Could The Bucs Be Using A Fullback?
April 30th, 2022
Bucs may channel the past.
The fullback is an endangered NFL species. That’s partly because it is a passing league.
In a sign that former Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians isn’t building the roster, the word “fullback” was uttered by John Spytek, the Bucs VP of player personnel. He spoke about the draft after the draft Saturday, and the discussion was about tight ends and wandered its way to Ko Kieft, the sixth-round pick from Minnesota.
The way Joe’s research on the guy all came back what a vicious and relentless blocker he is, Joe thought maybe this Kieft could be cross-trained to be a guard. Well, Joe was half right. Spytek admitted Kieft could play another position.
Fullback.
“Really a mauler,” Spytek said of Kieft. “We fell in love with the tape and the competitiveness. He is a guy that can do some stuff out of the backfield if we so chose to go that route. Use a fullback a little bit.”
A fullback? Arians didn’t believe in fullbacks. Never did. Just someone mentioning “fullback” around Arians caused him to spill his whiskey. A fullback on the Bucs?
Arians is clearly staying away from game prep.
April 30th, 2022 at 7:37 pm
Has anyone seen his highlights he destroys people lol alot of consensus is that he is probably the best blocking tightend in the draft
April 30th, 2022 at 7:40 pm
Without a doubt yes. Please make a smashmouth running attack with a sledgehammer fullback a main course for this offense. The OL is good enough, especially with good lead blockers like Shaq.
I’m not thrilled with the backfield with tapdancing Lenny and Rachaad, unless Ke Shawn, the most talented guy in it, busts out this season, and I pray that that happens.
Run it down their throats, quit making Brady throw so much, and please field a defense to keep opposing offenses terrified and off the field.
April 30th, 2022 at 7:44 pm
Times are a-changing.
I anticipate the Bucs being a mauling O in 2022, with the occasional dagger to the heart.
Part of the Bucs problem in 2021 was quick scoring. The D tired toward the end of games, especially as the season went on.
Brady wants to win, but he doesn’t need to throw 5300yds. to do it.
While the passing game is Madden Big Fun, I do miss the Alstott-up-the-gut years. I miss Thunder and Lightning.
A little more O balance would be a very positive thing.
April 30th, 2022 at 7:44 pm
The Bucs lined Brate up as a fullback a few times last season, so they know they could use one.
They had Auclair who was a little tall for a FB, but would have worked doing FB work, but they cut him.
Yes, they could use a FB to open holes through the line.
April 30th, 2022 at 7:57 pm
My first thought when I read the posting on here announcing the pick was maybe using Keift as a FB. I-formation is making a comeback.
April 30th, 2022 at 8:05 pm
He blocks, and he could be a lead blocker lined up in the backfield in certain situations… I’m sure they’ve had that formation in the playbook under Arians. I doubt that Spytek’s comment means anything new to the offense other than that they wanna get more physical in the run game. Nothing surprising. No changes to the playbook or basic offensive design.
April 30th, 2022 at 8:06 pm
Sounds like they’re building a run game for whenever Trask steps in.
April 30th, 2022 at 8:11 pm
All signs point toward the Bucs devoting more to a smash-mouth run team this year. Personally, I love it. And we have a few pieces now to run occasional I-formation or 2-back sets. Tons of diversity. Love it.
April 30th, 2022 at 8:20 pm
It’s been years since the Bucs had any sort of 2 back set, this could be awesome
April 30th, 2022 at 8:30 pm
He could block for Brady as the RB or run it too.
April 30th, 2022 at 8:37 pm
Ball control will be necessary this year to give the defense a chance rest and to reduce the amount of possessions opposing offenses have. Whether it’s running more or going to a motion passing offense, the downfield throws will have to be dialed back. Then of course if we get off to a slow start and the team doesn’t jell. Our schedule might dictate Tom to go for stats vs wins in his final season
April 30th, 2022 at 8:41 pm
Are we going back to run, run, throw? That only works when you have a complimentary defense. We don’t.
