LeBron James as a TE... (1 Viewer)

[footballnerd]

You know what skill doesn't exist in basketball? Getting destroyed by a safety. In basketball, a guy goes up to the rim, gets undercut and lands on his ###. What happens next? The guy writhes around on the floor in pain telling the ref that the mean guy in the other jersey made him fall on his bum. In football that happens and you get your ### back to the huddle or GTF off the field and pack your #### because you just got cut.

If only football players were allowed to have some sort of layer of protective type stuff between their skin and another player then LeBron would be all set.

Yes, you are right. They don't.

ya hitting your head against the hardwood floor is so much softer than hitting you head against the grass wearing a helmet.

 

[LargeMouthBass]

I played both sports at a small college. I was a small forward in basketball and a WR in football. IMO, Lebron would be a fantastic WR.Lots of basketball skills play well into football, especially in the passing game:1) Making cuts.....it is actually huge part of playing basketball because it is almost all you do on offense when you don't have the ball. Learning how to run crisp routes is very easy for a perimeter basketball player.2) Working in traffic.....while it is in a more confined space in basketball, there are still a lot of quick cuts made through the defense, similar to running routes through LB's. The ability to make your way through and still stay alert for the pass is a developed skill that translates well.3) Catching.....probably the most overlooked thing in this thread. You have to have good hands to be an elite basketball player. If you can't catch a well thrown pass and get it in the right spot to shoot quickly, you can't play anywhere outside of 3 feet, especially not in the NBA. Lebron isn't just huge and fast, he's also got great hands.4) Rebounding....what most people are referring to hear isn't just an urban legend. Basketball players have hundreds of hours of training trying to go get a free ball with competing players all around them. Jump ball type passes would be Lebron's greatest asset. I'm not kidding when I say it would be unstoppable if the QB threw a good pass. Defenses only chance would be to knock it loose once it was caught.

You know what skill doesn't exist in basketball? Getting destroyed by a safety. In basketball, a guy goes up to the rim, gets undercut and lands on his ###. What happens next? The guy writhes around on the floor in pain telling the ref that the mean guy in the other jersey made him fall on his bum. In football that happens and you get your ### back to the huddle or GTF off the field and pack your #### because you just got cut.

Hey internet tough guy. Refrain from using vulgar language. Kids read this ####!!!!!

 

[Raider Nation]

Do you think LeBron James would be able to play in the NFL right now? Maybe. Probably. After all, he is super athletic, huge and very strong. Those are all the hallmarks of a great football player, so it is an understandable stance, if you have it.

But if you don’t think he’d be a football player, there are some guys who agree with you. They play in the NFL, so they know what they’re talking about. From Fox News Ohio:

“It wouldn’t be easy,” Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Leon Hall said. “I recommend he keep his NBA contract and just play the Madden video games if he misses football.”

And this guy:

“There aren’t many guys with the athleticism and strength LeBron has in any sport,” Bengals safety Chris Crocker said. “But I also think guys pick the sports they pick for a reason. Just like Ochocinco thinks he’s a soccer player until he gets up close and sees how skilled pro soccer players really are, there’s nothing easy about the NFL.”

And this guy:

Former NFL linebacker Chris Spielman said James is the “greatest athlete I’ve ever seen,” but there’s more than just the physical contact he’d worry about in a hypothetical transition.

“He’s the mentally weakest person I’ve ever seen,” Spielman said.

Now all these guys agree that he could physically play in the NBA, what with the giant muscles and insane speed for a 275 pound dude, but they question the adjustment from playing high school football nearly a decade ago to jumping in to the NFL. Considering the fact that guys who play football their entire lives have trouble acclimating to professional football, it’s a pretty safe bet that a guy who has no upper level experience is really going to struggle. There’s no doubt in mind that if LeBron had stuck with football instead of basketball that he’d be an amazing football player, but since he hasn’t, I have doubts.

That’s not to say that teams wouldn’t sign LeBron James, even if he is just a backup tight end who doesn’t play special teams. The marketing dollars alone would surely make up his contract, plus some genius coach would love to try to find a way to use him effectively in the red zone. And after a couple years, he’d probably be Mr. Touchdownbeat and all football fans would hate him because that is just what happens.

But that is not the case, and it is hardly important. LeBron James would struggle mightily in the NFL, but he’s not going to sign up there anyway. He’s the most talented basketball player alive and he’s 26 years old. He’s not going to jeopardize another 15 years of playing basketball because he’s enjoying the attention he gets from Tweeting about the NFL.

 

[LargeMouthBass]

Two mediocre Bungles DBs and a has been LB calling LeBron "the weakest person I've ever seen"? Raider Nation, even the lame quotes deserve to get credited by the original quoter...

 

[Raider Nation]

Two mediocre Bungles DBs and a has been LB calling LeBron "the weakest person I've ever seen"? Raider Nation, even the lame quotes deserve to get credited by the original quoter...

My bad. Thought I included it.http://blogs.thescore.com/tbj/2011/10/14/nfl-players-agree-lebron-james-cant-play-in-their-league/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitterAnd FTR, I have no dog in this fight. Just thought the quotes were interesting.I'm not sure how he would fare between the 20 yard lines, but can we all agree that a jump ball thrown to him in the end zone from inside the 5-yard line would result in a TD or pass interference 99 times out of 100? That would be as unstoppable as it gets.

 

[wiscstlatlmia]

I just got done watching some LeBron highlights:

and this thread popped into my mind.

After reading through it, I was wondering people's thought's now that Jimmy Graham( a really mediocre BBall player) has successfully (and easily) dominated the NFL in a matter of three years.

 

[TakiToki]

I just got done watching some LeBron highlights:

Regardless of what one thinks of Labron, Graham is definitely a game-changer. Before him, no one thought it was possible for college b-ball player to be a big-time NFL TE.

