Here is my attempt to build an NFL roster by moving guys around to positions they don’t currently play. This was a fun exercise of trying to research guys’ football backgrounds, and trying to look at guys as raw talent and scout them for a new position. After scouting the talent, I decided to go with a 2-back base offense, and a 3-4 base defense.
The Criteria
Here are the things I based my roster off of:
- College – Did they play a different position in college, or potentially play both ways?
- High School – What position did they play in high school?
- Current Usage – Have they ever lined up at a different position in the NFL, or been called upon to perform a task outside their normal duties?
- Skill Set – Are they known for having exceptional speed for a linebacker, or great hands as a defender?
- Gut instinct – Does it just make sense.
The Offense
Quarterbacks
| QBs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Kam Chancellor | Johnny Hekker | Julian Edelman |
| SEA | LAR | NE |
| 6'3" 232 | 6'5" 225 | 6' 198 |
| SS | P | WR |
There were multiple choices for quarterback. A lot of small college quarterbacks that play in option or spread offenses try to make a go of it in the NFL as either running backs or wide receivers. Also, a lot of NFL players were the best athlete at their high schools, and a lot of high school coaches will put their best athletes at quarterback. Rather than going with the former, and picking a former college quarterback to start for this team, I chose to go with the later, and choose a former high school quarterback that, I think, would be a nightmare quarterback to deal with. Kam Chancellor threw for over 2000 yards and rushed for more than 500 more in his senior year at quarterback, leading the Maury High School Commodores to a 10-2 record and trip to the playoffs. Chancellor tried out as quarterback in his freshman year at Virginia Tech before being moved to corner. Backing him up will be another former high school quarterback, Rams’ Punter Johnny Hekker. I know, with all the choices I had a quarterback, why go with a punter. Take a look at some of the fake punts Hekker has executed over the years and you will see why. And at 6’5″ 225, Hekker has the frame to play the position. Rounding out the quarterbacks is one of the obvious choices for this position, the Patriots’ Julian Edelman. Edelman was a 3 year starter at quarterback for the Kent State University Golden Flashes. In his senior season, he threw for over 1,800 yards and 13 TDs, and rushed for over 1,300 yards and 13 TDs. Here are some other former college and high school quarterbacks that just missed the cut: Eric Weddle, Travis Kelce, Michael Crabtree, Jerick McKinnon, Logan Thomas, Blake Bell, and Tanner McEvoy.
Running Backs
| RBs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Landon Collins | Von Miller | Patrick Peterson |
| NYG | DEN | ARI |
| 6' 222 | 6'3" 237 | 6' 220 |
| SS | OLB | CB |
| Zach Brown | ||
| WAS | ||
| 6'1" 244 | ||
| ILB |
The starting running back was an easy choice for me, even before doing the research on his high school background. Landon Collins is an athletic freak; at 6′ 222 and running a 4.5 40, Collins would be a wrecking ball of a running back. In his senior year, Collins rushed for over 1,200 yards and 21 TDs, averaging 13.7 yards per carry. Playing the role of short yardage back would be Broncos outside linebacker, Von Miller. Even though he didn’t play running back, Miller’s 6’3″ 245 frame would make a great option as the short yardage back. Playing the role of receiving/third down back is current Cardinals’ corner Patrick Peterson. Peterson played running back in high school and his obvious speed and ability to catch the ball (shown by his 21 career interceptions), makes him a great choice as the change of pace/receiving back for the offense. Lastly, we have our fullback/H-back of the roster, current Redskins’ linebacker, Zach Brown. Brown’s uncanny speed (he ran a 4.44 40 at the combine) for his size (6’1″ 250) would make him a nightmare match-up at H-back. While Brown didn’t play running back, he was on the track team in high school and at UNC.
