys physique, he's not built like Duke or Gates (the prototypes for the PF to TE transition).

Listening to the announcers call the game, they were commenting on the fact that it was slightly unusual to see Jai play so many minutes at such a high level. That sounds to me like conditioning is not there either.

Heck, if anything, he looks more like a franchise tackle than a franchise TE.

Sounds like a leonard pope/mercedes lewis type.. tall but not fast.... could serve well as a redzone target.

 

[Thorpe]

Gates had/has a trememdous change of pace and liked to square up to the basket and attack with the dribble. Lewis is a back to basket guy. I think Lewis has more potential at DE. He is 275 which is a little heavy for a TE.

 

[s_ezy]

Jai has just never looked fast to me.  He looks quick and pretty agile for his size, but he's not fast.  Then again, I can't say I've ever seen him sprint, so maybe he just doesn't show it on the court.  He does appear to have nice hands, though.

Ditto that.Just looking at the guys physique, he's not built like Duke or Gates (the prototypes for the PF to TE transition).

Listening to the announcers call the game, they were commenting on the fact that it was slightly unusual to see Jai play so many minutes at such a high level. That sounds to me like conditioning is not there either.

Heck, if anything, he looks more like a franchise tackle than a franchise TE.

Sounds like a leonard pope/mercedes lewis type.. tall but not fast.... could serve well as a redzone target.

except that Jai Lewis weights 20-25lbs more than either of them6-7/ 275 is quite large for a TE considering Gates is "only" 6-5/250

while big for a TE he is WAY to small to play tackle

 

[Bri]

Jai has just never looked fast to me.  He looks quick and pretty agile for his size, but he's not fast.  Then again, I can't say I've ever seen him sprint, so maybe he just doesn't show it on the court.  He does appear to have nice hands, though.

Ditto that.Just looking at the guys physique, he's not built like Duke or Gates (the prototypes for the PF to TE transition).

Listening to the announcers call the game, they were commenting on the fact that it was slightly unusual to see Jai play so many minutes at such a high level. That sounds to me like conditioning is not there either.

Heck, if anything, he looks more like a franchise tackle than a franchise TE.

Sounds like a leonard pope/mercedes lewis type.. tall but not fast.... could serve well as a redzone target.

except that Jai Lewis weights 20-25lbs more than either of them6-7/ 275 is quite large for a TE considering Gates is "only" 6-5/250

while big for a TE he is WAY to small to play tackle

He's real big. I wouldn't doubt he could gain weight if needed, that frame could hold it no prob.He's not going to take the NFL by storm in 2006. I believe Bloom started this as a dynasty thread IE someone to stash on your bench and maybe down the road he'd be good.

 

[dgreen]

Gates had/has a trememdous change of pace and liked to square up to the basket and attack with the dribble. Lewis is a back to basket guy. I think Lewis has more potential at DE. He is 275 which is a little heavy for a TE.

While he starts with his back to the basket a lot, Lewis shows pretty good agility with the ball. He has pretty good dribbling ability in the open floor and a number of times has easily converted some up and under reverse layups. He's shown a good spin move. Also, I've been impressed when he jumps out on defense outside the arc and bothers point guards with his quickness. He has quick hands and creates some turnovers in those situations.But, like I said, he's never looked fast to me. I don't see how he'll be a pass catching TE in the NFL unless he just never actually runs full speed on the court.

When's George Mason's pro day? Seriously, though, has he declared for the draft? Would he just be in the supplemental draft?

 

[cowboyz]

i was thinking big baby. he has quick feet like jerome bettis.

 

[s_ezy]

found this through google

the report of interest in Lewis from the Steelers

"John O'Connor, of the Times-Dispatch, reports the Pittsburgh Steelers have invited NCAA basketball C Jai Lewis, of George Mason, to visit with them after the NCAA basketball tournament is over. There may also be other NFL teams that want to take a first-hand look at the 6-7 275-pounder. Lewis last played football as a tight end and defensive end at Aberdeen (Md.) High School. But his size and athleticism intrigues NFL scouts, who see some TE Antonio Gates (Chargers) in Lewis. A Steelers scout watched Lewis play in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament earlier this month at the Richmond Coliseum and left impressed by Lewis' dimensions, coordination and mobility. "I'd love to play football, and the NFL is always trying to find athletes," said Lewis."

 

[Cecil Lammey]

Until now he was totally unknown at this time this season. At least to me.

What is his deal? Is this guy the reason that Putzier is no longer in Denver?

Putzier's big contract was his demise. He just signed it last year and Stephen Alexander stayed healthy and proved to be a better blocker. Wesley Duke is a project, but I liked what I saw of him out at training camp last year. he did enough to impress the staff, and even go some playing time at the end of the year.

 

[dgreen]

Jai's workout is today.

Link

George Mason senior forward Jai Lewis will take another step toward what he hopes will be a career in pro football this afternoon, auditioning for at least eight NFL teams at an Alexandria training center.

As of yesterday evening, the New York Giants, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers and Washington Redskins planned to send representatives to Lewis's one-man combine at Velocity Sports Performance, where Lewis has been training for the past week.