 

[VaTerp]

I just got done watching some LeBron highlights:

Can't tell if this is sarcasm or not.If he truly wanted to be, Lebron James would be the best TE in NFL history IMO.

 

[wiscstlatlmia]

I just got done watching some LeBron highlights:

What about Antonio Gates? lolI feel like people that only watch football are in denial on this one.

 

[Jewell]

I just got done watching some LeBron highlights:

 

[Time Kibitzer]

I just got done watching some LeBron highlights:

Given that the the best TE of all time himself, is a former basketball player (Tony Gonzalez), it's pretty obvious this guy is being sarcastic.

 

[Mr. Soup Nazi]

LeBron would really just be a big slot receiver. The physicality of blocking would take a while to get used to, but running routes and catching balls wouldn't be too tough with his size speed and strength.

Having played both football and basketball in college, I can definitively say that basketball is much more of a skill game than football. Football is more about natural physical ability and LeBron has more of that than just about anyone in the world.

 

[cstu]

LeBron would really just be a big slot receiver. The physicality of blocking would take a while to get used to, but running routes and catching balls wouldn't be too tough with his size speed and strength.Having played both football and basketball in college, I can definitively say that basketball is much more of a skill game than football. Football is more about natural physical ability and LeBron has more of that than just about anyone in the world.

I doubt he'd be physical enough to play TE, but I picture him as a 6-8, 250 lb. Colston. I don't know how you cover a guy like that.

 

[flc735]

lebron wouldn't be able to block very well from a lack of experience. he won't be able to separate from CBs either. i think he'd be a situational redzone WR

 

[Shawn]

Lebron is probably the most physically gifted athlete in professional sports. He'd be great in the NFL, but no way he does it. He'd probably actually lose money.

He could play basketball, football, baseball, pretty much anything you throw at him... Isnt this a better suited thread for the FFA section though? I'm a big LeBron fan though

 

[Shawn]

if basketball players started playing football they would be receivers/QBs tall ### receivers and QBs

 

[Jewell]

He could play basketball, football, baseball, pretty much anything you throw at him... Isnt this a better suited thread for the FFA section though? I'm a big LeBron fan though

if basketball players started playing football they would be receivers/QBs tall ### receivers and QBs

I can see LeBron as a quailty NFL TE or WR, but what proof do you have that LeBron could play pro baseball? Hitting pro pitching is a skill that few have regardless if they have world class athleticism.I can see NBA players being wide receivers where speed, size, and jumping ability are traits you look for, but what's your argument that NBA players would make good QBs?

 

[Mr. Soup Nazi]

lebron wouldn't be able to block very well from a lack of experience. he won't be able to separate from CBs either. i think he'd be a situational redzone WR

You mean those 5'10" guys? Who cares about separation.One thing basketball brings to an athlete is ball skills. Once that ball is in the air, LeBron will know how to go get it better than any of the DB's trying to cover him and he would be physically superior. There is no need for separation. He may not have a high YAC or yds/reception, but a 15-20yd fade route will require a double team and a well timed hit to stop, because nobody on the field will be able to get to the ball before him....your only hope as a defense is to 1) keep him out of his route or 2) dislodge the ball AFTER he's already got his hands on it. Number one would be the ONLY skill he'd have to really work at and with his athleticism, DB's can't keep him from getting off the line once he learns a few basic moves.

He'd be used more than just situational, but on every down if for no other reason than to command a safety roll his way. Any time they don't, check to an audible and put it up in the air. Easy yards unless the QB is absolutely terrible.

 

[CalBear]

If he truly wanted to be, Lebron James would be the best TE in NFL history IMO.

Horse pucky. Being taller and lankier does not make one a better TE; James doesn't have the strength or the physicality (mentally) to play TE in the NFL at the highest levels.

 

[Mash]

If he truly wanted to be, Lebron James would be the best TE in NFL history IMO.

Horse pucky. Being taller and lankier does not make one a better TE; James doesn't have the strength or the physicality (mentally) to play TE in the NFL at the highest levels.

LeBron has the SAME exact build as Jimmy Graham and Graham is the best TE in football. He keeps leaner for the NBA as it is more of a speed game, but if he needed to could put on 10-15 pounds of muscle. As for mental strength, I guess winning an NBA championship, Olympic Gold Medal, and NBA MVP in the same season is for mental midgets. LeBron could step in right now and be a starting TE in the NFL. After a year of training he would be top 5, and after a career would probably be the best TE in the history of football.

 

[Zigg]

If he truly wanted to be, Lebron James would be the best TE in NFL history IMO.

Horse pucky. Being taller and lankier does not make one a better TE; James doesn't have the strength or the physicality (mentally) to play TE in the NFL at the highest levels.

I assume you have no idea who LeBron James is. Why do people have trouble admitting that LeBron would be an awesome football player? He dominated in high school, and is probably the most physically gifted athlete in the world, yet he wouldn't thrive in a sport which is about 95% based on physical gifts?

 

[Avery]

If he truly wanted to be, Lebron James would be the best TE in NFL history IMO.

Horse pucky. Being taller and lankier does not make one a better TE; James doesn't have the strength or the physicality (mentally) to play TE in the NFL at the highest levels.

I assume you have no idea who LeBron James is. Why do people have trouble admitting that LeBron would be an awesome football player? He dominated in high school, and is probably the most physically gifted athlete in the world, yet he wouldn't thrive in a sport which is about 95% based on physical gifts?

I disagree with this supposition and to borrow from algebra, the equation is not transitive.Although successful players have great physical gifts (most of the time), having physical gifts does not make you a successful player.

The list is long of physical phenoms that failed as NFL players.