Wide Receivers
| WRs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Richard Sherman | Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie | James White |
| SEA | NYG | NE |
| 6'3" 195 | 6'2" 183 | 5'9" 204 |
| CB | CB | RB |
| Marquette King | Quinton Dunbar | Aqib Talib |
| OAK | WAS | DEN |
| 6' 192 | 6'2" 201 | 6'2" 202 |
| P | CB | CB |
We start the wide receivers off with one of the most obvious choices of this roster, Seahawks’ Richard Sherman. Sherman was a wide receiver at Stanford before hurting his knee early in his junior year. After returning from injury, he moved to corner to help the team. At 6’3″ almost 200lbs, Sherman has the frame to be a wide receiver and his 32 career interceptions show his hands aren’t that bad either. Starting opposite Sherman will be the Giants’ corner, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. DRC played wide receiver in high school, and played some snaps at wide receiver in college at Tennessee St. His 6’2″ 185lb frame makes him a great pairing with Sherman. Taking the role of slot receiver will be current Patriots running back, James White. I know, it’s not too much of a stretch to move White from being a receiving back to a slot receiver, he is currently tied for 3rd in receptions on the team, but he is still listed as a running back and has all the skills necessary to compete as a slot receiver. Also getting snaps on the inside will be current Raiders punter Marquette King. King played wide receiver in high school and was recruited to Fort Valley State as the same. But in his junior year, his head coach discovered King’s punting ability and shifted him to the teams full-time punter (where he was first team all-conference). King’s experience, 6′ almost 200lb frame, and swagger make him a perfect fit for a wide out on this roster. Out next receiver is the only one that was a full time wide out for his entire college career, Redskins’ Quinton Dunbar. After going undrafted in 2015, Dunbar signed with the Redskins with the intent of playing wide receiver. However, the Redskins experienced a few injuries at corner during training camp and made the decision to move Dunbar to the other side of the ball. Rounding out the WR corps is Broncos’ corner Aqib Talib. Talib was used now and then as a wide receiver in college with the Jayhawks.
Tight Ends
| TEs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Julius Peppers | Ryan Kerrigan | Jadeveon Clowney |
| CAR | WAS | HOU |
| 6'6" 283 | 6'3" 255 | 6'5" 266 |
| DE | OLB | OLB |
| Carson Wentz | ||
| PHI | ||
| 6'5" 237 | ||
| QB |
There was an easy top choice at tight end for me, and that’s the Panthers’ Julius Peppers. Besides Peppers’ obvious athleticism, he also played on the basketball team at UNC. He has also been used by a few teams as a red zone target on offense, attempting to utilize his 6’6″ frame. Backing him up will be current Redskins’ outside backer, Ryan Kerrigan. Kerrigan’s primary role would be the blocking back, but his toughness, and high school experience at the position, would make him a danger at catching the tough balls over the middle and in the redzone. Next would be our pass catching specialist at tight end, former number one overall pick Jadeveon Clowney. While Clowney doesn’t have the experience, though he did play some running back in high school, his size and sheer freakish athletic ability makes him an obvious choice. Rounding out the tight ends will be Eagles’ QB, Carson Wentz. This was just a fun pick for me, as Wentz has the body to play tight end and I think he has the toughness to be a good one.
Offensive Line
| OL | ||
|---|---|---|
| T JJ Watt | T Sheldon Richardson | G Ndamukong Suh |
| HOU | SEA | MIA |
| 6'6" 290 | 6'3" 294 | 6'4" 307 |
| DE | DE | DT |
| G Dontario Poe | C Gerald McCoy | T Leonard Williams |
| ATL | TB | NYJ |
| 6'3" 346 | 6'4" 295 | 6'5" 298 |
| DT | DT | DE |
| G Aaron Donald | Geno Atkins | |
| LAR | CIN | |
| 6'1" 285 | 6'1" 286 | |
| DT | DT |
The offensive line was probably the most difficult of all the position groups. Most guys who play offensive line, stick with offensive line. We start out the offensive line with one of the best defenders in the league, JJ Watt. I know, most people would have put Watt at tight end, after all, that is what he started as in college at Central Michigan. However, his current size lends himself well to offensive tackle, and those snaps at tight end does give him some experience blocking. Not to mention, it was the coaches at CMU that wanted to move him to offensive tackle, leading to leaving the school and walking on at Wisconsin. Starting opposite him will be current Seahawk Sheldon Richardson. Richardson has the frame to play tackle at 6’3″ almost 300 lbs, and has experience as a high school tight end. Backing up the tackles would be Richardson’s former teammate, Leonard Williams. This pick is purley based on his strength, athleticism, and 6’5″ 300 lb body. Moving in to the guards, we have current Dolphin Ndamukong Suh. Suh’s size, strength, and athleticism makes him a great option at guard in this power running style offense. Starting opposite him will be the Falcons’ Dontario Poe. Poe’s size (6’3″ 345) and strength made him an easy choice, and would make him an excellent run blocker. Backing the two of them up will be the Rams’ Aaron Donald. Donald would be considered undersized by NFL standards, but he does have experience as a high school offensive guard. Finally, starting at center, we have the Bucs’ Gerald McCoy. McCoy obviously has the size and strength to play on the interior o-line, but it is his football IQ and quick first step that would make him a great center in this offense.
Offensive Scheme Breakdown
The offense would use a running back by committee approach, with Collins as the primary, Miller as the short yardage, and Peterson as the passing down back. We would also look to utilize Kam Chancellor’s athleticism with some read options and RPOs, especially to get James White and Clowney out in space.
