Rams Add 400-Pound Lineman to Offense

After the 2013 NFL draft, the St. Louis Rams decided to further beef up their roster and they did so in a gigantic way.

According to ESPN.com, the Rams signed undrafted 400-plus-pound free agent Terrell Brown out of Ole Miss. Originally, Brown was signed to play on the defensive side of the line, but after seeing what he could do, coach Jeff Fisher made the decision to move him to the offensive line this week.

At Ole Miss’ pro day and leading up to the draft, Brown was listed at 6-foot-10 and 388 pounds, but Fisher said that Brown’s weight was incorrect.

“Actually, we weighed him in at 403,” Fisher told reporters Thursday. “We had him in for the tryout, and he had some issues that we had to clear up from a physical standpoint. But he got that put behind us. We worked him out on both sides of the ball, defensive line and offensive line, and we felt like his best position would be right tackle. [Rams offensive line coach Paul Boudreau] said he’d love to have him. He’s a defensive lineman that we’ve converted to offensive lineman.”

Though Brown only appeared in 10 games during his collegiate career, it’s hard to imagine how he slipped through the cracks (pun very much intended) at pro workouts. Brown, who has 38-inch arms and a 92 3/8-inch wingspan, impressed at the pro day, running the 40 in 5.80 seconds (good for a player of his size) and the short shuttle in 5.65 seconds. He also showed off a 23.5 inch vertical jump and a 6-foot-9-inch broad jump.

The Rams were obviously one of the few teams who felt that they could utilize Brown’s unique frame and skillset, but it’s unclear how big of a factor he will really be this season. Considering he’s a rookie and hasn’t played much offensive line before, it’s doubtful he will start right away. However, Fisher did hint that Brown could be inserted on special teams to block kicks, using his incredible height and massive body weight.

Surprisingly, Brown is not the heaviest player the NFL has seen. Aaron Gibson, who last played for the Chicago Bears in 2004, tipped the scales at 410 pounds and current New York Giants defensive tackle Michael Jasper was once even bigger than that, weighing 448 pounds at his heaviest in 2011. However, Jasper has trimmed down since then to a “slim” 375.

We’ll have to wait and see what kind of contribution Brown makes in 2013, if any, but if he is able to work his way into the starting lineup, we’ll definitely keep our eyes on him. Of course, with him towering over other NFL lineman, it would be hard not to. Since the Rams are not expected to do much this season, we say throw him in there!