The 6-foot-5, 290-pound Lewis hired Jeff Jankovich of Capital Football Associates last Thursday, and representatives from the agency have been shuttling him from classes and exams to his workouts and back. He has spent four days training with Walt Cline , Velocity's director of athlete development, and Leonard Stephens , the former Redskins and Detroit Lions tight end. Yesterday, while being shadowed by an ESPN crew, they spent 40 minutes analyzing and tweaking the first few strides of Lewis's 40-yard dash, and another hour on agility and flexibility drills.

This morning, Lewis will fill out paperwork and take written tests, including the Wonderlic. In the afternoon, he will be weighed and measured; will be tested in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump and standing broad jump; and will perform agility and position drills for tight ends and linemen. Afterward, he is expected to go to Cincinnati to work out for the Bengals.

"It's a job interview," said Lewis, who helped lead George Mason to the Final Four before deciding to pursue an NFL career. "I'm going out there with a shirt and tie on and a smile on my face, going out there to get a job."

Lewis has not yet started a weightlifting regimen, but he has altered his diet. He is in the habit of eating just one large meal a day. Yesterday, it was a bowl of cereal.

Both Cline and Jankovich said that after just four days of training, their client's times this afternoon are less important than his potential, with the NFL draft set for April 29-30.

"It's tough to teach a guy to be 6-5, 280 or 290 pounds and to move like that," Cline said. "I'll never have enough time to prepare him, but we're just doing as much as we can in a short time."

 

[dgreen]

Link

Footwear aside, several scouts said Lewis showed enough potential during an 80-minute workout at Velocity Sports Performance to keep his football dreams alive. Lewis ran the 40-yard dash in approximately 5.0 seconds, not brilliant but a considerable improvement over the 5.18 seconds he recorded last week, when he first began the transition back to a sport he had not played since his senior year at Aberdeen High in Harford County, Md. He finished a 20-yard shuttle drill in approximately 4.6 seconds, in line with the goals Velocity's director of athlete development, Walt Cline, described before the combine.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of player assessments, several scouts said Lewis has ample room for improvement and will need to convince NFL teams that he hungers for the aggression and violence of professional football. Still, they said his athleticism and explosiveness were impressive, particularly after he left the track surface for the football turf. He went through drills for defensive ends, tight ends and offensive linemen, but scouts said his attributes and 6-foot-5, 292-pound frame likely were best suited for the offensive line.

Lewis was tested in the vertical jump, reaching about 28 inches, and in the standing broad jump, traveling about 8 feet 8 inches. He has not yet started weight training and did not do the bench press, a standard pre-draft exercise.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

Heck, if anything, he looks more like a franchise tackle than a franchise TE.

Barry, the scouts agree with you. Definitely knock him down a notch on your "end of the rookie draft flier" list.

 

[Englishteacher]

As a Wake Forest grad I have to throw this out. One of our basketball alumni, Rodney Rogers, was heavily recruited out of high school in football. I've heard Notre Dame wanted the 6-7', 250 pound power forward badly as a TE. Of course, Rodney went on to an All American career at WFU, followed by a 10+ year career in the NBA. His career achievement in basketball was most probably winning the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award although he started throughout most of his career.

Talk about a big man with hands and athleticism to spare, Rodney was it. He was just too good at basketball. But a scholarship offer from Notre Dame, back when they were really good, is impressive.

 

[Chaos]

I think this guy gets looked at more at the OT spot than TE. I believe he is 6'5" 295 or so and runs a 5flat 40.

 

[dgreen]

I think this guy gets looked at more at the OT spot than TE. I believe he is 6'5" 295 or so and runs a 5flat 40.

Yes, he ran a 5.0 40 yesterday. But, there is actually some room for optimism in regards to his speed.Lewis has only been training for his workout for a few weeks. He ran a 5.18 a couple weeks ago and was able to get that down to 5.0 after only a few weeks with a trainer. Also, for some reason, he ran yesterday in basketball shoes. It will be interesting to see how low he can get that 40 number with proper training for more than three weeks.

Maybe he is best suited for the OL. But, if he can continue to work on his speed (which can probably be largely accomplished through training and losing some weight), he could eventually be a TE.

The NFL will make him what they want him to be. He seems open to being whatever they want to form him into. Whatever happens with him, it will be a couple years until he sees actual regular season action.

 

[wannabee]

Giants | Lewis will not attend training camp; appears to be giving up football

Published Fri Jul 14 11:51:00 p.m. ET 2006

(KFFL) Dan Steinberg, of the Washington Post, reports New York Giants TE/OL Jai Lewis ended his brief flirtation with pro football Friday, July 14, deciding not to return to the Giants for training camp, his agent, Jeff Jankovich , said. A Giants spokesman declined to comment; Lewis declined to comment through Jankovich. "He doesn't seem to be wrestling with the decision, he doesn't seem to have any second thoughts," Jankovich said. "He just said his heart wasn't really in the game of football, and that he really wanted to play basketball."

 

[Bri]

thanks for the update