JC’s Raw List – Top 5 WWE Lineman to Support QB Reigns

Whether or not fans agree with the decision, WWE has made Roman Reigns their starting QB while John Cena is away and with an eye on the future.

Is Reigns an elite QB right now? WWE believes he can be, but to these eyes, Reigns remains a limited “system QB” who has not found his own voice on the microphone, remains limited in the ring, and needs to be surrounded by a strong supporting cast to be successful. Without a strong offensive line, Reigns will be exposed in the starting QB role. Therefore, it is imperative that WWE keeps that line strong.

As we discussed on Monday’s Raw post-game show, who fits the bill on WWE’s current roster to create a strong supporting cast? Let’s examine in this week’s Raw Five List…

– Left Tackle: Dean Ambrose. The LT position is arguably the most important on the offensive line because he has to protect the QB’s blindside. (Hence, the name of the movie.) Ambrose is Reigns’s on-screen buddy, drinking partner, and “I got your back” guy. When and if Ambrose turns heel, the dynamic will flip to Ambrose as chief antagonist, hopefully drawing something new out of Reigns that his program with Bray Wyatt did not. As for right now, Ambrose protects Reigns and makes him look good playing Robin to Reigns’s Batman.

– Left Guard: Kevin Owens. Owens and Reigns had one of the best Raw TV moments of the year last week when they had a final showdown in the #1 contender fatal four-way match. That ending instantly positioned the IC champion as a serious threat to Reigns. The potential verbal and physical exchanges down the road should really draw something out of Reigns’s character that the Bray Wyatt feud seemingly did not.

– Center: WWE World Hvt. champion Seth Rollins. Rollins makes everything tick. The center has to be in control of the entire offense calling out coverages, identifying key defenders, and, oh yeah, snapping the ball correctly to initiate the offense. Rollins, as the fictional “architect” of The Shield and top champion, is the key cog in the machine enhancing Reigns.

– Right Guard: Heel Dolph Ziggler. This is a key position to open up holes in the run-game and protect the QB from blitzes coming down the middle. Who fits the bill of protecting Reigns, but also giving him a chance to shine? It’s #HeelZiggler. Obviously, this is something for down the road after Ziggler wraps up with Tyler Breeze, but Ziggler as a heel taking bumps for Reigns, being a veteran to guide a match, and covering for Reigns’s limited moveset would make Ziggler a valuable asset to Reigns’s growth.

– Right Tackle: Big E. New Day is here to stay as a featured act rotating in and out of TV main events. Big E. is a break-out star of the group, finally finding himself as a character mixing in physicality with heelish hi-jinks and antics. Xavier Woods is also a break-out star from New Day, but does anyone picture Woods on the O-Line? Big E. gets the nod here, especially with his college football background.