Dear NFL: Bring Back the Fullback

[Daeavorn]

I really hope Ward earns himself a spot on the roster I think it could open up great things for us. Sula showed some imagination at the end maybe he can keep it rolling.

[AceBoogie]

While true, most FBs are RB converts and OL/TE tweeners who just want to play ball in any form. 

When I played rec league football when I was younger, we had a guy that was huge for our age group. I'm not talking fat either, just a solidly built kid. Couldn't make weight to play RB so had to play on the line sometimes. Basically every play we ran was hand the ball off to me and I grab the back of his jersey while he cleared a path. Scored like 25 tds in a season doing that. 

[CatMan72]

What goes around comes around, at some point the pendulum will swing away from spread offense and back towards smash mouth as defenses get lighter and faster in reaction to the spread.

[GoobyPls]

A traditional FB serves no purpose in our offense

 

last year when our offense was clicking we went no huddle off the shotgun.

[panthers55]

The biggest reason to have a bruiser fullback would be to take advantage of the tendency for defenses to be smaller and faster making them susceptible to bigger bruising linemen and a big fullback.  Over time this should wear down defenses and allows you to run at the end of the game when you are trying to run out the clock and dominate the defense.  Plus it really ties into our philosophy and our personnel.  Gettleman seems to favor bigger more physical guys with a nasty streak.  That is perfect for shoving the ball down the opponent's throat and demoralizing them.

[t96]

Stew's going to have a 2000 yard season running behind Ward completely out of nowhere on our way to the Super Bowl. Book it. 

[imminent rogaine]

It would be nice to have a guy on offense, in addition to the dozer,  that is out there punishing people. If we lined up Tolbert behind a real full back, there could be some real carnage. Alsom the way they handcuff defenses, this might be the only time we get to see big hits.

Those big blocks was one of my favorite things about 89.

[Mr. Scot]

It's not so much the NFL as it is the teams themselves.

If it works for one team, it'll get copycatted all over.

[t96]

Similar to the way the post up Center has disappeared from the NBA. Problem is, kids growing up these days would rather be the one scoring the touchdowns instead of blocking for the man that does. 

Kareem was the all time best center. Duncan's the last elite true center in the league and he's pretty much done at this point. I really like Andre Drummond who's a true post up center, but he's young and has a lot of work to do before he's a game-changing player. They certainly don't dominate the game like they used to, but they haven't completely disappeared. And I agree with you on the kids one. All the kids I work with want to be the star putting up the points. Instead of blocking in football or playing defense. And in basketball instead of being the guy getting the rebounds, playing the defense, getting the blocks and steals, getting the assists. I think it has a lot to do with this young generation and their entitlement and the "everyone is special" narrative. I still don't understand why people take photos of themselves all the time. Blows my mind.

[TN05]

 

 

Not necessarily.  You would still have two wide receivers, Olsen, and your running back on the field.  That's four options right there.  If the FB has any ability to catch a pass, you win.

But you would rather have three wide receivers, Olsen, and your running back on the field. Five viable receiving options is much, much better than four. The benefit the blocking fullback gives is completely wasted because he has to be there every play except the most obvious passing situations. 

I'm not saying I don't like blocking fullbacks; I grew up with a Panthers team that used them and that played in a system that needed them. In systems that are run-heavy, they are very, very good. Adrian Peterson wouldn't have had 2,000 yards and a 6.0 YPC average without Jerome Felton blocking for him. But that offense was designed entirely around Adrian Peterson. Felton is useless if Peterson isn't on the field.

Edited June 24, 2015 by TN05

[Nick_81]

 

 

But you would rather have three wide receivers, Olsen, and your running back on the field. Five viable receiving options is much, much better than four. The benefit the blocking fullback gives is completely wasted because he has to be there every play except the most obvious passing situations. 

I'm not saying I don't like blocking fullbacks; I grew up with a Panthers team that used them and that played in a system that needed them. In systems that are run-heavy, they are very, very good. Adrian Peterson wouldn't have had 2,000 yards and a 6.0 YPC average without Jerome Felton blocking for him. But that offense was designed entirely around Adrian Peterson. Felton is useless if Peterson isn't on the field.

I see what you're saying, but I still feel like it would be advantageous.  We already run two deep in the backfield w/ two wide quite a lot.  Normally, it's Tolbert, but with him being hurt a lot last season, we had to run with Dickson, Williams, etc. lead blocking.  They weren't looking to pass much out of those formations either.  You put a guy like Ward in there, and your run game is instantly improved.  Defenses aren't currently built to handle a guy like that, and he's easily going to clear out most LB's.  That instantly eliminates another level of the defense, and we all know it's not easy for a DB to take Stew out 1-on-1.  

To me, it's the same thing we've been doing, so it makes sense to have a punisher in when we run those sets.  Plus, from what tidbits I've heard, he's been catching pretty well out of the backfield.  

[Shufdog]

One of my favorite runs by a fullback! This was smash mouth!

 

[Paa Langfart]

First time for me to watch Wards highlight video - he absolutely dominates his opponents - I hope we can keep him around to see how he does in the NFL.

[Panthro]

Could we see the same resurgence at FB that we saw at TE? They were disappearing at one point.  It is all about matchups and Iwold hate to line up with a bruising FB, tolbert, and Cam in the backfield.