Tag: Fullback

Andy Reid reveals Chiefs’ current plans for the fullback position

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid’s affinity for the fullback position appears to have come to an end.

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It’s the end of an era for Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid.

10 days ago we pondered if Reid had officially moved on from the fullback position after he made some intriguing comments on Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast. To paraphrase, he said that the position has been pushed out of the modern game and that few teams truly use a fullback anymore. It was a wild admission from Reid, as he’s insisted on having a fullback on the roster in each of his 24 years as head coach.

After the departure of Michael Burton this offseason, Kansas City didn’t go out and sign a fullback or address the position in the draft. Speaking on the subject for the first time following Wednesday’s practice at OTAs, Reid confirmed that his affinity for the fullback position is no more.

“Yeah, so the tight ends can work into that spot,” Reid told reporters. “We know that Noah (Gray) can do all of that. That’s kind of where we went with it. We’ve got a number of tight ends who we feel comfortable with. So, maybe you keep an extra tight end instead of a fullback.”

There you have it, Chiefs Kingdom. The team will no longer be wasting a roster spot on a dedicated fullback.

It sounds as if Noah Gray will be playing more of an H-back role with the responsibilities of a tight end and a fullback. He already does a lot of the blocking on the wings and he lined up as a fullback frequently during his time at Duke, including 10 snaps during his senior season.

The team has kept as many four tight ends in the past, but now they’ll seemingly have another roster spot available. That could either be used on an extra tight end or perhaps even a wide receiver. We’ll just have to see how things play out during training camp.

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Check out these highlights of new Broncos TE Nate Adkins

Nate Adkins will likely be competing for a spot on Denver’s practice squad this summer.

After trading for Adam Trautman during the NFL draft last month, the Denver Broncos added additional depth at tight end by signing South Carolina’s Nate Adkins as an undrafted free agent.

Adkins (6-3, 252 pounds) will be buried on the team’s depth chart behind Greg Dulcich, Trautman, Albert Okwuegbunam and Chris Manhertz, but he’ll get a chance to impress during training camp and preseason this summer.

It’s possible that Adkins could be a candidate for a hybrid tight end/fullback role, similar to the position Andrew Beck used to play in Denver. If that’s the case, he might be a candidate to serve as Michael Burton’s backup, presumably from the practice squad.

Adkins totaled 13 receptions for 168 yards last fall. Before transferring to South Carolina, Adkins played at East Tennessee State, catching 33 passes for 357 yards in 2021. Often used as a blocker in college, Adkins won’t be featured as a receiving tight end if he makes the 53-man roster.

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Has Chiefs HC Andy Reid finally moved on from the fullback position?

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid spoke on “New Heights” about the NFL’s offensive evolution, touching on the demise of the fullback position.

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Andy Reid has never had a season where he didn’t carry a fullback on his team’s 53-man roster.

Even during his tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs, he’s always had a fullback. He made it a priority to go out and acquire one when he arrived in 2013, sending CB Javier Arenas to the Arizona Cardinals for FB Anthony Sherman.

When Sherman retired from the NFL, many thought that Reid could change with the times. The position is a bit of a dying breed in the NFL, with only a handful of teams keeping a true fullback on the roster. Despite that fact, the Chiefs went out and signed FB Mike Burton during the offseason and kept him for the past two years.

With Burton moving on this offseason, those same questions that we saw following Sherman’s departure have come up once again. They’re perhaps a bit louder now being that Kansas City didn’t sign a free agent fullback, draft one or sign one following the draft. Has Chiefs HC Andy Reid finally moved on from the fullback position?

At one point, it felt almost foolish to ask. Now, we have some evidence that Reid at least acknowledges how the NFL has changed in regard to the position. Speaking with Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce during his interview on the “New Heights Show” podcast, Reid was asked about the NFL offensive evolution during his tenure as a head coach. One particular part touched on how offenses have changed and moved away from the fullback position.

“We did a lot of two-back stuff back then,” Reid said of his time in Philly and Green Bay. “Eh. There’s not a lot of that in the league (now). San Francisco would be one of the teams. The fullback has kind of been eased out of the game a little bit.”

Jason Kelce responded, mentioning how teams have sort of adjusted to incorporate the tight end position, with more of an H-Back role.

