I guess it depends what you mean when you say front line. If you mean that to be tanking - then I think that complicates our ability to use all our resources. But I do think we can make decent make-shift tanks.
If you mean it to say melee then I concur. I think the job already has all the tools it needs to melee and function as an effective support job at the same time. So I think SE has done a really good job at re-tooling this class into being an actual fighter/mage.