Back in early January, the New York Jets brought back Lawrence Cager on a reserve/future contract.
Although there was a catch, Cager would have to transition from wide receiver to tight end. How is he doing four months later? We decided to check in to find out.
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Impressive Sight to Behold
Cager provided a Twitter update on Tuesday afternoon saying his weight is at 241 pounds and he is down to 8% body fat.
241
8% body fat
👀
To put that into perspective the average body fat percentage for a male in America is between 18% and 24%, per Men’s Journal.
That percentage for a male athlete is smaller (between 6% and 13%), but Cager still ranks in that upper echelon category.
On the official Jets roster sheet Cager stood in at 6-foot-5 and weighed 220 pounds last season.
A few months later he has now packed on an unbelievable 21 pounds of muscle during that short time span.
Wide receiver turned tight end Lawrence Cager (@lawrencecager3) has gained over 21 pounds of muscle this offseason as he made the transition to a new position. He is down to 8% body fat. Definitely someone to keep an eye on 👀 📸 @nyjets #TakeFlight @GeorgiaFootball #Jets
Cager originally entered the league back in 2020 as an undrafted free agent. In his two seasons in the pros he has yet to find his footing, but the intriguing traits are still there beneath the surface.
What Is the Path?
When Cager initially made this transition back on January 13, it seemed like a great move for all sides.
The former Georgia product hadn’t been able to crack an NFL lineup as a wide receiver through two seasons in the pros. Insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results.
While in terms of the roster, Gang Green had a bunch of nothingness at the tight end position. If this experiment worked, Cager would have a clear path to a roster spot.
However, things can change very quickly in the NFL and this positional group was no exception.
Over the course of several months, the Jets completely overhauled the tight end position investing over $45 million in CJ Uzomah and Tyler Conklin during free agency.
In addition, they invested the No. 101 overall pick in the fourth round to select Jeremy Ruckert out of Ohio State.
Those three are absolute locks to make the roster and a fair question remains, is there a spot for Cager on the final-53?
Typically NFL teams will carry four tight ends on the roster if they don’t feature a fullback. The Jets are one of the rare teams that still incorporate that into their offense (Nick Bawden).
So it appears unlikely that Cager currently has a spot on the final 53 but things are always fluid. There could always be an injury or he could be a stash player on the team’s practice squad.
Cager checks off all of the boxes you’d look for with his imposing size and physical gifts. An NFL team hasn’t been able to maximize those assets yet, but he could be a player to watch as he continues to learn his new tight-end position.
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