The Defense
Defensive Line
| DL | ||
|---|---|---|
| Lane Johnson | Kyle Long | JR Sweezy |
| PHI | CHI | TB |
| 6'6" 303 | 6'6" 313 | 6'5" 296 |
| OT | OG | OG |
| James Devlin | Alejandro Villanueva | Mike Pouncey |
| NE | PIT | MIA |
| 6'3" 251 | 6'9" 277 | 6'5" 311 |
| FB | OT | OC |
| Alex Mack | ||
| ATL | ||
| 6'4" 312 | ||
| OC |
We start our 3-4 defensive line off with current Eagles’ RT, Lane Johnson. Johnson, a former all-state QB in high school, came to the University of Oklahoma as a tight end, but also saw time as a defensive end. This experience combined with his size, quick feet, and powerful punch makes him a great choice as our strong side DE. Starting opposite him will be current Bears’ guard Kyle Long. Long played defensive line in junior college before transferring to Oregon, moving to the other side of the ball. Long’s experience both on the defensive line and playing in a fast pace system at Oregon make him a great choice at the other starting DE spot. Rounding out our starting defensive line will be Bucs’ guard JR Sweezy. Sweezy played linebacker in high school and played on the defensive line in college at NC State. It wasn’t till he was drafted that Seahawks’ offensive line coach, Tom Cable, converted him. That makes Sweezy a great choice as a 2-gap NT in this 3-4 defense. Backing up the outside, we have a pair of former college defensive lineman. Patriots’ fullback James Develin played defensive line for Brown University, and Steelers’ tackle Alejandro Villanueva, who started as a defensive lineman for Army, started one season at left tackle, then was moved to wide receiver as a senior. Moving to the inside, we have the Dolphins’ center, Mike Pouncey. Pouncey moved to the defensive line his freshman year at Florida to help a team need, before moving back to the offensive side. Lastly, we have current Falcons’ center Alex Mack. Mack doesn’t have the experience of the rest of this crew, but I thought his combination of size, toughness, and wrestling experience would make him a decent nose tackle.
Linebackers
| LBs | ||
|---|---|---|
| John Kuhn | Jabrill Peppers | Derrick Henry |
| NO | CLE | TEN |
| 6' 255 | 5'11" 213 | 6'3" 247 |
| FB | SS | RB |
| Jason Witten | Luke Rhodes | Marshawn Lynch |
| DAL | IND | OAK |
| 6'5" 257 | 6'2" 242 | 5'11" 215 |
| TE | LS | RB |
| Coby Fleener | Niles Paul | |
| NO | WAS | |
| 6'6" 250 | 6'1" 225 | |
| TE | TE |
We’ll start the linebackers off on the inside with current Saints’ fullback, John Kuhn. While Kuhn’s only experience at inside backer is in high school, he was a star talent on the Division II level, playing running back for Shippensburg University, and has been a solid special teams contributor through his NFL career. You combine that with his 6′ 250lb frame and I think we have a solid Mike linebacker. Starting next to him at the Will backer will be former Michigan Wolverine, Jabrill Peppers. Peppers was a stand out utility player for the Wolverines, lining up in multiple different positions, contributing on offense and special teams, but ultimately being a stand out linebacker. We would use that versatility here by moving the now safety back down inside the box. We now move to the outside, and we’ll start at Sam with the Titans’ Derrick Henry. Henry doesn’t have the defensive experience that some others have on this roster, but what he does have is size (6’3″ 250lb), power, and athleticism. Starting opposite him at the Jack will be future Hall of Famer, Jason Witten. Witten not only has the size and strength needed to be a great push rusher, but he also started his college career at Tennessee as a defensive end. Moving to the reserves, we start with current Colts’ long snapper, Luke Rhodes. Rhodes was a 3x All-CAA linebacker at William & Mary, and initially made his entrance to the NFL as a linebacker in 2016. Also backing up the inside will be Beastmode himself, Marshawn Lynch. Lynch did play some defensive back and linebacker in high school, but this was more of a fun pick, as his size and play style I feel would mesh well with the linebacker position. Moving to the outside, we have a pair of tight ends; Saints’ Coby Fleener, whose size and athleticism could make him a great pass rusher, and the Redskins’ Niles Paul, who prowess on special teams shows he could be a solid run stopper.
