As Position Evolves, Could Seahawks Employ New Strategy at Fullback in 2020?

Seattle hasn't used a fullback much in recent years, but earlier in the Pete Carroll era, Michael Robinson proved instrumental blocking for Marshawn Lynch. As other teams find new ways to bring the position back to life, will the Seahawks follow suit?

For decades, a powerful animal in the game of football has been brought to its knees as it faces a sharp decline and critical numbers. However, due to recent conservation efforts, the once-dominant species is experiencing an optimistic rise in its population. Whether the animal can survive the brink of extinction or wither away in history books will be discovered in the decades to come - but we at SeahawkMaven are rooting for a comeback.

The Totus tergum, or fullback, as it is commonly known, has long had an expected fate similar to that of the dodos and the dinosaurs: extinct, save for traces found amongst burly halfbacks and blocking tight ends. Much like the defenseless dodo, the fullback has been powerless to the forces of change in a pass-heavy environment in a league that just doesn't run the ball with the frequency it used to.

But change proves cyclical, and a nickel-and-dime defensive schemes being deployed these days provides the perfect conditions for the fullback to thrive once more. These days, a team can use a fullback to block for a running quarterback, offer a convenient check down target and catch a few passes, or even occasionally run the ball in short yardage. The modern-day fullback retains some of its source DNA, but it has also adapted, developing new traits that make this hybrid a must on any dynamic, successful offense.

While the classic fullbacks like Mike Alstott or Lorenzo Neal may not be as prominent as before, the fullback position is far from extinct - it has, as nature tends to do, evolved. There have been three major sightings of the fullback in recent years, and they were on some of the NFL's most dominant offenses: James Develin of the Patriots, Kyle Juszczyk of the 49ers, and Patrick Ricard of the Ravens. Each of these players represents a different breed of a species on the rise.

The fullback enjoys moderate numbers today, both in population and participation. In 2019, 12 teams had a fullback log at least 100 snaps on offense. The average snap count is around 1,000, so 100 per season is a meager 10 percent of overall offensive plays. This means they're rostered on less than half of NFL teams, and many that do have them use them sparingly - the Seahawks' Nick Bellore logged 26 snaps all season, a measly 2.6 percent of Russell Wilson's 1,124 hikes.

But that's just the Seahawks. Other teams are employing the fullback, yet unlike the days of yore, it’s often not in the I-formation or Wing-T. As analytics have helped the game itself evolve, so have the fullbacks. Since 2009, it's passing efficiency - not rushing - that has steadily improved when an offense rolls with two running backs in the backfield. Now, that doesn’t mean one of those running backs is a big, burly, bowling ball with a neck roll, but it often does mean a designated fullback is still in the backfield.

Source: FiveThirtyEight

As offenses have moved to more spread, open, pass-happy attacks, the running backs have stayed involved, catching passes and offering protection. For one reason or another, the expected points added per play has increased the more that teams use two-running back sets.

Instead of plowing holes between the tackles, fullbacks are now running routes and catching passes or offering extra protection for the quarterback from a fierce pass rush, giving the quarterback more time than before to find the open man.

Kyle Juszczyk, a true hybrid fullback for the 49ers, has averaged just over 32 receptions for nearly 300 yards per year since 2015. He's also made four straight Pro Bowls.

However, fullbacks are still being used in the more traditional way even among spread teams. The Saints are never shy about slinging it around the yard, having finished in the top 12 in passing yards in the last two years. Fullback Zach Line has done his part to aid Brees' aerial raid, accruing 210 snaps last year alone - yet he only touched the ball 27 times over the last two seasons.

Even the evolving offenses are finding places for fullbacks. Is it mere coincidence that both participants in Super Bowl LIV deployed fullbacks, or that the Super Bowl LIII champions utilized Develin for half of their offensive snaps, making him arguably the most important fullback in the game? On the biggest stage of all, the aforementioned Juszczyk played 40 percent of San Francisco’s snaps against Kansas City, recording three catches for 39 yards and a touchdown.

The Chiefs’ Anthony Sherman was less of a factor in the big game on offense, but still played nearly 100 snaps during the year plus is a key role player on special teams, another place where fullbacks can still find value.

The bottom three teams in fullback usage last season were the Browns, Jaguars, and Rams, with the Browns and Jaguars ranking 22nd and 20th in the league in offense, respectively. It's clear that having a fullback is beneficial to advancing through the playoffs, and surprisingly, an argument can be made not having one may impede on a team's ability to succeed.

Perhaps all the Seahawks need to push through playoffs is a little more versatility on offense, and with the recent addition of Greg Olsen and Jamal Adams, it looks as if the team is opening itself to a lot of new looks on both sides of the ball this season. At on one point, the position was a very valuable one for the team, as standouts such as Mack Strong and Michael Robinson opened up running lanes for several star running backs and occasionally caught passes out of the backfield.

The perfect potential fullback may even be on the Seahawks roster already, as tight end Jacob Hollister would be an intriguing fit given his athleticism and soft hands. With Dissly and Olsen creating a threatening tight end duo, Hollister could excel blocking out of the backfield as a H-back and catching quick passes from Wilson.

When the Seahawks were equipped with All-Pro fullback Leonard "Face Cleaver" Weaver, they received 276 rushing yards, 535 receiving yards, and three touchdowns from Weaver from 2007-2009. Trying to make the team as an undrafted free agent initially, the former college linebacker and tight end took advice from running backs coach Stump Mitchell to heart.

"If you're not moving the chains, you're not important." Weaver responded by carving out a new role for himself, developing new skills to stay relevant. "And so for me, it was 'okay, I gotta learn how to block. Once I learn how to block, I gotta learn how to catch. And then once I learn how to catch...' So I had to make myself very valuable [to stick around]."

Weaver's ability to adapt kept him on the team for two years until he was able to take over after Mack Strong's career-ending neck injury. As he watches fullbacks dole out less and less stiff arms these days, Weaver is aware that the undervalued position must overperform to stay on the field.

“(Fullbacks) have to make themselves more valuable than the position allows," Weaver said in a recent SeahawkMaven interview. "Come out of the backfield. You have to be able to beat defenders, catch the ball in traffic. Make yourself so valuable that they want to pay you for a position that they don’t want to pay anybody else for. Clearly, the consensus is ‘if you can’t do more, we don’t need you.’”

Whatever Seattle decides to do with this particular position, the fullback was and always will be a crucial element in the game of football. It's just valuable for much different reasons than it was in earlier eras. Sure, we may have forgotten that in recent years, but even Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson need a little help time to time from their old friends.

Whether you are using fullbacks the old fashioned way like the Ravens or Patriots, or aiding their evolution like the 49ers and Vikings, the position lives to see another day as it battles irrelevance and extinction. It will interesting to see if the Seahawks learn from what other teams have done and decide to incorporate one back into their offense moving forward.