RyanO4
Cheesehead
It's great that the Packers resigned Kuhn at the right price, but it is clearly going to be his final year with the team. He does bring great experience and leadership to the team. More importantly K-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-H-H-H-H-N-N will still be heard around Lambeau and away stadiums.
But back to my point, many believe FB is a dying position and is no longer needed. I personally believe that the position is still of good use to the Packers and there are a few suggestions I have for the future.
1. The first and most obvious one in my opinion is to draft the top FB prospect, who is Jalston Fowler out of Alabama. A former teammate of Eddie Lacy looks to be a winning combination. Plus he looks to be a pretty good receiver and special teams player. Here is WalterFootball.com analysis on him:
Fowler is the rare fullback prospect who is a powerful load as a lead blocker, can run the football, and is a receiving weapon out of the backfield. Fowler blocked really well for Alabama's talented running backs in 2014. The senior also had 11 catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns, along with 12 carries for 69 yards. Fowler looks to be worthy of a third-day pick with the potential to be a starting fullback and special teams contributor in the NFL. He had a good week at the Senior Bowl and showed that he's ready to compete immediately. While Fowler didn't run fast at the Combine, he looked athletic in the field drills as a runner and receiver.
2. Another prospect who intrigues me is Mark Weisman, who played FB/HB at Iowa. He reminds me a lot of a young Kuhn because of his productivity in college and running style. He seems a little bit raw and slow, but so was Kuhn when he started out. I'm sure the guy has a lot of heart though like most Hawkeyes. Here's an article on him from Fansided.com, http://nflmocks.com/2014/11/01/examining-iowa-rb-mark-weismans-nfl-prospects/
3. Another route the Packers could go is to draft a TE to block as a FB, but also be able to be a solid TE. The Packers have been trying this for years now (Crabtree, Quarless, Rodgers, and many others), but in my opinion they really haven't had a true blocking TE. Ben Koyack is a player I like in this role because he has the size, strength, and experience to do it. Plus he is a very solid receiving TE. The Packers would however have to draft him a little higher. Here's CBSsports.com analysis on him:
STRENGTHS: Versatility could be his calling card in the NFL. Lined up primarily as a lead blocker in the running game both at H-back or fullback in 2013 and saw signification action there as an inline blocker as a senior. Koyack demonstrates strength, flexibility and quickness at the point of attack, routinely sealing the edge or clearing the hole with leverage, physicality and above all else tenacity. As a receiver, Koyack shows impressive burst off the line, is able to sink and accelerate out of cuts, and possesses superb arm length, coordination and soft hands to pluck the ball off his frame. He also exhibits a strong second gear after the catch and the athleticism to break down and make defenders miss in the open field.
WEAKNESSES: A good developmental prospect but may need a year in an NFL weight room to handle the same duties he was asked to perform at Notre Dame. Good overall weight distribution but still looks more like a big receiver than a traditional NFL tight end. Relatively narrow limbs and could use to gain strength, especially in his upper body. Can be overwhelmed by size and strength as an inline blocker and struggles, at times, to fight through the jam to get into his route. Better burst to separate than true straight-line speed.
4. Finally, the Packers could just get rid of the position all together. I mean who are we kidding, this is a passing league anyways right? Haha
But back to my point, many believe FB is a dying position and is no longer needed. I personally believe that the position is still of good use to the Packers and there are a few suggestions I have for the future.
1. The first and most obvious one in my opinion is to draft the top FB prospect, who is Jalston Fowler out of Alabama. A former teammate of Eddie Lacy looks to be a winning combination. Plus he looks to be a pretty good receiver and special teams player. Here is WalterFootball.com analysis on him:
Fowler is the rare fullback prospect who is a powerful load as a lead blocker, can run the football, and is a receiving weapon out of the backfield. Fowler blocked really well for Alabama's talented running backs in 2014. The senior also had 11 catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns, along with 12 carries for 69 yards. Fowler looks to be worthy of a third-day pick with the potential to be a starting fullback and special teams contributor in the NFL. He had a good week at the Senior Bowl and showed that he's ready to compete immediately. While Fowler didn't run fast at the Combine, he looked athletic in the field drills as a runner and receiver.
2. Another prospect who intrigues me is Mark Weisman, who played FB/HB at Iowa. He reminds me a lot of a young Kuhn because of his productivity in college and running style. He seems a little bit raw and slow, but so was Kuhn when he started out. I'm sure the guy has a lot of heart though like most Hawkeyes. Here's an article on him from Fansided.com, http://nflmocks.com/2014/11/01/examining-iowa-rb-mark-weismans-nfl-prospects/
3. Another route the Packers could go is to draft a TE to block as a FB, but also be able to be a solid TE. The Packers have been trying this for years now (Crabtree, Quarless, Rodgers, and many others), but in my opinion they really haven't had a true blocking TE. Ben Koyack is a player I like in this role because he has the size, strength, and experience to do it. Plus he is a very solid receiving TE. The Packers would however have to draft him a little higher. Here's CBSsports.com analysis on him:
STRENGTHS: Versatility could be his calling card in the NFL. Lined up primarily as a lead blocker in the running game both at H-back or fullback in 2013 and saw signification action there as an inline blocker as a senior. Koyack demonstrates strength, flexibility and quickness at the point of attack, routinely sealing the edge or clearing the hole with leverage, physicality and above all else tenacity. As a receiver, Koyack shows impressive burst off the line, is able to sink and accelerate out of cuts, and possesses superb arm length, coordination and soft hands to pluck the ball off his frame. He also exhibits a strong second gear after the catch and the athleticism to break down and make defenders miss in the open field.
WEAKNESSES: A good developmental prospect but may need a year in an NFL weight room to handle the same duties he was asked to perform at Notre Dame. Good overall weight distribution but still looks more like a big receiver than a traditional NFL tight end. Relatively narrow limbs and could use to gain strength, especially in his upper body. Can be overwhelmed by size and strength as an inline blocker and struggles, at times, to fight through the jam to get into his route. Better burst to separate than true straight-line speed.
4. Finally, the Packers could just get rid of the position all together. I mean who are we kidding, this is a passing league anyways right? Haha
