Overweight or Underweight?

[Mr. Scot]

Potential (unlikely) supplemental draft pick Isaiah Battle, although now reportedly in the 290-300 range, has weighed in as low as 270.  If he were to be drafted, he'll obviously have to bulk up.  It's been done here before, of course.  Look at how much weight Jordan Gross dropped when he no longer needed to put it on and keep it on.

On the flipside, there's all the jabber about Kelvin Benjamin being 8 pounds overweight.  Truth be told, 8 pounds is not such a big deal, but there's also word of Mike Tolbert slimming down.  And prior years have seen several players - mainly offensive and defensive linemen - come in well overweight and needing to work themselves back into shape.

So if you had to choose, which would you rather see in a player: An overweight guy who needs to slim down or an underweight guy who needs to bulk up?

[Mol3m4n]

Under weight generally means injury prone, so there's my answer.

[Mr. Scot]

Under weight generally means injury prone, so there's my answer.

I get what you mean, but Gross certainly wasn't.

I'm not familiar with Battle's injury history.

[Frizzy350]

Rather someone be overweight. As long as the guy is willing to run he can shed it quite easily. Artificially increasing weight takes much more work and is more difficult to do as the years pass.

[LinvilleGorge]

Kind of a loaded question.  Guys who are considered underweight by the time they get to the NFL may have a tough time putting weight on and keeping it on.  Guys who are overweight may be prone to weight issues or just not working hard enough.  Kris Jenkins had the talent to be one of the best DTs in NFL history, but he couldn't control his weight and that certainly did nothing to help his knee issues.

By and large, I'd prefer a little underweight to overweight.  KB's 8 pounds is nothing.  A guy his size can drop that weight in two weeks easily.  Overweight is showing up looking like Jabba the Hut like Jenkins did year in and year out.  

[Doyle]

I guess it would depend on the position but I don't think there is any right or wrong answer. 

[Mr. Scot]

I guess it would depend on the position but I don't think there is any right or wrong answer. 

More often that not, this question will apply to an offensive or defensive linemen.

It happens at other positions, but with a lot less frequency.

[Jase]

This is an easy one IMO. In an NFL strength and conditioning program, it is easier to put on weight than it is to keep it off.

[LinvilleGorge]

System comes into play too.  A lot of zone blocking teams prefer lighter, more agile OLs while a smash mouth team often prefer big road graders.

[Moorgan]

Like Punter?

[Mr. Scot]

    Like Punter?

 

Only if it's Todd Sauerbrun.

[Doyle]

This is an easy one IMO. In an NFL strength and conditioning program, it is easier to put on weight than it is to keep it off.

But wouldn't they just change the program to help them shed weight as opposed to gaining it?  If one guy is 10 lbs overweight and the next guy at the same position is 10 lbs underweight they aren't going to have them do the same things. 

[hepcat]

It's very rare that a human being, even if they are 6'5+, should be 300+ pounds.  I think it's better he is underweight.  

[Mr. Scot]

I won't claim to be an expert on this, but doesn't individual body makeup matter?

Some guys gain/lose weight easily.  Others have to fight for it.

From what I understand, athletes tend to be quick gainers/losers, but it's not universal.