Despite the league moving further away from the usage of the fullback position, the Indianapolis Colts brought in veteran Roosevelt Nix to help out on the front lines and in the run game.
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With Marlon Mack and second-round pick Jonathan Taylor leading the way in the backfield, the Colts have one of the best 1-2 punches in the league. However, the Colts are also looking to get Nix some work in two-back sets throughout the games.
In a conference call with reporters on Monday, Reich explained a bit of what we can expect from the veteran Nix in the Colts offense.
“We are primarily a one-back offense. We won’t change form that, but when you go back to ’18 and we had (Ryan) Hewitt and we could do a little bit of that,” Reich said. “We just think Rosie (Roosevelt Nix) fits that mold. Obviously, he is a great special teams player, but can also help in the two-back offense stuff.”
Reich is referring to Hewitt’s role in 2018, which was primarily blocking in the backfield, typically being used as an H-back. This role doesn’t see any passing work outside of the occasional surprise leak at the goal line.
Nix won’t have a huge role in terms of snap counts. The Colts aren’t primarily a power team in terms of blocking scheme so having the fullback isn’t all that necessary—even though the position can be used in zone schemes as well.
So while Nix will have an impact on the roster, it won’t be to a major extent on game days.
“I can envision it being 10 to 20 percent of the offense, let’s just say. That would be the goal that it is somewhere between 10 and 20 percent of the offense,” Reich said. “There are things that you can do in a two-back offense run and pass game that are unique. It is a way to be more multiple in the run game.”
The fullback isn’t being used like it was a decade ago, but the Colts have plans to use Nix in the backfield to keep the defense on its toes. His role won’t be huge, but he should have some impact in the run game helping pave the way for the Colts’ new 1-2 punch.
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