April 30th, 2022 at 8:41 pm
I agree, we score too fast, and that winds up tiring out the defense. I would like to see some more ball control short passes, and/or a real running game.
April 30th, 2022 at 8:46 pm
Bring the run game. This guy as a lead blocker for lenny. Then play action, screens. I smell bust it big run plays.
April 30th, 2022 at 8:51 pm
UP THE GUTTTTT!!!!!!!! Chooo choo
April 30th, 2022 at 8:53 pm
Zander Horvath out of Purdue got a couple of Alstott comps and had great combine measurables for a FB. The Chargers took him with pick 260. I was hoping he could be an UDFA flyer. May be able to poach him from the practice squad. He could have provided some interesting matchup problems as a lead blocker, good pass blocker, and good speed along with his size catching passes. I could see Brady loving a two back set with a weapon like this.
April 30th, 2022 at 8:53 pm
🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃💨💨💨💨💨
April 30th, 2022 at 9:02 pm
If they wanted to go to a power 2-back, great. I love north-south, no wasted BS. The problem is they don’t have a power back. Lenny isn’t. Ke Vaughn isn’t. Lenny-like Rachaad isn’t.
This draft was full of potential feature backs all the way to the end of the board.
To give Herm Edwards a gift, they took a stiff upright non-power back who tries to be Barry Sanders when he doesn’t have the laterals to pull it off.
April 30th, 2022 at 9:18 pm
When ya just need 2 yards, nothin beats the old I formation with a beast in the front.
In the heyday of the Redskins and the Hogs, EVERYone knew they were gonna hand it off to Riggins, and Russ Grimm and Joe Jaconby were gonna be the blockers. DIDN’T matter, they ALways got the 2 yards
April 30th, 2022 at 9:22 pm
No one has mentioned that the patriots were one of only a couple of teams that for years used a fullback on a regular basis. I’m betting Tom has something to do with bringing that to the Bucs.
April 30th, 2022 at 10:37 pm
Love all of these comments.
The game is ever changing. Have you been watching what KC is doing to morph or remold itself? That franchise is not fooling around either.
April 30th, 2022 at 10:53 pm
If anything an H-back, however I’ve always said if Leftwich was ever gets a head coaching job, people who hire him are going to be shocked when he’s running the wishbone. Leftwich is ULTRA conservative, it wouldn’t shock me in the least if he wants a FB. With that said in Madden I always trade the 49ers for Juszczyk since it’s so much easier to run out of a traditional I formation – and Leftwich is like 5-years younger than me, so you know he’s playing football, using the ‘run heavy’ offensive playbook too I bet.
April 30th, 2022 at 11:27 pm
alstott was a beast…
look at that pic of him…like a neanderthal in pads…he was so much fun to watch…
and chris berman on espn making sounds as he bounced off and ran over people
April 30th, 2022 at 11:29 pm
did anyone see bruce wearing that bright red pen in his ear in the war room…
did anyone see 🙂
April 30th, 2022 at 11:35 pm
they added a stack….and yes i mean a stack of udfa wide outs…
brady must be upset with tyler, scotty and darden…
them dudes are really on the hot seat…
brady will work these guys hard and see if he loves any of them…if he does, goodbye tyler, scotty and darden
May 1st, 2022 at 12:20 am
Patrick Hape was a great blocker in the same role.
May 1st, 2022 at 12:38 am
@adam from ny,
I’m sure our guys are scared of a bunch of undrafted grocery attendants.
May 1st, 2022 at 12:52 am
These guys will mostly be camp meat. If anyone shines on special teams, they might make it there, but mostly they’ll be stashed onto the Practice Squad. I have a feeling the Bucs are going to ride the Darden train for KOs. Which I’m pretty sure we know he’ll take one step and get tackled.
Scotty was injured most of last season so he gets a pass.
