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Offensive linemen are the unsung heroes of the gridiron. They keep the quarterback upright and pave the way for running backs to make plays. But they rarely get to bask in the spotlight.
Raiders tackle Marshall Newhouse had a brief moment to shine on Sunday during his team’s win over the Dolphins. Newhouse allowed a sack on Derek Carr, who then fumbled the football. But Newhouse took a chance to potentially save the play. He scooped the ball up and began to run.
Then Newhouse took a hit so hard that his 6’4, 324-pound frame spun around in the air like a helicopter blade. He fumbled, and the Dolphins recovered. Still, it was glorious to see him thundering down the field for those few yards.
We need more big-man offensive plays in the NFL. So we asked our NFL team sites which offensive linemen on their respective teams would make the best skill position players. Some of these guys have experience making plays for their teams, some played in college, and some were ... well, pretty out there.
Here are their choices, ranked by how realistic each option would be:
Guys who have been there before
We know these guys can make things happen with the ball in their hands, because we’ve seen it before.
Cleveland Browns: J.C. Tretter at TE
Hey, whatever can get the Browns in the end zone.
Purely based on his background, my vote would go to center J.C. Tretter. He played football and basketball in college, the latter sport of which he was his school's all-time leading scorer and rebounder. At Cornell University, he was a tight end for his first two years before switching to the offensive line. During his college career, he logged 5 catches for 80 yards and 1 touchdown.
For more, check out the entire entry at Dawgs by Nature.
Green Bay Packers: Jason Spriggs at TE
Well, the Packers did just part ways with Martellus Bennett ...
First of all, Spriggs played tight end in high school and was recruited at that position when he signed with Indiana. He also lined up at the tight end position as a sixth offensive lineman on occasion in 2016. There’s our first check.
Second: Spriggs is one of most ridiculously explosive athletes at the offensive tackle position in years. His Combine vertical was 31.5 inches, very respectable in its own right, but he upped that to a whopping 35-inch jump at his Pro Day.
For more, check out the entire entry at Acme Packing Company.
Los Angeles Chargers: Forrest Lamp as a receiver out of the backfield
Lamp did it in college at Western Kentucky.
When it comes to your play-makers, you also want your guys to have experience for those big-time moments in the biggest games. So it obviously helps that Lamp was a four-year starter for the Hilltoppers while winning quite a few games during his time at WKU.
Down one score? I’m calling a naked bootleg and hitting my man Lamp at the front pylon.
Ballgame.
For more, check out the entire entry at Bolts from the Blue.
Philadelphia Eagles: Lane Johnson at TE
As if the Eagles really need any more offensive weapons — but Johnson did play tight end in college.
Johnson, however, is the obvious choice, and as funny as this whole scenario is, Lane as a skill position player, specifically a tight end, would be no joke. They called Chicago Bears tight end Adam Shaheen “Baby Gronk” in honor of Rob Gronkowksi, but Johnson would be “Daddy Gronk” at 6-foot-6, 317 pounds. The guy played tight end at the University of Oklahoma before converting to defensive end (and then tackle), so he’s got the chops to make a switch, and don’t tell me you couldn’t throw him in goal-line packages as a Zach Ertz complement.
For more, check out the entire entry at Bleeding Green Nation.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Alejandro Villanueva at TE
Villanueva’s a versatile athlete and could make this work.
Playing left tackle in the NFL requires a lot of athleticism, footwork and skill, but Big Al also has a background as a skill position player. While at West Point he was a giant tight end, and upon returning from his tours in Afghanistan, he was picked up by the Eagles to be a defensive lineman.
For more, check out the entire entry at Behind the Steel Curtain.
Seattle Seahawks: Duane Brown at TE
Brown started off as a tight end in college before switching to tackle.
Brown was so athletic that Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer continued to play Brown on special teams even after he bulked up to play tackle. Thus, if for some reason the Seahawks ever need one of their monsters up front to step outside of their normal role and play TE or to get in the fray on a Hail Mary jump ball in the end zone, Brown would be a good place to start. On top of measuring in a 6-4, Brown recorded a 32.5” vertical jump at his Pro Day, which is better than several skill position players taken along with him in the 2008 draft, including Jamaal Charles (30.5”), Jordy Nelson (31”) and Ray Rice (31.5”).
For more, check out the entire entry at Field Gulls.
New York Jets: Lawrence Thomas moved to FB
I don’t really know how to figure this out so I am going to cheat a bit. I will take a defensive lineman who the Jets actually have moved to running back, Lawrence Thomas.
