These Tiny NFL Rule Changes Are the Reason Why Linemen Are So Freaking HUGE

Here’s how massive players like Alan Branch helped the Pats win the Super Bowl.

The Super Bowl may be over, but both teams’ offensive and defensive linemen are still freaking huge. The Patriots’ Alan Branch is 6-foot-6 and 350 pounds. The Falcons’ Jake Matthews is 6-foot-5, 309 pounds. But just how and when did NFL linemen get so big? 

Offensive and defensive lineman weren’t always such absolute monsters. Watch the Vox video above to see how NFL rule changes allowed today’s players to morph into such gargantuan athletes. 

H/T Digg