Blake Griffin and 10 NBA Stars Who Could Find Lockout Work in the NFL

With the NFL lockout underway there's a lot of talk about what the various NFL starters are doing for work. All reports seem to point to the NBA collective bargaining situation being even worse than the NFL's.

The real possibility is that the NFL will be underway long before the NBA season. So if that happens, maybe some NBA players could eye the NFL for employment. Who could play on Sunday, and what position would they play? Read on to find out. 

10: Chris Bosh—Kicker

Now to be honest, I have no idea how good of a kicker Chris Bosh is but we do know one thing: He's not a big fan of contact. 

Remember the Omer Asik play where he complained about Asik diving for a lose ball and reminded us all that NBA players need to feed their families? Yeah, I'm not thinking that's the kind of guy built for the physical contact of most NFL positions. 

That's why he could make a nice kicker. At least he wouldn't have to worry about getting any boo-boos.

Darren Collison—Wide Receiver

Both of Darren Collison's parents were world class runners. His mother, June, ranked 10th in the world at the 400 meter at one time and his father, Dennis, ran a 10.1 in the 100 meter. Both represented Guayan in the Pan Am games, and his mother even won a silver medal. 

Collison has straight away speed wired into his DNA, and a decent set of hands. Blazing down the field at top gear could earn him a living as a deep threat wide out in the NFL no problem. 

8: Zach Randolph—Middle Linebacker

Zach Randolph, or Z-Bo, is one of the strongest and more physical players in the NBA, and he loves it in the middle. So why not a middle linebacker in the NFL? 

At 260 pounds he certainly has the size for it and he has the strength for it. At 6' 9" he would also be a nightmare to try and pass over. I could see him putting some nice hits on the field too. His combination of size and athleticism would fit a middle linebacker well.  

7: Rajon Rondo—Corner

Rajon Rondo is a straight up thief. No pass is safe with him on the court, so why not on the football field? He's got the speed to be a nice corner back, and with his ubiquitous hands, he would be getting his share of picks. He's also got the attitude and fierceness of an elite NFL defender too. 

6: Russell Westbrook—Kick Returner

Russell Westbrook has everything needed to make for an outstanding return man in the NFL. He has blazing speed, and when he gets space he has the ability to give those subtle fakes and cuts and that create a lot of space off of little movement. 

Devin Hester step aside and make way for the next great return man!

5: Dwight Howard—Safety

The three time Defensive Player of the Year would make a nice safety in the NFL, don't you think? Imagine trying to complete a pass to someone in his vicinity. He'd treat NFL passes like treats NBA shots, and would probably lead the NFL in pass deflections. 

And if you did have the nerve to catch the ball, how would you like to get tackled by Howard? He proves that "seven footer" and "ripped" do not have to be mutually exclusive concepts.  I don't know about you but the word that comes to my mind is, "Ouch!"  

4: Blake Griffin—Defensive End

Anyone that big and that strong, and who can dunk with that much violence and with such total disregard for the utter shame he inflicts on other grown men, could play in the NFL. With his size, strength, speed, athleticism and willingness to shame grown men, he would make an awesome defensive end. If you're a quarterback and he's coming at you, you have two choices. Fall on the ground and beg for mercy or throw the ball and hope you don't die. 

3: Dwyane Wade—Quarterback

He's got the height, speed and strength to be an NFL quarterback, and the evidence above shows he's got the arm to do it too. It's amazing how he hits James in stride. On the grid iron that's a touchdown folks.

Aside from the obvious physical tool set needed he's got the other things you'd look for in a quarterback too: He's smart, he's charismatic and he's a leader. I could definitely see Wade as a dual threat QB on Sunday afternoon.  

2: Derrick Rose—Tailback

The way he bobs and weaves and spins and slips through traffic, the player that Derrick Rose is most reminiscent of may not even be an NBA player, but an NFL player anyway—Barry Sanders. Folks, fast don't lie in the NFL either. Derrick Rose on the grass would be just as lethal as on the floor, and there he wouldn't have to worry about field goal percentage!

1: LeBron James—Tight End

Yeah, I know it's the same clip as for Wade, but the play was remarkable both for the pass and the finish. LeBron James might very well by the most physically gifted athlete in the history of mankind. His combination of size, speed strength and athleticism is just—whats the word—perfect? 

The one thing NBA players don't have to worry about doing with James is tackle him. Can you imagine actually trying to bring him to the ground? There aren't that many people who are fast enough to catch him, and the few that are wouldn't have the strength to bring him down by themselves. 

It's a real possibility that if LBJ were to leave the NBA because of the lack of a CBA and join the NFL he would be the MVP there too.