Marcedes Lewis Likely to Get Franchise Tag From Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars are unlikely to reach a long-term deal with Marcedes Lewis.

But that doesn't mean the Pro Bowl tight end is going to be signing elsewhere.

Lewis, who made the Pro Bowl in his fifth NFL season last season, likely will receive the franchise tag if the sides can't reach a long-term extension by Thursday's deadline, Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union reported.

Ganguli cited a source saying the Jaguars aren't optimistic a deal would get done, under which case the franchise tag would be insurance.

The franchise tag is the average of the top five salaries at a certain position, with the number for a tight end in the 2011 season expected to be around $7.3 million for the one-year deal.

"I feel like I've been a big piece to building where we want to go," Lewis told Ganguli recently. "I love who I work with, I love the coaches, I love the environment. ... Ultimately I want to be able to be in a good situation and be happy and I want it to be in Jacksonville."

Of the franchise label, Lewis said, "That's like a Catch-22 because you can look at it two ways. OK, they franchised me so they want to keep me here to play. But then if that was the case, then why not just sign me to a long-term deal? You don't know what to think. At that point, you don't know how the feel about you. Why one year? That's a sticky situation right there. At the same time, I don't have no control over that. I'm going to continue to get better."