A move to tight end came with a full-body transformation for James Looney of the Green Bay Packers.
Looney, a seventh-round pick of the Packers in 2018, made the move from defensive line to tight end at the request of coach Matt LaFleur and GM Brian Gutekunst during the 2019 season. Losing weight and accentuating more of his natural athleticism was part of the process.
According to Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated, Looney has dropped over 30 pounds – going from 287 pounds to 256 – since making the move.
The Packers saw Looney, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.89 seconds at 287 pounds during the combine, making plays at tight end on the scout team and decided to make the switch permanent. He was assigned a new number and spent the final two months of the season working at the new position.
“He did such a good job on the scout team that he caught our eye. He’s a big athletic guy,” LaFleur said in December. “We wanted to make the switch to give him the rest of the season and give him a foundation leading into the offseason.”
Two months during the season and the three months of the offseason have helped Looney reshape his body. He’s now under 260 pounds, well within the normal range for an NFL tight end. It’s possible the lighter load will help him move around even better.
Now entering his third NFL season, Looney was both appreciative about the opportunity to play a new position and excited about his future at tight end.
“I’m honestly thankful for the opportunity,” Looney told Huber. “I always felt like I could lose a little bit of weight and play a position more to my size. I’m really appreciative of Gutey and LaFleur for giving me this opportunity. It’s been a really good transition.”
The Packers have five other tight ends on the roster: Marcedes Lewis, Robert Tonyan, Jace Sternberger, Evan Baylis and rookie Josiah Deguara.
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