You may not agree nor be content with his particular evaluation on offensive lineman Brady Christensen, but at least Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule has been consistent.
Amidst yet another mess along the front—one that may very well leave his offense without its starting guards in John Miller and Michael Jordan on Sunday—Rhule was asked about the outlook of the left tackle position moving forward. He believes, between Christensen and current starter Cameron Erving, that the natural fits (as he sees fit) will ultimately prevail.
“Brady’s more of a guard,” Rhule said of the rookie. “He’s played tackle, at times. But his future is probably more as a guard/center type. He’s got athleticism and flexibility to go out there, but not quite the size and length of premier left tackles.”
Christensen’s arms measure in at 32 1/4 inches, which puts him in the fourth-percentile of offensive tackles over the past two decades. Nonetheless, he’s played the vast majority of his snaps on the blindside (117) while also getting chances at right tackle (71) and left guard (22) in 2021.
That, in fact, is actually what Rhule partially envisioned for his third-round pick coming into the season. He had previously stated that Christensen was a “third-round tackle” and “second-round guard” with the versatility to line up from four different stations.
Wherever Christensen eventually stays, he says he loves “playing it all.” And for now, that’s exactly what Rhule probably wants to hear.
“When we drafted him, we thought he’d be a good guard, a really good guard in time. Good tackle,” Rhule added. “And that’s what he’s been—a utility guy. The problem for Brady, I tell Brady all the time ‘Hang in there. I promise you’re gonna be a good player.’ He’s just playing so many different positions because he’s not a starter.”
Well, it seems as though he’ll be a starter this week against the Atlanta Falcons. So you can’t say you weren’t warned about where that start is going to be coming from.
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