In Monday’s Early Roster Projection, Josh Klein posited that the Panthers, like other teams in the NFL, might be keeping four running backs and zero fullbacks on the roster. Whether or not that turns out to be true remains to be seen, but it’s an intriguing question. The Carolina Panthers new offensive philosophy seems to revolves around interchangeable pieces that can be moved all around the field and provide similar options while creating mismatches. Because of this, any fullback that the Panthers keep on roster will have to be able to line up almost anywhere along the offensive front and must be able to receive, run, and block.
Unfortunately, the two options that the Panthers currently hold at fullback do not fulfill all of those requirements as both of them are blocking first fullbacks that may not be able to run or catch passes as well as the team would like. Rookie Alex Armah is a raw but talented player who played mostly on the defensive side of the ball in college, and veteran Darrel Young is a more traditional fullback who was out of football all of last year. So the option to not keep a fullback is on the table, but what would the Panthers offense actually look like if they did not keep a fullback on roster during the 2017 season?
For one, the roster construction would get a lot easier for the Panthers, as this would allow them to keep an additional wide receiver, offensive lineman, or running back on roster which could help alleviate some of the stresses on the current units. If the extra roster spot was used on a skill position for the offense it would allow the team to rotate their offensive pieces more frequently which gives them more rest and allows them to play harder later in games. If the position is used on an offensive lineman it might alleviate some of the concerns surrounding the offensive tackle position and lack of depth at it. However, I want to examine how the Panthers offense might look on the field without a fullback.
To begin, the Panthers would need to be more creative in their formations if they were to forgo a fullback, considering the standard versions of the T, Wing T, I, Pro Set, Single and Double Wing formations all require one. Considering most of these formations are run-centric and the fact that the team would likely come out in more shotgun, single back and pistol sets, it is reasonable to say that the offense would be a more pass heavy without a fullback. These pass happy formations can limit an offenses rushing attack if the team doesn’t employ pre-snap motions or have a number of receivers and running backs that can run block effectively. The Panthers offense would need to get creative with their formations if they do not carry a fullback.
Darrel Young
The offensive style would also have to change if the Panthers were to move away from fullbacks. The rushing attack will have to rely more on sweeps, options, and off tackle runs while relying on the offensive line for short yardage and inside runs. Think to yourself what play the Panthers employ most when they face a short yardage situation. Are you picturing Cam Newton in the shotgun, running the “QB Power” directly over the guard? That play doesn’t require a fullback. Meanwhile, the passing attack would require running backs to run more routes to the flat, wheel, and “bump and run” style routes, all of which new weapon Christian McCaffrey could excel utilizing. However, not having a traditional fullback also put a larger stress on the running backs and offensive line to block well or require Cam Newton to get the ball out of his hands faster. This idea of “speed” and “getting the ball out of Cam Newton’s hands faster” seems to have recurred multiple times throughout the offseason and training camp, with multiple players and head coach Ron Rivera indicating that it is a point of emphasis for the offense.
“Perception and reality, we want to make sure we know what reality is, we’re going to look at maximizing our personnel, all of them, no matter who’s here when they’re in the game. Finding guys who can best make plays for us and finding ways to get them to ball.”
-Offensive Coordinator Mike Shula
If you didn’t notice, a lot of the changes the Panthers would need to make to run a successful offense without a fullback are the types of changes that they have made over this offseason. A fullback was on the field for less than 30% of offensive snaps in 2016. Could that number fall all the way to zero? Could the offseason changes the Panthers have made be foreshadowing the team not employing a fullback during the 2017 season? Let me know what you think in the comments below.
