The Indianapolis Colts made a somewhat surprising move by releasing veteran fullback Roosevelt Nix on Tuesday after signing him to a one-year deal in free agency.
Head coach Frank Reich told reporters on Wednesday that the Colts tried to develop a package for the veteran but with the limited offseason, they couldn’t find a way to do it.
Frank Reich says it wasn't Nix's fault that he had to be released. The intention was to develop part of the offense into a two-back system. … But the Colts are primarily a one-back team, and didn't have an offseason to develop that fullback package to where they want it.
— Joel A. Erickson (@JoelAErickson) September 2, 2020
Nix wasn’t being used much throughout training camp and his skill set would have him playing limited snaps anyway as a blocker. He likely would have aided the run game when on the field but given the unique season ahead, the Colts may need that spot for another player on the roster.
The Colts already have their backfield set for the 2020 season with the unit most likely working in a committee. It would have been tough to justify keeping Nix when the Colts typically run a one-back system.
Maybe the Colts look to explore this in the future, but it appears they won’t be running with a fullback in 2020.