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Marqise Lee needs to steal the show in OTAs

The third-year receiver has put together a forgettable résumé thus far. To make a memorable impact in 2016, Lee must first make it through OTAs in one piece.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

I don't know what Marqise Lee's middle name is. I know it's not "durability."

The third-year receiver has steadily tumbled down the injury hill ever since he first stepped foot in the Jaguars' facilities. Lee sat out most of his rookie OTAs because of an ankle injury -€”- a relatively minor holdup that would go on to set the pattern for his next two seasons. In 2015, Lee missed OTAs and minicamp due to a knee injury.

After recovering from his knee issue, a hamstring injury kept Lee sidelined for training camp, preseason, and six of the first eight games in 2015. It's hard to showcase your explosive, game-breaking speed when you can't even find the field.

This season, Marqise Lee enters OTAs as an asset,” not a centerpiece. Lee lost the spotlight long ago to his fellow third-year teammates, Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson. As Lee sat stranded on the Jaguars sideline for most of the past two seasons, he watched Hurns and Robinson -€-” the A-team --€” rise to relevancy in a high-powered, pass-attacking offense.

The truth is, Lee was probably erased from the Jaguars' main blueprint somewhere between his third and fourth consecutive injury. But that doesn't mean he can't write himself back in.

Lee played in the last eight games of 2015 -€-” an inspiring run after such a dreadful start to the season. In these eight games, Lee found controlled success in limited opportunities. Lee amassed 12 catches over this span, including one touchdown against the Saints and one oh-my-goodness catch against the Falcons.

Lee now arrives at the front of 2016 OTAs with an assistance he has never carried before -€-” momentum. To place himself in a position to make a meaningful impact in 2016, Lee will have to ride this momentum through phase three of the Jaguars' offseason program without any hiccups.

Make no mistake -- non-contact organized team activities heavily favor the skill players. But to stand out in a sea of established offensive talent, Lee will first have to do something he has never done before --

Make it through OTAs in one piece.