Where have all the fullbacks gone?

[sureletsrace]

I recently noticed that I cannot think of not ONE dominant fullback playing in the league right now.

Mike Alstott just pounded the rock. He wasn't known for being a blocker.

Lorenzo Neal is solid, a great blocker, and from 1998 to 2005, with four different teams, he blocked for a 1,000+yd RB.

But neither of the two compare to Moose IMO. Maybe I'm drinking the homer-aid, but why have teams gone away from having a big, strong fullback to help protect the RB?

When is the last time anyone has been pumped over their team drafting a FB? When is the last time a FB has been a first-round prospect?

 

[AdamJT13]

When is the last time anyone has been pumped over their team drafting a FB?

Seahawks fans were pretty pumped about Owen Schmitt last year.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

All the spread offenses in college don't produce any.

 

[ABQcowboyJR]

It's an underrated position in todays game. I would love to have a dominant fullback. And I can't tell you the last one that was in the league. I almost bought a moose jersey yesterday.

 

[visionary]

Seahawks fans were pretty pumped about Owen Schmitt last year.

hell, i didnt know Hos was a closet seahawks fan

just kidding Hos

 

[Doomsday101]

I recently noticed that I cannot think of not ONE dominant fullback playing in the league right now.

Mike Alstott just pounded the rock. He wasn't known for being a blocker.

Lorenzo Neal is solid, a great blocker, and from 1998 to 2005, with four different teams, he blocked for a 1,000+yd RB.

But neither of the two compare to Moose IMO. Maybe I'm drinking the homer-aid, but why have teams gone away from having a big, strong fullback to help protect the RB?

When is the last time anyone has been pumped over their team drafting a FB? When is the last time a FB has been a first-round prospect?

Look at the college ranks, as more teams go to the spread offense the need and development of traditional FB is much smaller.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Neal is still playing. I saw him the other day but I don't remember the team.

 

[ArmyCowboy]

All the spread offenses in college don't produce any.

Exactly

Look at any draft prospectus and the list of fullbacks gets shorter and shorter every year.

It's a skill that isn't taught (or really needed) at the majority of the major colleges.

 

[Hoofbite]

Pretty sure Paula Cole will be dropping this single pretty soon.

 

[THUMPER]

Actually the blocking FB was an anomaly and only lasted a relatively short time. Guys like Moose Johnston, Tom Rathman, Jamie Mueller, Lorenzo Neal, Mack Strong, etc. really only came into being in the mid-80s and have pretty much been phased out now as teams are going with more 3-WR sets and 1-RB as their standard offense.

Until the mid-80s the FB usually got about 30-40% of the carries compared with the HB but sometimes the FB got the bulk of the carries as in the case of Jim Brown, Bill Brown, Joe Perry, John Henry Johnson, Larry Csonka, Jim Taylor, Don Perkins, etc.

In 1978, FB Roland Harper of the Bears got 41.8% of the carries compared with Walter Payton who gained 1395 yards that year on 333 carries, while Harper ran for 992 yards on 240 carries.

In Landry's offense, until Tony Dorsett came along, the FB & HB were pretty much interchangeable.

Some teams ran a single-back offense, like the Commanders with John Riggins, but most used 2 RBs.

I don't foresee many teams returning to using a lead-blocking FB like we used to do with Moose. Most teams now have multiple RBs, like we do now, and only use a FB in short yardage situations.

 

[THUMPER]

Pretty sure Paula Cole will be dropping this single pretty soon.

Thanks, now I'll have that darn song playing in my head.

 

[DragonCowboy]

Neal is still playing. I saw him the other day but I don't remember the team.

I thought I saw him play for the Raiders?

 

[BAT]

I thought I saw him play for the Raiders?

He is. Thursday's game is probably where Yeags saw him.

 

[sureletsrace]

I thought I saw him play for the Raiders?

He is with the Raiders.

I just think that a 6'4, 280lb FB that benches 600 and runs a sub-5 second 40 would be awesome. I'd flip.

 

[Hostile]

Seahawks fans were pretty pumped about Owen Schmitt last year.

:cry:

Don't remind me.

 

[Hostile]

hell, i didnt know Hos was a closet seahawks fan

just kidding Hos

Oh sure, kid me while I have mortal wounds.

:cry2:

 

[Romo2Bryant4Six]

as much as I HATE to say it... Mike Sellers is a damn good fullback.

 

[Hostile]

as much as I HATE to say it... Mike Sellers is a damn good fullback.

I think he's one of the top 3 in the NFL.

 

[casmith07]

Neal is still playing. I saw him the other day but I don't remember the team.

The Raiders! He was playing the other night!

 

[casmith07]

Actually the blocking FB was an anomaly and only lasted a relatively short time. Guys like Moose Johnston, Tom Rathman, Jamie Mueller, Lorenzo Neal, Mack Strong, etc. really only came into being in the mid-80s and have pretty much been phased out now as teams are going with more 3-WR sets and 1-RB as their standard offense.

Until the mid-80s the FB usually got about 30-40% of the carries compared with the HB but sometimes the FB got the bulk of the carries as in the case of Jim Brown, Bill Brown, Joe Perry, John Henry Johnson, Larry Csonka, Jim Taylor, Don Perkins, etc.

In 1978, FB Roland Harper of the Bears got 41.8% of the carries compared with Walter Payton who gained 1395 yards that year on 333 carries, while Harper ran for 992 yards on 240 carries.

In Landry's offense, until Tony Dorsett came along, the FB & HB were pretty much interchangeable.

Some teams ran a single-back offense, like the Commanders with John Riggins, but most used 2 RBs.

I don't foresee many teams returning to using a lead-blocking FB like we used to do with Moose. Most teams now have multiple RBs, like we do now, and only use a FB in short yardage situations.

This and a lot of teams use their 2nd or 3rd Tight End as an "H-Back" or Full Back sometimes. We did a lot of it previously with Witten when Cricket was injured.