Arthur Smith made an interesting move this past Sunday against the Giants. With injuries piling up, Feleipe Franks was active on the 53-man roster. While Arthur Smith was still in the script on his first drive, Franks lined up as a tight end.
Feliepe Franks in at Tight End. I have completely changed my tune, this season rules
— SportsTalkATL Jake (@cantguardjake) September 26, 2021
Falcons HC Arthur Smith said they believe Feleipe Franks is a good football player and they might keep exploring him in different areas besides just quarterback.
— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) September 27, 2021
I was being a bit tongue in cheek, but this isn’t the first time this idea has been floated. While he never played tight end in college, we have seen guys like Logan Thomas make the switch with successful results after not cutting it as a quarterback in the NFL. Scouts at the Senior Bowl even mentioned the idea of Franks as a tight end due to his size and athleticism.
Senior Bowl executive director and former NFL scout Jim Nagy sees pro potential for Feleipe Franks at tight end if quarterback doesn't work out:https://t.co/LsySoJ3qu2 pic.twitter.com/vpaMEgYTE5
— 247Sports (@247Sports) April 18, 2021
As you can see, besides his weight, Franks looks like a decent project at the position:
Not weighing in on the merits of Feleipe Franks at TE, but here's his RAS at that position. He'd also be a very good athlete there, though his weight is very low. https://t.co/psCBNCWGC6 pic.twitter.com/AC8SJahQCU
— Kevin Knight (@FalcoholicKevin) September 27, 2021
Personally, I still want to give Franks a shake at quarterback. He didn’t look amazing as a passer during the preseason, but he made some plays with his feet and even ripped of a 51-yard scramble.
CAN WE TALK ABOUT FELEIPE FRANKS. A gutsy 51-yard run!@AtlantaFalcons | #TENvsATL pic.twitter.com/kcHSEqTraa
— NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2021
I don’t think letting Franks play some tight end is a bad idea, but only if the team is sure he doesn’t have much of a future at quarterback. I don’t like the experimenting during a game, but he could stay on the practice squad and develop for the rest of the year if they think he has a future. Franks’ natural size and athletic gifts can’t be taught, but tight end is a difficult position to adjust to in the NFL. Maybe the Falcons can develop him into a weapon, but for now, that’s yet to be seen.
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