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The New Orleans Saints need to find a new fullback in 2020. Veteran fullback Zach Line, 29, announced his retirement from the NFL in a post from his official Instagram account Wednesday afternoon. His contract was set to expire in March, but he’s choosing to step away from the game on his own terms.
In his post, Line thanked the Saints for the opportunity to play with them as well as the Minnesota Vikings, who gave him his first shot at playing professionally. He retires having played 80 games in the NFL (including the playoffs; 36 with the Vikings and 44 with the Saints) during his seven-year career. He was the rare fullback who could contribute not just as a lead-blocker but as a runner himself, as well as in the receiving game in a pinch. He scored seven touchdowns in the NFL, all but one of them for New Orleans.
Losing an experienced fullback is a bigger problem for the Saints than it appears at first glance. While the position is an endangered species in the NFL at large, the Saints were one of few teams to still use them frequently in 2019. Line averaged 17.9 snaps per game last year before going down with a knee injury. He was replaced by practice squad call-up Ricky Ortiz, who played 20 snaps in the Saints’ final two contests.
To illustrate Line’s importance to the offense a little more clearly: at midseason, only two fullbacks had played more snaps in the entire NFL than his total of 140, being CJ Ham (195 for the Vikings) and Kyle Juszczyk (152 with the San Francisco 49ers). It’s a position Saints coach Sean Payton obviously values.
Ortiz is the likely favorite to replace Line next season, but it’s no sure thing. It would make sense for the team to consider all possible options in free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft, and they could possibly target someone like Line, who played running back in college. He was an accomplished rusher for the SMU Mustangs, having graduated with 778 attempts for 4,185 rushing yards and 47 touchdowns on the ground. He also caught 75 passes for 599 receiving yards. That versatility speaks for itself and explains why the Saints made him a key part of their offense, even if he didn’t often handle the ball himself.
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