Cornerbacks
| CBs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Antonio Brown | Ameer Abdullahl | Chris Hogan |
| PIT | DET | NE |
| 5'10" 180 | 5'8" 198 | 6'1" 220 |
| WR | RB | WR |
| Jerick McKinnon | Chris Thompson | |
| MIN | WAS | |
| 5'9" 205 | 5'8" 195 | |
| RB | RB |
We begin the corners off with one of the best wide receivers in the league, Antonio Brown. Brown doesn’t have the experience playing corner, but his experience as a quarterback combined with his speed and hip movement would make him an excellent cover corner. Starting opposite him will be the Lions’ Ameer Abdullah. Abdullah was highly recruited, by schools like Auburn and Alabama, to play corner in college, but he chose Nebraska for the chance to play running back. Playing the role of nickelback will be the Patriots’ Chris Hogan. Hogan saw some time at corner in college, during his one year of football at Monmouth after 4 years of lacrosse at Penn St. That combined with his special teams play makes him versatile enough to play that third corner role. Rounding out the corners are a pair of speedster running backs. We start with the Vikings’ Jerick McKinnon. While on a list like this you may see McKinnon show up at the position he played in college (quarterback), I see that quarterback experience, combined with his freakish athleticism (see his combine numbers), making him a great cornerback and special teams contributor. Last we have the Redskins’ Chris Thompson. This pick is purely based off his size and speed.
Safeties
| Ss | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jordy Nelson | Vernon Davis | Pat O'Donnell |
| GB | WAS | CHI |
| 6'3" 215 | 6'3" 250 | 6'4" 220 |
| WR | TE | P |
| Latavius Murray | Mark Ingram | |
| MIN | NO | |
| 6'3" 225 | 5'10" 215 | |
| RB | RB |
Our first safety of the group, starting at FS, will be the Packers’ Jordy Nelson. Nelson was originally recruited to Kansas St. as a defensive back, and has all the measurables and toughness to play center fielder in this 3-4 cover 3 defense. Starting next to Nelson as the SS will be current Redskins’ tight end Vernon Davis. Davis played safety in high school and has special teams experience in both college and the pros. You combined that with his freakish athleticism for his size and I think it could make for an all-pro strong safety. Backing up Nelson at FS will be current Bears’ punter Pat O’Donnell. O’Donnell has experience as a linebacker in high school, but also put up some crazy numbers for a punter at the combine (he put up more reps at 225 than Jadeveon Clowney). Combine that with his 6’4″ 220lb frame and I think he fits right in at safety. Backing up the strong safety position will be a pair of running backs, both with high school experience as defensive backs; the Vikings’ Latavius Murray and the Saints’ Mark Ingram.
Defensive Scheme Breakdown
The 3-4 base defense would utilize a lot of cover 3, similar to the Seahawks. This would allow Jordy to play the “center field” position similar to Earl Thomas, and have Vernon Davis down in the box. We would also look to use multiple different coverage packages, utilizing the versatility of Jabrill Peppers.
Specialists
| STs | ||
|---|---|---|
| K Jeff Heath | P Mitch Trubisky | LS Brent Celek |
| DAL | CHI | PHI |
| 6'1" 210 | 6'2" 222 | 6'4" 261 |
| WR | QB | TE |
Starting at kicker for this alternate position roster will be the Cowboys’ Jeff Heath. Heath was a kicker in high school and had to fill in for Dan Bailey earlier this season as the Cowboys’ emergency kicker, going 2/3 on PATs. Stepping in at punter will be the Bears’ Mitchell Trubisky. It makes sense to have a QB at punter, and I mean, doesn’t he just kind of look like a punter. Rounding out the specialists, we have the Eagles’ Brent Celek. Celek currently serves as the team’s emergency long snapper, and had to fill that role during a game against the Redskins earlier this year.
Coaches
| Coaches | ||
|---|---|---|
| HC Tom Brady | OC Drew Brees | DC Luke Kuechly |
| NE | NO | CAR |
| QB | QB | ILB |
I decided to fill out not only the head coach, but the coordinators for this roster. Taking the reigns as head coach will be the GOAT, Tom Brady. His experience under Belichick and ability to lead makes him the obvious choice. Taking the role of offensive coordinator, and the players favorite coach, will be Drew Brees. Brees will bring the rah-rah mentality and offensive focus to the team. And filling the role of defensive coordinator will be the Panthers’ Luke Kuechly. Kueckly is already a coach on the field, and has a reputation of being a film rook junkie, knowing everything he can about opponents.
The Starting 22
| Offense | |
|---|---|
| QB | Kam Chancellor |
| RB | Landon Collins |
| FB | Zach Brown |
| X | Richard Sherman |
| Slot | Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie |
| TE | Julius Peppers |
| LT | JJ Watt |
| LG | Dontario Poe |
| C | Gerald McCoy |
| RG | Ndamukong Suh |
| RT | Shledon Richardson |
| Defense | |
|---|---|
| DE | Lane Johnon |
| NT | JR Sweezy |
| DE | Kyle Long |
| Sam | Derrick Henry |
| Mike | John Kuhn |
| Will | Jabrill Peppers |
| Jack | Jason Witten |
| CB | Antonio Brown |
| CB | Ameer Abdullah |
| SS | Vernon Davis |
| FS | Jordy Nelson |