FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Caleb Lomu is making it clear that he’s willing to play anywhere on the offensive line.
“Any position that they need me at, I’m willing to play and would love to play,” the New England Patriots first-round draft pick said during his introductory press conference at Gillette Stadium on Thursday. “Any position that I can contribute to help the team, I’m going to do that. So, just to get on the field and get some playing time, that’s the goal, in whatever position that they need me to play.”
Lomu was drafted as an offensive tackle, with many believing that he will take over for Morgan Moses on the right side when the veteran decides to hang up his cleats. However, most of his experience is on the left side, having been a three-year starter there at Utah.
So, does he feel he can make the switch?
“I just feel myself as a tackle, just in general, left or right side,” Lomu explained. “Just having to play left in college, and that’s kind of what I got comfortable with playing those three years at left tackle at Utah. My first year there, I was kind of a swing tackle, and so I feel comfortable at left, but I have also been working at right these past couple months. So feels just as good on the right side as well.
To sum it all up: “Either tackle position, I’m happy to play and feel comfortable playing.”
Lomu is also not ruling out the possibility of being able to contribute elsewhere on the offensive line, whether it’s inside as a guard or even in a jumbo package, which the Patriots offense is known to use often.
“Back in my glory days in flag football when I was younger, I was a receiver and quarterback,” he said. “So, sometimes I still think I am that, even though I’m 300 and something pounds
“I’m a big man, but I still think I can move pretty well,” he added. “My job’s to block and I’ll do that every single time. But if they give me an opportunity to do something else, I’m always ready for that.”
So, if they need him to step in at quarterback…
“I can throw the ball pretty good,” he added. “I’ll get out and show that on the field whenever I can if I get a ball.”
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Caleb Lomu willing to play any spot on Patriots O-Line… or beyond
