Not too long ago, traditional fullbacks were considered a dying breed in the NFL. That coincided with the devaluation of running backs, but is the tide beginning to shift back in the other direction?
More and more teams have begun to reimplement the use of fullbacks in their modernized offenses, and that includes the less modern New York Giants.
In fact, the Giants are a rarity in that they use two of their 53 roster spots on fullbacks — both of whom see time on offense and special teams. Occasionally, Eli Penny and Cullen Gillaspia are even used at the same time.
On Monday, Giants head coach Joe Judge was asked about the team’s unique approach to fullback use and he was quick to defend it.
“I think it’s all based on how you use them. I’d say Cullen’s primary job for us is special teams. He’s an impact player for us in the kicking game. He plays fullback as well, gives us some depth in the backfield for fullback and running back if we need him in an emergency situation,” Judge said. “Penny has kind of become a little bit of a hybrid. He can play fullback, he can play the true running back position, he’s done both for us this year. He does a good job for us in the kicking game, so in terms of having that player and all the hats that one guy can wear within a game, that’s critical.”
Judge also said that it’s important to differentiate how fullbacks are used on a team-by-team basis.
“In terms of the fullback being a dying position, you look at some of the top running teams in the league, they all have fullbacks, so there’s a common theme in a lot of these teams you want to trace on through,” Judge added. “There’s different reasons for each one, there’s different types of fullbacks in this league. When you look at the fullbacks, the common theme is that, one, there’s obviously an element of blocking and, two, they all contribute in the kicking game.
“Fullbacks don’t normally play 65-70 plays in a game, so what are you doing when you’re not involved for those – you know, some teams, Baltimore, will play a significant number of snaps. Other teams, New England, their fullback may play 15-20 snaps a game. What are they doing in those other snaps to go ahead and give contributions?”
So far this season, Penny has taken 84 snaps on offense and 141 on special teams. He’s carried the ball 22 times for 89 yards for one touchdown and eight first downs, and hauled in four receptions on six targets for nine yards and one first down. He has also recorded four tackles.
Comparatively, Gillaspia has taken four offensive snaps and 160 special teams snaps. He’s served solely as a blocker offensively, while recording three tackles on special teams.
Both Penny and Gillaspia are on pace for career-high snap counts.
If you’re a Giants Wire regular, you know we firmly believe that Penny is still underutilized and deserves a more significant role.
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