Luke McCaffrey as..........

I've been watching the San Francisco 49ers and wondering why more teams don't use a fullback.

Scott Frost should understand the value of a fullback, especially when he slides off a block to become a wide open receiver. 

 
Guy Chamberlin said:
I've been watching the San Francisco 49ers and wondering why more teams don't use a fullback.

Scott Frost should understand the value of a fullback, especially when he slides off a block to become a wide open receiver. 
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We do use a FB.  It is called the read key.   Instead of blocking the end, we read the end. Instead of leading on and iso, we run a RPO.  When you a bring a FB in the box, the defense brings in another player to defend the box.  By being a spread team you can account for the FBs guy by reading a defender.  It is riskier in the NFL bc teams don’t want to run the QB.  In ncaa you can run the qb without as much risk of injury. 

 
swmohusker said:
We do use a FB.  It is called the read key.   Instead of blocking the end, we read the end. Instead of leading on and iso, we run a RPO.  When you a bring a FB in the box, the defense brings in another player to defend the box.  By being a spread team you can account for the FBs guy by reading a defender.  It is riskier in the NFL bc teams don’t want to run the QB.  In ncaa you can run the qb without as much risk of injury. 
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You need to watch what Kyle Shanahan is doing with his smashmouth fullback and non-running quarterback. 

 
lo country said:
IF 2AM wins the QB race for 2020, why not use Luke like the Saints to Taysom.
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If I'm not mistaken, Teddy Bridgewater is the highest paid backup QB in the league. Guy is pretty good and showed it several times while Brees was injured. So the Saints' situation isn't necessarily like ours is. Bridgewater is #2 on the depth chart and Hill is #3. If Hill gets hurt running the Wildcat or whatever, it isn't as big of a deal.

If Luke is the clear #2 guy next year, it'll probably become less and less likely that he'll be used a bunch as a receiver or running back, etc., because of injury prevention. You can't just let your backup QB be out there risking injury too much in a non-QB role when you play in a mobile QB scheme where your starter has gotten an injury in two back-to-back seasons that made him miss multiple games.

Will we see him out there a bit like we did in the Iowa game, etc.? I'm pretty sure. But I think it'll be sparingly.

 
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Guy Chamberlin said:
I've been watching the San Francisco 49ers and wondering why more teams don't use a fullback.

Scott Frost should understand the value of a fullback, especially when he slides off a block to become a wide open receiver. 
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I hear what you're saying. I'd say though that there's probably not too much of a difference between using a fullback and running a two tight end set. In both alignments, you basically have two big guys that can either stay on their blocks or chip their block and go out for a pass.

Frost ran quite a bit of double tight end sets this season.

 
Undone said:
I hear what you're saying. I'd say though that there's probably not too much of a difference between using a fullback and running a two tight end set. In both alignments, you basically have two big guys that can either stay on their blocks or chip their block and go out for a pass.

Frost ran quite a bit of double tight end sets this season.
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Shanahan is doing the best of both worlds: using a fullback in a traditional I set backfield, where he can be a lead block for the running back, a potential ball carrier, a decoy, or the guy who picks up the first pass rusher. Or, as mentioned, he completes his blocking assignment and becomes either a first target or check down receiver. Or, as Shanahan did yesterday, he lines him up as a wide receiver and completes a 40 yard deep route. Tight ends usually don't do all the above. 

Hey, I'm not the only one noticing this. NFL analysts love Juszczyk and have been wondering why more teams don't replicate it.  They also admired Denver doing something similar with our own Andy Janovich. 

 
Guy Chamberlin said:
Hey, I'm not the only one noticing this. NFL analysts love Juszczyk and have been wondering why more teams don't replicate it.  They also admired Denver doing something similar with our own Andy Janovich. 
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It's probably about the body type, athleticism, and potential of the guy playing the position. These teams that do use fullbacks tend to keep the same shorter/stumpier guy. Such a player usually doesn't excel at lining up out wide or in the slot. They do work as a ball carrier, yes. 

Two good tight ends lining up on a play offer a college team more variability in this arena in my opinion. It's a taller body type that can go up for passes and can also be stout run blockers. They key there though is two good tight ends. Debatable whether we have that currently. Stoll is pretty solid.

