Any sports fan worth their weight in Starting Lineup Figures knows that comparing athletes from different eras and different sports is usually an exercise in futility. Egos get bruised, friendships tested and no one can definitively answer if Babe Ruth in today’s game would a fat bum or the tremendous player everybody universally cherishes. But is sure is fun debating isn’t it? Barry Sanders with Emmit Smith's line. A healthy Ken Griffey Jr.  Len Bias playing on the Celtics of the mid 80’s. There are millions of examples, and chances are you may have discussed several with your buddies throughout the years. This brings me to today’s topic. Last year state farm ran an ad campaign where Lebron decided to forgo his NBA career and sign with the Cleveland browns. I had envisioned King James strapping up a helmet in the NFL before but the commercial made it a hot topic of discussion for many and thrust yours truly into a debate that remains as completely unresolved as it was last year. The question is “Would Lebron James be the best tight end the NFL has ever seen? ”

I’ve been charged with remaining objective in this post but chances are you know what side I’m leaning toward. (theres still time to sign, Buffalo!) Lets look at the measurables; according to STATS LLC the average tight end in 2009 checks in at 6’4” 255.4 pounds. On his NBA player page Lebron is listed at 6’8” 250 pounds but there have been claims that he weighs as much as 274 according to what source you read. 

So, he’s definitely taller than the average bear and there’s a chance he’s bulkier too. Sadly, the only other piece of concrete physical evidence I have is in the vertical leap. The highest number at the NFL combine last year for a tight end was Jared Cooks 41,” at the NBA predraft combine years ago Lebron topped out at 44.” 

Lebron was an All State Wide Receiver as a Sophomore in High School, but chose (what’s now looking as a wiser financial and health related decision) to stick with hoops. Virtually every major high profile college football coach made a half-hearted play at getting Lebron to suit up for a year and let’s face it, have a ton of fun. NBA riches proved to be too much, and for a man that eventually wants to be a billionaire his choice definitively made more sense. 

Detractors in this argument say that those long limbs are a bull’s-eye for NFL defenders and his ACL’s would have to be made of titanium to hold up to the persistent knee hunting. Compound that with the complexity of NFL offenses and his high center of gravity in the run blocking game, it wouldn’t be long before he found himself either benched or seriously injured.  

So there you go fellas, you have the frame and a little bit of athletic background regarding both. The rest is up to you. Is Lebron such a transcendent force he could take the NFL by storm and be as unstoppable as he is in the NBA? Or would the added height and time away from the game result into a mess of an experiment most likely ending in an injury? Remember there is no wrong answer, unless you disagree with me. Let the games begin.              

-Brian Matthews