May 1st, 2022 at 1:04 am
If you want to waste some time, go watch some Alstott highlights on YouTube. I’ve watched some collections that are like 25-mins long, of just highlight plays, over and over and over again. It got so common with him you kind of got used to it. But no one really runs like that anymore, so going back and watching it now, wow…
Makes me even more p/o’d that stupid Gruden stopped giving him the ball because he’d rather watch Pittman run into the back of his offensive lineman on every play.
May 1st, 2022 at 1:34 am
SOEbuc Says
“Sounds like they’re building a run game for whenever Trask steps in.”
No one else picked up on this…and I believe you are right. I don’t think the pick was about this year at all, though I think if he makes the team he’ll get some playing time.
As to him bringing back the Alstott days like others are suggesting…that would be awesome, but I’d be happy enough if he played like Lorenzo Neal.
May 1st, 2022 at 9:27 am
Like all of the comments. I believe we will have a more balanced attack until Godwin gets back in the lineup. Don’t think we will be airing it out as much as last year.
May 1st, 2022 at 11:06 am
“The fullback is an endangered NFL species. That’s partly because it is a passing league.”
The why does the sports media keep overhyping “athletic”, “dual threat” quarterbacks who suck? And why do so many NFL teams fall for the hype? When’s the last time one of them won a Super Bowl?
May 1st, 2022 at 12:14 pm
It will be interesting to see how Kieft will be used. First off, I don’t know if his hands are suspect. Minnesota had a very run-oriented offense, which means the box was stacked with defenders. Unless a TE has outstanding speed (Kieft doesn’t) you won’t throw the ball his way if you elect to pass. I’m not expecting much in the pass-catching department out of Kieft, but I’m keeping an open mind that he might be better than the college stats suggest.
As Joe speculated, he could be a FB. He’s a bit tall for a FB, but he loves to hit. Despite the difference in where they line up, a FB and a TE have a lot of commonalities in their skill sets. It isn’t a stretch to see Kieft at FB.
It’s also possible that Kieft could add some weight and transition into a developmental OT. His wingspan is acceptable, he’s athletic, but he’d definitely need some additional weight and strength. I’m not sure if his frame can handle it, but it is a possibility.
May 1st, 2022 at 6:32 pm
Y’all better watch out for that dude Smoke Monday we just got he will be putting a hurting on lot of Y’alls boys on a Sunday are a Monday lol
May 2nd, 2022 at 1:47 am
Alstott was my guy! Saw him score a touchdown against the redskins in the 99 divisional game. Dude should’ve been tackled behind the line but he bounced off a tackle as he usually did and went wide for a TD. I got beer all over me after that score. It was amazing and I’ll never forget it
May 2nd, 2022 at 3:36 am
The days of the run-first offense are gone, consigned to history. The rules are so skewed towards the passing game now that it makes no sense to ground and pound except when circumstances dictate against a specific opponent or in brutal weather conditions.
May 2nd, 2022 at 11:23 am
I would love to see the smash mouth football return to the NFL. I agree with what “COBRABOY SAYS”, we need to stop scoring so quick. The Defense did wear down a lot last year. Bringing back some smash mouth Football could be a way to keep the offence on the field. BTW I loved the Bucs 2nd round picks…Logan Hall brings youth and speed to the pass rush…Luke Goedeke brings another stud to the O-Line and looks like he has Jenson’s toughness…Rachaad White, I think they could have waited here to get him and would rather has gotten another D-Lineman but over all like the 1st 2 picks!
May 2nd, 2022 at 12:31 pm
Alstott and Jerome Bettis played a very similar style and were similar size and speed. One was called a fullback.
But yes, bring back Alstott, Moose Johnson… those guys were fun to watch.
May 2nd, 2022 at 1:00 pm
The tampa bay Bucs offense is good but need blocking cathing Gronkonski. The bucs problem last year problem was defensive. The need a much better strong safeties, corner backs , safeties, covermen in the backfield to cover the fast receiver who can go long, mid field, and or short routes.
May 2nd, 2022 at 9:23 pm
Too bad we couldn’t have Alstott back. Lol