Redskins: Riggo’s Rag Mailbag: QB depth chart, preseason, and more
By Ian Cummings
Offense featuring a fullback?
Gruden has stated he is looking at employing a FB, right now Wellman is the 1. He has no real highlight tape at WVU but what he showed prior to his play there was a gross misuse of talent whether it was the offense scheme or not. He is as big as Reed too https://t.co/1L83u48sW6
— EBlake (@eblake981) July 12, 2018
For a little bit, it seemed like the full back was a dying breed in the NFL. Until it wasn’t.
The Redskins took a hiatus from the idea of a full back for a time after releasing Darrell Young years ago, but after the recent success of players such as Kyle Juszczyk, Patrick Dimarco, and Andy Janovich, the full back has undergone a bit of a resurgence.
The Redskins didn’t invest heavily in the position this offseason, but there is one player on the roster who could be an intriguing weapon for them, in that regard: Undrafted rookie and former West Virginia Mountaineer Elijah Wellman.
Standing at 6-foot-2, 235, Wellman has very good size, and he could be a full back, tight end hybrid, if Randy Jordan can coach him up and help him adjust to the pace of the NFL. Wellman’s physical traits aren’t spectacular, but he’s a very willing blocker, and out of the backfield, he could help open lanes for Derrius Guice, taking pressure off of the offensive line. While the line handles the defensive front, Wellman can be Guice’s guide through the hole, taking the linebacker out of the equation and allowing Guice to roam in open space, where he’s most dangerous.
As a playmaking fullback, in the mold of Juszczyk, Wellman’s potential is unclear. He was underutilized at West Virginia, leading to underwhelming stats. But at his pro day with the Mountaineers, he showed that he possesses surprising athleticism and agility. Among other results, he logged a 4.82 40-yard dash, a 33-inch vertical leap and one of the team’s fastest three-cone drills, timed at 6.83 seconds. Those aren’t out-of-this-world numbers, but for a fullback, that’s decent, at the very least. In the Redskins’ scheme, he could become a fairly effective receiving threat.
As is the case with most roster decisions, Wellman’s fate is only partly in his hands. The Redskins will need to decide if they value a full-time fullback more than they do an extra player at another position. They could simply use a reserve tight end as a fullback; Manasseh Garner fits the hybrid mold that Niles Paul was sometimes used in.
And if they’re feeling extra frugal, they could just use Robert Kelley as a part-time fullback, or even Ryan Anderson in power running situations, as they did sparingly last year (If Anderson commands more defensive reps this year, then this idea immediately loses feasibility, and it isn’t very feasible to begin with). As Jay Gruden stated in an NBCS Mid-Atlantic video, “he blocked the wrong guy both times, but he went out and did it”. Anderson’s the last resort. Kelley and Garner are both possibilities at the position, and Kelley saves a roster spot somewhere else if he takes on the fullback role.
Whatever options remain available, if the Redskins desire a true fullback, then Elijah Wellman is their best bet. But if they value versatility and view the role of a fullback as expendable, or available to players at other positions, then Wellman could be facing stacked odds in training camp. He shouldn’t be counted out, nonetheless.