Green Bay Packers: Position battle brewing at fullback
By Hunter Noll
With two strong candidates at fullback for the Green Bay Packers battling for a spot, who will come out victorious?
The Green Bay Packers have two fullbacks on their current roster. Of course, common sense would tell you they’ll only keep one. Joe Kerridge and Aaron Ripkowski are both 24, and both solid candidates.
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Kerridge is definitely the underdog in this race. Even though they’re both the same age, he has much less experience. In fact, Kerridge has just one career carry in eight games. All eight games came last year with the Packers. Before last year, Kerridge spent time with the Washington Redskins, but never on the active roster.
At 6-0, 245 pounds, he’s got the size for the position. That’s important, because not only will the fullback be tasked with leading the way for the running back, they’ll be expected to protect Aaron Rodgers as well.
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Ripkowski has an edge in most categories though. He’s had one more year in the league, and has appeared in 26 more games (34). He’s also slightly bigger. At 6-1, 246 pounds, it’s almost like he waited to see what Kerridge measured at and bribed someone to make him just bigger.
Last season, Ripkowski ran the ball 34 times for 150 yards (4.4 yards per carry) and scored two times. He also caught nine passes for 46 yards and a touchdown. While both are solid run and pass blockers, Ripkowski has the edge. He’s a more versatile weapon, and has already proven himself in the NFL.
With that being said, the Packers did hold both on their active roster for eight games last season. As one of the few teams to still feature a true fullback in their offense, a backup isn’t a bad idea. Nevertheless, it’s tough to justify an extra roster spot for a position that’s not on the field most of the time.
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If the Packers decide to just stick with one, the current favorite is Ripkowski. Don’t count Kerridge out, though. This should be one of the closest (and least talked about) competitions in camp.