DT Nate Chandler to offensive tackle?

[YoungPanthers89]

@josephperson #panthers have moved DT Nate Chandler to off tackle. Chandler is an athlete, went to UCLA originally as a tight end.

Strange

[TheRumGone]

That reminds me of a Gettleman story where he saw like a tight end from a small school and the Giants ( I think) moved him to offensive tackle and he flourished.

[The NFL Shield At Midfield]

went to school as a TE and ended up an NFL defensive tackle for a bit

 

how much steak did that involve

[The NFL Shield At Midfield]

looking in to this a bit more, he did play his freshman year at UCLA as an OT "offensive lineman" per what i've read

[Ricky Spanish]

what the crap?

[PantherFeez]

With the DT rotation 75% filled with Star, KK and Dwan (possible completion with Cole) maybe it's not a bad thing to kick the tires with him at OT

[Stroupe-a-loop]

I think Seattle also did this recently with a guy. It's not unheard of, just a bit weird.

[TheRed]

We must be really desperate for o line depth.

[XClown1986]

Shows me that they really like this kid. Moving him to OT gives him a better opportunity to make the final 53.

[rayzor]

hmmm...interesting.

 

A four-star prospect and one of the best tight end prospects in the country as a California prep. Also averaged a double-double in basketball in addition to lettering in track and baseball. His father passed away just weeks before signing day.

 

Redshirted in 2007.

 

Saw action in all 12 contests at offensive line, tight end and on special teams, making two starts at tight end, grabbing one pass for three yards in ‘08.

 

Caught one pass for five yards in 11 contests in ’09 as a reserve tight end and as a special-teams player. Missed three games because of injury - Arizona and Oregon State (concussion) and the EagleBank Bowl against Temple (quadriceps).

 

Switched to the defensive side of the ball for the ’10 season and appeared in all 12 games, starting eight contests – the first four at defensive end and the next four at defensive tackle – and recorded 21 tackles, one tackle for loss and one sack with one pass batted down.

 

Appeared in all 14 games, making five consecutive starts late in the season at DT, and managed 16-2 1/2-1 with one pass batted down in '11.

http://www.profootballweekly.com/prospects/player/nate-chandler-89/

i've read a bit more on him and he wasn't getting all the reps he wanted at TE so he asked to move to the DL. he was 225lbs his senior year of high school and by the time he was a junior in college he had filled out to 290lbs (went up to 303 at one point)...but he was still really athletic, not a fatty. that's kind of big for a TE.

 

what i see is just a good athlete who can handle both sides of the line. he's probably more needed on the offensive line and that was probably his best chance for sticking with the team. i see him working on the left side backing up gross and giving campbell some competition for the LT2 spot.

[rayzor]

Shows me that they really like this kid. Moving him to OT gives him a better opportunity to make the final 53.

he's big. he's athletic. he's versatile. he's willing to play anywhere. he's shown he can learn multiple positions. ideal for depth, imo.

[CPF4LIFE]

We went from having no DTs to too many real fast. So poo like this happens.

[CRA]

The Chicago Bears have a Pro Bowl DT....who was a RB at Texas.

[TheRumGone]

For the love of God let us be lucky and have this guy be fuging legit at OT