Matt Waldman’s RSP NFL Lens examines a simple catch from aspiring Pittsburgh Steeler Bucky Hodges, a player who could be a great fit for the right team.

I’m a big fan of Bucky Hodges’ game. The problem with liking Hodges’ game is that he’s a player without a position due to his combination of physical dimensions, technical skills, and weaknesses as a player. He’s a big and slow wide receiver in an H-Back’s body. If you remember Mikhael Ricks, a pet player of Bobby Beathard, then you can see how it may never work out.

Although there are vociferous critics to the contrary, the NFL has an imagination. It doesn’t often extend to players who fall between the cracks of two positions that already have a reasonably broad range of physical dimensions and traits. That’s where Hodges dwells.

However, Hodges talent as a receiver and runner is difficult for me to ignore — even if I understand that realistically, Hodges might be more of a headache to figure out for an offense than the potential headaches he can pose to opposing defenses. Nonetheless, Hodges’ skill to win at the boundary, in the red zone, and earn yardage in the open field could be a great fit for a team that can minimize his weaknesses and maximizes his strengths.

This isn’t a great play on Hodges’ part but it gives the first-time viewer of Hodges a chance to see how fluid he is as an athlete (a former quarterback).

I’d love to see Hodges with the Saints as a Marques Colston-Jimmy Graham mashup or as the second tight end in New England’s offense. Stay tuned because I think there are another 1-2 seasons where he might persist and convince a team that he’s worth working with.

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