Unconventional Wisdom: Oakland Raiders May Need A Fullback
By Jim Vickers
Marcel Reece and Jamize Olawale are important parts of the Raiders offense. So are we really saying Oakland needs a fullback?
The reasoning to follow is unlikely to be popular, especially among those followers of the Oakland Raiders.
Obviously, Marcel Reece and Jamize Olawale are listed as fullbacks on the roster and often lineup as such. But after watching all 16 games of the 2015 season and numerous Latavius Murray highlight videos, one thing becomes clear – neither is a natural lead blocker.
Far too often, Reece and Olawale are out of position, fail to knock defenders backwards or miss blocks entirely. I watched one Murray highlight that Reece ran through the hole, didn’t hit anyone and was there standing to congratulate Murray after he was tackled downfield.
And, let’s be clear, I’m not saying they are purposely shirking their duties. They are just inconsistent blockers.
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Reece and Olawale are hard-nosed players that excel at running in open space and receiving. Of course that makes sense, because their skill sets are those of receivers.
In 2008, Reece tried to catch on as an undrafted free agent with the Miami Dolphins after coming out of the University of Washington, where he had 39 receptions for 761 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior in his natural position of wide receiver.
He landed with the Raiders and in 2009 had a break out season with 17 carries for 112 yards, 25 receptions for 333 yards as a “fullback.” Unfortunately, blocking didn’t come naturally.
Likewise, 26-year-old Olawale went undrafted in 2012, receiving a tryout with the Dallas Cowboys, where he was converted from wide receiver to running back. Oakland signed him from their practice squad that year after suffering injuries in the Raiders’ backfield.
Is it a conundrum that Oakland didn’t see either of these players as a potential tight end given their pass-catching abilities?
One of the famous Raiders projects was converting full back/running back Todd Christensen to tight end, who would earn five trips to the Pro Bowl and a pair of Super Bowl rings.
But ultimately, Reece and Olawale are tweeners – too heavy to be NFL wide receivers, too short to be effective tight ends, but quick enough to be change of pace running backs and with good enough hands to catch balls. But they are not top flight blockers.
Last season, it appeared puzzling how many single back sets Raiders offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave would call, particularly in short yardage or goal line situations.
On one hand, it seemed like a trend that fullbacks were being phased out in the NFL. In October 2015, Anthony Gulizia of the Washington Times published a piece on the subject. He noted a reduction in the playing time of a Washington Redskins fullback. “He has played less than 10 percent of the team’s offensive snaps — a sharp decrease from the 20 percent he’s played each of the last two years.
While the Redskins had something of a rebirth, despite using less lead blocking in 2015, other sports analysts see fullbacks as necessary to winning. SBNation lauded the work of Carolina Panthers fullback Mike Tolbert during the playoffs:
“The fullback is a mysterious, cumbersome marvel of the football world. No one knows exactly what a fullback does because he can do anything. His primary duty may be to protect the quarterback in the pocket and pave the way for his running back, but he can also carry the ball and catch passes. He has perhaps the most diverse skill set of any player on an NFL team, and he is a prominent fixture in the 2016 NFL playoffs.
“Because the Panthers have Tolbert, Cam Newton and running back Jonathan Stewart, they are one of the best teams in the NFL at converting in short yardage. When the Panthers had three yards or less to go for a first down, they ran the ball 92 times during the regular season – more than anyone – and converted 65 percent of the time – sixth-best in the league.”
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Combining for nearly 500 pounds, one might think it logical to employ Reece and Olawale as a consistent short yardage package, like Tolbert and the 5’10” and 235-pound Stewart. Yet, this set is not a common formation used by Oakland.
The last time the Raiders fielded a significant power, short yardage package was with Jon Ritchie and Zack Crockett in the early 2000s. They smacked opponents in the teeth and put them on notice.
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Since then, the team has dabbled with various players at the fullback position. While many have been excellent, hard working athletes, such as Reece and Olawale, no one has emerged as a battering ram to bully defenses and establish a physically dominant power run game.
It may be time for the Silver and Black to draft a pure fullback to aid its attack.