“Now teams are trying to do some of that fullback stuff with the second tight end,” Jason said. “The off position and kind of get some of those runs, but it’s not the same.”

Reid, of course, acknowledged the change.

“That’s right,” Reid said. “Yeah, it’s different. A little bit different.”

Maybe it’s nothing and the Chiefs will soon add a fullback to their 90-man offseason roster. Still, it feels notable that Reid is out here acknowledging how the NFL has evolved away from the fullback position. Even Burton was seldom used over the past two seasons in Kansas City. Perhaps Reid has come to the realization that there are better uses for a roster spot in the current iteration of the NFL.

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Jaguars FB Derek Parish thinks he’ll be a two-way player eventually

Derek Parish was a highly productive pass rusher in college and says a role as a two-way player could be in his future.

Derek Parish began his final year as a defensive end with the Houston Cougars on a torrid pace. Just three games into the season, Parish already had five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. Then a bicep tear ended his year and collegiate career.

The former pass rusher is beginning his NFL career as a fullback with the Jacksonville Jaguars. But he isn’t entirely convinced his days of sacking quarterbacks are over.

“I still think I will one day,” Parish said of playing pass rusher in an interview with 1010XL’s Mia O’Brien on Friday. “Two-way player. Just learn my role at fullback and let ’em know I’ve still got it on the defensive side. That’s the goal.

“Right now, just fullback. Understanding that role and understanding the playbook, because coming from the defensive side, it’s a whole different language. But we’re getting it down each and every day, and I’ve been trickling in those conversations [about playing defense], so we’ll see what’s up soon.”

Parish’s transition from collegiate pass rusher to NFL fullback is likely due to his 6’1, 241-pound frame with 29 1/4-inch arms. Fifth-round pick Yasir Abdullah, who has 32 3/8-inch arms, is the first pass rusher ever drafted by Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke who has arms shorter than 33 inches.

Players who have found success beating NFL offensive tackles despite lackluster length are exceedingly rare, and Parish is about as far from the ideal pass rushing build as it gets.

Ultimately, his success with the Jaguars will first depend on his ability to contribute on offense and special teams. But maybe one day down the line, the former Houston pass rusher will add an NFL sack or two to his résumé.

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Broncos’ updated tight end depth chart after the NFL draft

Here is our projected tight end (and fullback) depth chart for the Broncos following the NFL draft.

The Denver Broncos did not select a tight end in the 2023 NFL draft last week, but they did acquire Adam Trautman in a late-round trade with the New Orleans Saints.

Following Trautman’s arrival, here is our updated tight end depth chart for the Broncos as the team gets set to begin organized team activities this month.

TE1: Greg Dulcich, a third-round pick in 2022, returns as Denver’s primary tight end entering his second season.

TE2: Adam Trautman, who was drafted by coach Sean Payton in the third round of the 2020 NFL draft, instantly becomes the team’s TE2. Payton has spoken glowingly about Trautman’s ability to block and contribute as a receiver.

TE3: Albert Okwuegbunam (receiving) and Chris Manhertz (blocking) have contrasting strengths and neither of them are as well-rounded as a TE as Truatman. The Broncos also signed Kris Leach as an undrafted free agent.

FB: Michael Burton is the obvious choice to start at fullback for Denver this year and he might occasionally have a tight end-type role. The Broncos also signed UDFA Nate Adkins, who could be a candidate for a tight end/fullback hybrid role that Andrew Beck previously held in Denver.

It’s a pretty solid tight end room for the Broncos, with Dulcich expected to have the biggest receiving role in 2023.

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Biggest remaining needs for Chiefs following 2023 NFL Draft

Our @Nicolas_Roesch takes a look at the #Chiefs’ biggest remaining needs following the 2023 NFL draft.

The 2023 NFL draft is in the books, and the Kansas City Chiefs did a nice job of addressing their top needs. They still, however, could use some quality depth at a variety of positions. There are some notable free agents still available and there are almost always a handful quality players who get cut or become available via trade during the offseason.