Week 3 against Miami the team started showing looks with him at fullback, and he even registered a 15 yard reception. Defensive linemen aren’t exactly known for their soft hands. The Jets liked what they saw out of his blocking enough to make him a full-time fullback just a few weeks later.
For more, check out the entire entry at Gang Green Nation.
Proven big-man playmakers in the NFL
These guys have already had a chance to show what they can do with the ball — and we want to see more.
Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Castonzo at TE
Castonzo actually has some experience with this. He caught a touchdown pass from Andrew Luck against the Patriots back in 2014.
Castonzo plays the most athletically demanding position on the line. He stands at 6’7” tall, (a whole 3 inches taller than NFL great Randy Moss.) His modest 29.5 vertical jump at the combine is only 4 inches shorter than what Anquan Boldin measured, even though Castonzo is 82 pounds heavier!
For more, check out the entire entry at Stampede Blue.
Detroit Lions: Brian Mihalik at TE
Mihalik caught a batted pass that was knocked down by the Packers at the line of scrimmage this week. He’s got a jump start on this skill position thing.
All joking aside, Mihalik is easily the most athletic player on the Lions’ front five. In fact, he made Kent Lee Platte’s All-RAS Team, which collected the best athletes at every position from the history of the NFL dating back to 1987. Here are Mihalik’s fantastic combine numbers:
All joking aside, Mihalik is easily the most athletic player on the Lions’ front five. In fact, he made Kent Lee Platte’s All-RAS Team, which collected the best athletes at every position from the history of the NFL dating back to 1987. Here are Mihalik’s fantastic combine numbers:
For more, check out the entire entry at Pride of Detroit.
Buffalo Bills: John Miller at WR
He’s done in practice before. He can do it again, this time in game.
That’s Bills lineman John Miller with the fancy footwork and the catch. As a guard, Miller has to pull and get to the outside as a lead blocker so it makes sense that he would have good foot speed despite his 315-pound physique.
For more, check out the entire entry at Buffalo Rumblings.
New England Patriots: Nate Solder at TE
Solder rumbled for a 16-yard receiving touchdown against the Colts in the AFC Championship Game following the 2014 season. Maybe it was the deflated footballs, but he seems well-suited for the role.
If the Patriots actually wanted to move Solder away from his blind side position, there’s a very real chance he could be the second-best tight end on the roster right now. I’m a Dwayne Allen believer, but Solder has more career receptions from Tom Brady and evidently a better rapport, and Solder is undeniably a superior blocking option.
For more, check out the entire entry at Pats Pulpit.
Tennessee Titans: Taylor Lewan at TE
Lewan’s already proven that he can make this work.
Taylor Lewan does an excellent job of selling the fact that he is just staying in to block. That relaxes the defense to think that he is just doing what he always does despite being announced as eligible before the play started.
Lewan then does a really nice job of releasing and catching the ball with his hands. We see receivers all the time that catch the ball with their bodies....not Lewan.
Then he shows a really nice burst to get to outrun the defender to the end zone. It really is a shame this play happened last year before the NFL relaxed the celebration rules. Lewan would have had something epic after getting in the box!
For more, check out the entire entry at Music City Miracles.
Chicago Bears: Kyle Long at TE
He’s speedier than a lot of tight ends and he has one catch in his career, and like Newhouse, he fumbled. But still, why not?
He ran a 4.94 forty at his NFL Combine, which is really good for a man of his size. That number is better than some tight ends in the league, including the Bears newest practice squad member, Colin Thompson, who was clocked at 5.01 at his pro day in the forty yard dash.
For more, check out the entire entry at Windy City Gridiron.
Oakland Raiders: Marshall Newhouse at RB
He’s just got to work on his ball security, and he’s got this.
“He’s an athlete,” head coach Jack Del Rio said of Newhouse. “He was going to go at least another four or five yards. It’s one of those like ‘Get down! Get down!’ He saw the end zone. I don’t even really think he was thinking first down. He was thinking ‘I’m gonna score. That’s what those big guys do. We try to get them to think about just locking up the ball and protecting it, but they can’t help it. They’re going for the end zone.”
For more, check out the entire entry at Silver and Black Pride.
Why not give these guys a shot?
We haven’t seen these players get their moment of glory, at least not yet.
Arizona Cardinals: Earl Watford at TE/FB
Who knows if Watford can actually catch the ball, but he could still fit in as a skill player.
Watford is an excellent athlete, he could line up and tight end or fullback and be successful as a blocker. Can he catch? That's a fair question, but what he can do is move and hit in space, something the Cardinals ask of their tight ends. Also, the basic job of a fullback is to be an extra guard on the field, so that's right in Watford’s wheel house.
