Asking NFL rookies to change positions is risky proposition
By Ross Tucker
Being a rookie in the NFL is hard. They have very little time between when their college seasons end and training to become a pro begins. After the combine, pro days and the draft itself, it’s off to a new city for mini-camps, workouts and organized team activities. Add that they have to learn a new scheme while competing against skilled professionals who have been honing their craft for years and it is no wonder why so many rookies struggle.
Some NFL franchises complicate matters by adding another obstacle in the path to first-year success: the position switch. The Rams, Bengals, and Redskins are among those taking their high-priced youngsters out of their comfort zones. Some moves, like St. Louis moving the No. 2 overall selection, Jason Smith, to right tackle appear to be temporary. Others, like the Bengals having No. 6 pick Andre Smith make the same transition, appear to be permanent. The Redskins, on the other hand, are making the bold move of putting the 13th pick, defensive end Brian Orakpo, off the ball as an outside linebacker. Time will tell how long that change lasts.
Let’s start with the big boys up front, Jason and Andre Smith. Switching an offensive lineman from one side of the line to the other is much more difficult than it sounds. I have seen solid players look like a fish out of water when forced to play the other side. But playing tackle is playing tackle and either way you are doing the same thing, right? Yes and no. The task at hand is essentially the same. The differences include the stance, weight transfer, hand placement and techniques necessary to get the job done.
Take Jason Smith. He spent the past three seasons gradually improving his game as a left tackle after making the move from tight end while at Baylor, and now the Rams want to mess with his progression by moving him to the other side?
Instead of pushing off with his right leg as he kicks and extends with his left in pass protection, Smith now must do the exact opposite. He used to have his left hand down and left leg back in his three-point stance and now it is the right-side limbs that have that duty. All the critical muscle memory that he built up and acquired during his time in college is pretty much lost as he attempts to get his body ready to do the same things in the opposite directions. For example, Smith is right-handed and used to have his more dominant arm inside when punching the defender and preventing him from beating him inside, the closest route to the quarterback. Now, his left arm has to handle that role.
The Rams say the main reason for the switch is so they can see former first-rounder Alex Barron, an underachiever thus far in his career, on the left side. My instincts tell me that is only part of it and they wouldn’t risk their sizable investment (over $30...
-07-08-2009, 12:26 PM
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