Let’s take a look at the biggest remaining needs for the Chiefs’ roster:

WATCH: Best Brayden Willis highlights from Oklahoma

Willis was a standout Sooner last season, and put together a great highlight reel to warrant his selection by the #49ers in the seventh round

The San Francisco 49ers finally have a plethora of draft picks in the seventh round, with three selections set to take place in short order, barring a trade. They spent their first pick of the round on Oklahoma tight end Brayden Willis, who should have fun learning his craft under one of the best players at his position in the NFL, George Kittle.

Willis isn’t likely to be leaned on in San Francisco’s offense early in his career but could become a guy for the 49ers in the long-term. Check out his best plays at Oklahoma below to get a better sense of what he brings to the table as a rookie:

Packers hire former Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman as assistant

The Green Bay Packers have hired former Seattle Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman as an assistant to player engagement.

Here’s a fun story to get your Wednesday started! The Green Bay Packers have hired former Seattle Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman as an assistant to player engagement.

Coleman will work under Executive Vice President/Director of Football Operations, Russ Ball.

Coleman is best known for becoming the NFL’s first legally deaf offensive player.

He first entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Vikings out of UCLA in 2012 but was waived that August. He then signed with the Seahawks in December where he was a member of the Super Bowl championship team.

Following his time in Seattle, Coleman also played for the Falcons and Cardinals.

Coleman appeared in 63 games over five NFL seasons.

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Who will be the 1st modern-era Broncos player to wear No. 0?

The next Broncos player to wear No. 0 will technically be the second — FB Johnny Olszewski wore a zero in Denver during the 1962 season.

The NFL approved several new rule changes at the owners’ meetings in Arizona last week, including adding No. 0 as a legal number for non-linemen this season.

Before the NFL implemented stricter number rules in 1973, center Jim Otto (No. 00) and quarterback Johnny Clement (No. 0) were among the players who sported zero and double-zero numbers. Players will now once again be allowed to wear No. 0, but not No. 00.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley was the first to announce he will take advantage of the new number rule this season. Now the question becomes, who will be the first* Denver Broncos player to wear No. 0?

*Technically, whoever wears No. 0 for the Broncos this year will be the second to do so in franchise history — fullback Johnny Olszewski wore that number in Denver in 1962. Nicknamed “Johnny O,” Olszewski was a two-time Pro Bowler who scored 19 touchdowns during his NFL career.

The Broncos will begin announcing jersey numbers for their free agent additions when players report for the start of the club’s offseason program next week. Right now, Denver has three players on their online roster listed under No. 0: WR Marquez Callaway, P Riley Dixon and RB Tony Jones.

It’s unclear if those are just placeholder numbers or if all three players plan to wear No. 0 this offseason. NFL teams are allowed to have more than one player wear a certain number during the offseason if they play on different sides of the ball, but only one player can wear any given number during the regular season.

We should have more clarity on the future of No. 0 with the Broncos when the team begins its workout program next Tuesday (April 11).

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Broncos host do-everything draft prospect Jack Colletto on top-30 visit

Jack Colletto can play QB, FB, TE, LB and special teams. Sound familiar? The Broncos’ draft prospect has drawn comparisons to Taysom Hill.

The Denver Broncos recently hosted do-everything draft prospect Jack Colletto on a top-30 visit, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. NFL teams are allowed to host up to 30 prospects at their facility leading up to the draft each spring.

Colletto (6-3, 239 pounds) is an extremely versatile player who spent time at quarterback, inside linebacker and fullback while playing at Oregon State. Nicknamed the “Jackhammer,” Colletto was also a key player on special teams for the Beavers. In addition to those positions, he also worked out as a tight end at Oregon State’s pro day.

Sound familiar?

At the Shrine Bowl earlier this year, Colletto compared himself to Taysom Hill and Kyle Juszczyk. Colletto won the Paul Hornung Award as a redshirt senior last season. The award recognizes college football’s most versatile players.

Hill played under Sean Payton with the New Orleans Saints from 2017-2021. Perhaps one of the most versatile players in the NFL, Hill has spent time at quarterback, fullback and tight end with the Saints, and he is a key player on special teams.

Colletto is projected to be an undrafted free agent prospect this spring. He rushed for 425 yards and 22 touchdowns and totaled 50 tackles in college. If he ends up joining the Broncos, Colletto could be a candidate to have a role in Denver’s offense similar to Hill’s in New Orleans.

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