After Keeping No Fullbacks: Bengals Possibly Looking To Add A Fullback
by Josh Kirkendall on Sep 5, 2010 12:30 AM EDT
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PrintWhen the 53-man roster was announced just after 6 p.m. on a glorious Saturday evening, the list didn't include any fullbacks. Not Fui Vakapuna, not Joe Tronzo. The solution, if it stands the way it does today, is to use Daniel Coats, Dan Skuta and Reggie Kelly in some de facto fullback roll. So when the team elected not to keep Chase Coffman, their third tight end on the roster, it was somewhat of a surprise; not that they didn't keep Coffman, rather they didn't keep four tight ends.
Are they leaving the door open for a fullback later?
Many moons ago we brought up the issue that the team didn't take fullback seriously in the offseason, electing to go with a guy that they outright waived last year and didn't retain through the practice squad like they did with Chris Pressley. In other words, Vakapuna was the third best fullback last year. Maybe he got better, who knows such things.
Regardless, the team isn't totally satisfied with their no fullback solution. According to Geoff Hobson, the Bengals at one point were "mulling a trade for a fullback" but have so far elected to "scour the waiver wire and if they put in a claim they'll find out if they got him shortly after noon."
A list of fullbacks cut on Saturday (according to Fox Sports):
- Charles Scott (Cardinals)
- Dan Klecko (Falcons)
- Rodney Ferguson (Bills)
- Rashawn Jackson (Panthers)
- Eddie Williams (Bears)
- Jack Corcoran (Texans)
- Rolly Lumbala (Dolphins)
- Ryan D'Imperio (Vikings)
- Jason McKie (Saints)
- Zak Keasey (Saints)
- Jerome Johnson (Giants)
- Jason Davis (Jets)
- Manase Tonga (Raiders)
- Dwayne Wright (Steelers)
- Frank Summers (Steelers)
- Richie Brockel (Chargers)
- Billy Latsko (Chargers)
- Jehuu Caulcrick (49ers)
- Brit Miller (49ers)
- Dennis Morris (Rams)
- Redrick Taylor (Rams)
- Jed Collins (Titans)
- Carey Davis (Redskins)
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There's nobody on that list of fullbacks that I'd want
Maybe they should just put two of the running backs they have in the backfield at the same as in the days of James Brooks and Ickey Woods.
by occams_tiger_teeth on Sep 5, 2010 2:03 AM EDT reply actions
klecko
might be best on that list and that ain’t saying much
"wherever Brad St. Louis is and Shayne Graham is about to be." -R.F. Mehl
Outlook not good.
Can’t say I’m very impressed with that list of cast off fullbacks…I think the Bengals might have made a big mistake not taking FB seriously as mentioned before. I suppose we’ll see, I’m not a coach, so maybe, hopefully, Coats can handle “starting” FB better than he can handle a perfectly thrown ball.
It's really not a big deal.
I think the stat was 14 teams opened the season last year without a fullback on the roster. We’re going to be running more three wides and double TE formations so there wouldn’t be a fullback anyway. I’m confident in coats, Kelly, and skuta to perform the duties as needed.
RIP Slim.
by brandone on Sep 5, 2010 9:27 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
i’m pretty sure the saints didn’t use a fullback, and they won the super bowl.
i'm going to go america all over your ass!
also, i’m fairly certain the colts have no fullback on their roster either.
i'm going to go america all over your ass!
just wondering
I think it’s a mistake not to have a true fullback. Most of my fear comes from the disasterous 2008 campaign where Coats was the fullback. I know there were a lot of other problems with the Bengals offense that year but before palmer was hurt the protection sucked and the running sucked. I put a lot of those problems on not having JJ in there as a true fullback.
Saints and Colts are bad examples
Granted we’ll see more 3 receiver sets and double tight end formations this year, the Saints and Colts are not good examples as they rely almost entirely on the passing game.
While we clearly have more weapons at receiver/tight end than we did last year, our O-line has more talent for the power game than finesse and our primary back is a power back. The teams that execute well with those two attributes, and rely on their running game as a result, tend to have a pure blocking fullback.
The only argument I see against us needing a quality blocking fullback is that we seemed to run the ball pretty well last year without one. In fact, we ran well even when the passing game faltered and teams were playing our run.
by Mister Merope on Sep 5, 2010 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions
If I had to pick bad examples to follow
The Saints and Colts wouldn’t be bad. :)
by IllinoisBengal on Sep 5, 2010 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Most playoff teams don't have fullbacks.
The of the playoff teams are passing teams.
The top running teams usually have a fullback – but the top playoff teams are usually pass happy.
by IllinoisBengal on Sep 5, 2010 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions
What in Daniel Coats' history
Has made you “confident that he’ll perform the duties as needed”. He does nothing well. The guy should be bagging my groceries at the local Albertson’s.
by Anthony Cosenza on Sep 5, 2010 11:36 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
But then again
He’d probably drop my food and ruin it if he was my bagger at the store.
by Anthony Cosenza on Sep 5, 2010 11:37 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Waiver Wire
Does anyone know a link or website that regularly updates waiver signings??
Thanks
Caz
In hindsight
I hated the move then and hate it even more now of keeping that miserable, unmotivated tub of lard Jeremi Johnson instead of Chris Pressley. Was also hoping that they’d rectify the situation in the draft by taking John Conner but I don’t think anybody saw him going as early as the fifth. At this point they should just stand pat. At least we can bring Peko in for goal line situations.
Hobson mentioned a trade
If the team really wants a FB, they should discuss a trade with Green Bay. That team has three solid FB’s on their roster: John Kuhn, Korey Hall, Quinn Johnson. I thought one of them would be released but no such luck. We might be able to trade Dan Skuta to them straight up, or we’d need to spend a draft pick which I’m against when you see that most highly rated FB’s in the draft fall to the 6th or 7th round anyway.
i'm coming around to that train of thought too
don’t know summers is the answer, certainly, could be worth bringing him for a look.
"wherever Brad St. Louis is and Shayne Graham is about to be." -R.F. Mehl
Caulcrick, Keasey and McKie
Aren’t bad.
by Anthony Cosenza on Sep 5, 2010 11:34 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
On second thought...
Jason Davis (Jets) supposedly had a great pre-season but was just in an impossible situation to make the roster. Could be worth a look..
Klecko used to be pretty good. Not sure if he still is or not. He might be a decent one-year stopgap tho.
McKie is decent. He wouldn’t be a bad choice. He’s not great, but nobody on the waiver wire is. And he’s pretty versatile too (he can catch).
Keasey looked OK in limited action against mostly scrubs. Might be somebody to keep an eye on. Not likely to be who we really want tho.
Other than that, I don’t know much about the people on this list.
We have Tronzo on the PS
If we want a game plan to feature the power run, we can bring him up.
If we want to use more 3 receiver sets to attack a secondary we can do that too.
We have both. Just depends on the opponents.
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