Seahawks training camp battles: Fullback

The Seattle Seahawks don’t have a true fullback currently on the roster. That leaves them with a trio of guys making a position change trying to claim that spot.

The Seattle Seahawks did something rather confusing last season when they kept two fullbacks on the 53 man roster. It became even more confusing when they very rarely had either of them on the field throughout the season.

When the season was over, both of those FBs were free agents. The Seahawks made no effort to bring them back. That left them with hole on the roster and even more confusion as to why they decided to carry both last season.

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That leaves Seattle with three guys who are new to the position all fighting for the job. One of them is a former tight end; one is a former running back; and the third is a former defensive tackle.

Here is how things appear to stack up as they head into training camp, but keep in mind that huge shifts in this roster battle are highly expected.

1. Brandin Bryant

The Seahawks love huge and intimidating FBs. Will Tukuafu was over 290 pounds, and Brandin Bryant fits exactly the same mold. Bryant is huge, and there’s no LB in the league that’ll want to take him on in the hole.

Also like Tukuafu, Bryant will be able to serve as an emergency defensive lineman. He was a defensive tackle in college, and is athletic enough to not be a complete liability if pressed into action on that side of the ball. That is an important asset for Bryant.

Bryant’s biggest obstacle will be learning how to play offense. Seattle’s running scheme is complex and difficult to master, and Bryant has no experience to lean on.

2. Brandon Cottom

Brandon Cottom is a TE first, but he’s also one of the candidates do be the team’s fullback. We know Cottom can block, and the Seahawks don’t ask their FBs to do much else. What we don’t know yet is if he can read blocks in Seattle’s zone blocking scheme.

Cotton’s ability to also play TE gives him an advantage in the race to become Seattle’s FB. With Jimmy Graham’s status still a huge unknown, the Seahawks can use Cottom as both the FB and as a backup TE and not need an extra roster spot for additional TE depth.

3. Tre Madden

The Seahawks signed the former USC running back as an UDFA to come in and compete for the fullback spot. He’s got the athleticism to do the job, and his experience as a runner will help him learn to read blocks in Seattle’s zone blocking scheme.

The problem that Madden will have here is that he’s tiny for a FB. He’s listed at only 223 pounds, and he looked even smaller than that at the team’s offseason workouts. Compare that to the 260 pounds of Derrick Coleman and the 290 pounds of Will Tukuafu on last season’s roster, and you’ll begin to see the problem.

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Seattle’s like their FBs to be big so they can take on defensive ends and the occasion defensive tackle. There isn’t anyone who’ll fear Madden coming through the hole they way Will Tukuafu was feared.