 
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Guy Chamberlin said:
Shanahan is doing the best of both worlds: using a fullback in a traditional I set backfield, where he can be a lead block for the running back, a potential ball carrier, a decoy, or the guy who picks up the first pass rusher. Or, as mentioned, he completes his blocking assignment and becomes either a first target or check down receiver. Or, as Shanahan did yesterday, he lines him up as a wide receiver and completes a 40 yard deep route. Tight ends usually don't do all the above. 

Hey, I'm not the only one noticing this. NFL analysts love Juszczyk and have been wondering why more teams don't replicate it.  They also admired Denver doing something similar with our own Andy Janovich. 
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I like fullbacks too, but I think Juszczyk's importance outside of blocking is a little overstated. He's a really good blocker, but over the past 5 years he averages about 2 catches for 18 yards a game, and carry every other game. Lower than that if you narrow the time range. Of the other top-5 scoring offenses, Baltimore's FB is not a receiving threat, he's a part-time DT. Line averages about 1 touch per game with New Orleans, and I'd say Hill is more like how we use our TEs. Neither Tampa nor KC carry a fullback on their active roster. We all love fullbacks, but that doesn't mean forcing one into an offense is always the right move.

Particularly running almost exclusively out of the shotgun (another topic altogether), an H-Back TE is essentially the same as a fullback, but with potentially better receiving skills. I would say outside of being a potential ball carrier, Tight Ends do all of the things you listed above. And guys like Hickman are probably capable of putting up more than a handful of big plays per year.

 
Guy Chamberlin said:
Shanahan is doing the best of both worlds: using a fullback in a traditional I set backfield, where he can be a lead block for the running back, a potential ball carrier, a decoy, or the guy who picks up the first pass rusher. Or, as mentioned, he completes his blocking assignment and becomes either a first target or check down receiver. Or, as Shanahan did yesterday, he lines him up as a wide receiver and completes a 40 yard deep route. Tight ends usually don't do all the above. 

Hey, I'm not the only one noticing this. NFL analysts love Juszczyk and have been wondering why more teams don't replicate it.  They also admired Denver doing something similar with our own Andy Janovich. 
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Watched that game and thought the same thing.  Why not bring the FB back....SF seems to have found a way to him I multiple positions with good results and don't "show their hand" while having him in the formation.

 
Undone said:
If I'm not mistaken, Teddy Bridgewater is the highest paid backup QB in the league. Guy is pretty good and showed it several times while Brees was injured. So the Saints' situation isn't necessarily like ours is. Bridgewater is #2 on the depth chart and Hill is #3. If Hill gets hurt running the Wildcat or whatever, it isn't as big of a deal.

If Luke is the clear #2 guy next year, it'll probably become less and less likely that he'll be used a bunch as a receiver or running back, etc., because of injury prevention. You can't just let your backup QB be out there risking injury too much in a non-QB role when you play in a mobile QB scheme where your starter has gotten an injury in two back-to-back seasons that made him miss multiple games.

Will we see him out there a bit like we did in the Iowa game, etc.? I'm pretty sure. But I think it'll be sparingly.
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That's true with Teddy, he really shined when Brees was out IMO.  Might have done himself some good as far as future opportunities.  Good point about the actual depth chart for next year.  Will be interesting to see how it all shakes out

 
Pass it more, run it more, swing pass it more... play AM or Luke or have Omar take direct snaps in the wild cat and pass it to himself. Just get anybody out there going. At this point, it doesn't much matter if the guy in the red suit is Santa Claus, we just need somebody to deliver.

 
Guy Chamberlin said:
Shanahan is doing the best of both worlds: using a fullback in a traditional I set backfield, where he can be a lead block for the running back, a potential ball carrier, a decoy, or the guy who picks up the first pass rusher. Or, as mentioned, he completes his blocking assignment and becomes either a first target or check down receiver. Or, as Shanahan did yesterday, he lines him up as a wide receiver and completes a 40 yard deep route. Tight ends usually don't do all the above. 

Hey, I'm not the only one noticing this. NFL analysts love Juszczyk and have been wondering why more teams don't replicate it.  They also admired Denver doing something similar with our own Andy Janovich. 
Click to expand...
NU has yet to have a TE under SF that is long / strong / Fast  - so it will be interesting to see how he uses the rutgers transfer (voletick?) Next season. There has also been talk of some 3 TE sets. A long TE can be an advantage over a short FB. No reason an athleletic TE cant lineup in the back field and plow for 3 yards on a 3rd and 2 or chip a line man and then catch a 3 yard pass better then a FB.

 
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