LaFleur used an H-back in Tennessee, i.e., a guy designated on the roster sheet as a TE who lines up in the backfield in a fullback role. In fact, he used quite a few 3 TE sets with that guy in the backfield, and they ran the ball a lot. That strikes me as maximizing available personnel, something coaches worth a d*mn will do. You didn't see him force that approach into the Packer offense.
Whether you have a TE so designated on the roster whose primary role is blocking back (H-back) or a FB with the same primary role, is a matter of symantics when they are lined up in that spot. If you want to run those plays out of that formation, however few or many, you need one of those guys.
LaFluer tried Lewis there for a few snaps early last year and ditched the idea. I don't think Lewis ever played H-back before and his not taking to it like a fish to water is no surprise. Then Vitale got some play there until he banged up his knee. After that, they tried some snaps with Tonyan pulling into the hole from in-line. He didn't look half bad doing it but that's a slower developing deal that messes with timing, not optimal for short yardage.
There is no TE on this roster who you can point to for the H-back role. They're just not those kinds of players. Might LaFleur want to add an H-back or FB, free agent or in the draft? Given the fact he has plays for those formations, and did run them, I think that's a fair bet.
Biegel signed an original round restricted tender, around $2.1 mil for one year, maybe a little higher under the new CBA. I don't think anybody is going to offer him $9.5 mil while giving up a 4th. round pick to boot.