For more, check out the entire entry at Revenge of the Birds.
Baltimore Ravens: Austin Howard as an eligible receiver
The Ravens’ passing offense is averaging just 165.7 yards per game. Maybe Austin Howard could give it the jump start it needs.
Already out on the edge, the Ravens should create eligible receiver formations for the right tackle. He’s 330 pounds, and stronger than any linebacker in his way, he’ll block and shed for the easy two-yard out route Marty calls ten times a game anyways.
The Ravens need a creative offense to move the chains, and it starts with the offensive line becoming offensive. How do you defend a right tackle who may be blocking for Alex Collins, protecting Joe Flacco, or breaking down the seam for a deep ball touchdown?
For more, check out the entire entry at Baltimore Beatdown.
Carolina Panthers: Taylor Moton at H-back
How has Riverboat Ron not done this yet?
The Panthers already use Moton as the extra tight end in the ‘jumbo package’ from time to time, so he already has semi-experience playing a skill position. If it were up to me, the Panthers would use him as the H-back in goal-to-go situations, similar to how they’ve used guys like Richie Brockel in the past.
For more, check out the entire entry at Cat Scratch Reader.
Jacksonville Jaguars: William Poehls at TE
His height alone makes him a red zone target that even Blake Bortles might not overthrow.
The Jacksonville Jaguars could use two things: an upgrade at tight end and BIG GUY TOUCHDOWNS so what better way to kill two birds with one stone (sorry, birds) than to try offensive tackle William Poehls out at tight end.
Poehls is the tallest player on the roster and at 6’ 8” he stands two full inches above current tight end Marcedes Lewis. He could just stand in the end zone and he’d never be overthrown, right? And he probably played basketball at some point. I mean, you kind of have to when you’re that tall. So, he’s probably sort of athletic?
For more, check out the entire entry at Big Cat Country.
Minnesota Vikings: Aviante Collins at TE
Does he have experience at any skill position? We don’t know. But on paper, this should work.
But I do know that he ran a 4.81 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine this past year, which is pretty impressive speed for a guy that stands 6’6” and weighs 295 pounds. Unfortunately, the only Combine drills he did were the 40-yard dash and the bench press (where he put up 225 pounds an impressive 35 times), so I can’t speak to his leaping ability or anything.
Still, if anything were to happen to any of the Vikings’ current tight ends and the Vikings needed another body for a three tight end formation, perhaps Collins could stand in as the guy.
For more, check out the entire entry atDaily Norseman.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Demar Dotson at WR
If you’ve got a guy who’s 6’9, you should throw it to him in the end zone.
I think the answer has to be Demar Dotson. At 6’9”, he could just stand there and hold his arms outstretched to catch those overthrown deep balls. And he’s athletic enough to get down the field, too. He played basketball in college and only converted to football at the very end of his college career.
For more, check out the entire entry at Bucs Nation.
New Orleans Saints: Terron Armstead at TE
Armstead ran a blazing-fast 4.71 40-yard dash at the combine. That’s faster than some wide receivers.
Armstead has a propensity to be a lead guy in the screen game, and can still get down the field easily several seasons later. He was a track and field star in high school (shot put), and ended up accepting a scholarship to play football for Arkansas-Pine Bluff because he could participate in both sports during college. Don’t forget, teams actually worked him out at tight end after he blew away scouts at the combine.
For more, check out the entire entry at Canal Street Chronicles.
Washington: Trent Williams at TE
Williams played basketball, so he presumably has the hands to catch passes from Kirk Cousins.
In a league that has gone nuts over receiving tight ends, an offense that featured Trent lined up in the tight end spot would be pretty dangerous. You want your tight end to block? No problem. You want to create a size mismatch underneath or in the flat? Done. You know that wham block that Vernon Davis excelled at more last season than this season (the one where he motions into the center of the line of scrimmage and knocks the linebacker in the hole silly)? I pity the linebacker thinking he is about to make a tackle in the center of the play with Trent motioning into that space.
For more, check out the entire entry at Hogs Haven.
Atlanta Falcons: Ryan Schraeder at TE
Schraeder might actually be Atlanta’s best option at tight end.
Schraeder is a 6’7”, 300 pound man with nimble feet who has been handling some of the better pass rushers in the league for years now, so he’d be one of the better blocking tight ends in the NFL from the jump. In addition, he runs about the same speed as Levine Toilolo, he probably will stick to his routes about as well as Austin Hooper, and his hands can’t be any worse than we’ve seen from Falcons’ receivers this year. I’ve talked myself into this in record time.
For more, check out the entire entry at the Falcoholic.
Los Angeles Rams: Rodger Saffold as an in-line TE
Saffold’s played nearly every position on the offensive line in his career with the Rams. Plus whereas Whitworth’s a little more top heavy, Saffold’s lower body is a bit bulkier. If he’s got hands, I could see Saff playing in-line tight end in red zone or 3rd down packages without much deficiency compared to former Rams like Michael Hoomanawanui or Roland Williams.
For more, check out the entire entry at Turf Show Times.
It’s probably not going to happen
These are are all “slim to none” chances, but that’s not going to stop us from dreaming.
Cincinnati Bengals: Cedric Ogbuehi at WR or TE
Ogbuehi hasn’t worked out like the Bengals have wanted, so might as well try something else:
Cedric Ogbuehi at wide receiver or tight end. If he’s not going to block, why not go ahead and move him into a pass-catching role, since blocking tends to be optional for them.
All throughout Ogbuehi’s career, you’ll see nothing but whiffs and blocking air as his defender gets an easy sack or tackle for loss, something that’s far more common with players whose main goal is to catch passes, not block.
For more, check out the entire entry at Cincy Jungle.
Dallas Cowboys: Tyron Smith at TE
Smith’s the best left tackle in the game, and Dallas can’t really afford to move him.
Smith is listed as 6’5” and 312 lbs, and there is not a lot of body fat on that frame. He has always demonstrated tremendous athleticism and agility on the field. He is one player that would not need to do much if any reshaping of his body to move to tight end. And imagine being a defensive back seeing him bearing down on you.
For more, check out the entire entry at Blogging the Boys.
Denver Broncos: Matt Paradis at QB
I mean, could he really be worse than the wet-fart combination of Trevor Siemian and Brock Osweiler?
Head coach Vance Joseph did say he and the coaching staff were looking at everything in attempt to generate some wins for the Denver Broncos. This would be one change no one would see coming.
No one, except us. lol
For more, check out the entire entry at Mile High Report.
Miami Dolphins: Mike Pouncey in the backfield
This would prove once and for all which Pouncey brother is the most athletic.
But, I still think lining Pouncey up in the backfield and letting him run with the ball would be the better choice - and I would probably be pretty funny too.
And, it would prove that the Dolphins’ Pouncey is a better athlete than his twin brother, Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey - who was not the choice of Behind the Steel Curtain for this question. Just sad.
For more, check out the entire entry at the Phinsider.
San Francisco 49ers: It could be either Joe Staley or Trent Brown
The Niners’ offensive line has been so shaky that it’s probably best to just let these guys try to protect the quarterback instead of branching out right now.
Staley is the easy call, but what about Trent Brown? He’s a monster of a man, but most everybody raves about his exceptional athleticism. I don’t expect to see trick plays right now given all the injuries and other issues, but at some point, imagine making Brown a tackle eligible for goal line or other short yardage situations? He stands 6’8, and could be a ridiculous mismatch in the right situation. He would actually need to catch passes, but imagine what it would be like to be a defensive player seeing a 6’8, 350 pound pass catcher coming your way?
For more, check out the entire entry at Niners Nation.
New York Giants: Maybe Justin Pugh?
The Giants’ offensive line has been a catastrophe this season. Better to leave this alone.
First of all, I can’t really picture anyone on the Giants’ offensive line being athletic enough to play anywhere else. Maybe Justin Pugh, that’s about it. Second of all, the Giants are 1-7 and in turmoil. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not really in the right frame of mind to consider this one.
For more, check out the entire entry at Big Blue View.
Houston Texans: Julie’n Davenport by default
I realize this is a stretch, what with the majority of Houston’s offensive linemen not being particularly good at playing along the offensive line; asking which one could master a totally different skill-set may seem unreasonable. Nevertheless, we march on!
Yikes. There’s no doubt (Nick) Martin’s the best of the lot, but do you see him playing a skill position? I don’t. I suppose I’d lean (Julie’n) Davenport here based purely on athleticism. What say you?
For more, check out the entire entry at Battle Red Blog.
Kansas City Chiefs: Mitchell Schwartz at QB
The Chiefs are set at quarterback. But Schwartz started his high school career at quarterback, so he has some experience there. But they’re probably better off keeping Schwartz right where he is. Look no farther than his game against Von Miller as proof.
Schwartz’s performance on Monday night against Von Miller was one of the ups and that’s good because you signed him for this game. He was really solid against Miller, who is arguably the best pass rusher in the NFL (but wasn’t the best pass rusher on the field last night — that was Justin Houston).
For more, check out the entire entry at Arrowhead Pride.