Lovie Smith And Fullbacks
August 14th, 2014
Jorvorskie Lane tries to avoid a tackle last week at Jacksonville.
Man, the NFL has changed in just a few short years. Not that long ago Mike Alsott ran over defenders and was considered a top asset in the NFL.
Now? Good luck finding a fullback. The teams that do employ fullbacks usually select them on the third day of the draft or bargain-basement shop them in free agency.
The NFL has become a passing league and we — including fullbacks — can just sit back and watch.
The Bucs do have a fullback type on their roster. Big ol’ Jorvorskie Lane, all 5-11, 258 of him. If you have been out at Bucs practice, you have seen him. Sticks out like a sore thumb.
Lane is nimble for his size and he can catch the ball. Making the 53-man roster? Let’s just say Joe isn’t going to lay cash on that happening, though it’s not out of the question. Earlier this week, Bucs coach Lovie Smith did not rule out a fullback like Lane suiting up for the Bucs this fall.
“We still feel like there’s a place for a blocking fullback,” Lovie said. “He has great size. He can block, but he’s just not your typical fullback that can’t do anything else. He has great feet. He’ll tell you – most of his career he was a tailback – he feels he’s a fullback body, but feels like he’s a tailback, which is good. But he’s also done a decent job on special teams. So you can’t make it just as a fullback. You have to do other things and we think he can.”
That’s the thing. If Lane makes it, then he’s going to have to perform and perform well on special teams. He’s going to have to be a special teams stud.
It just amazes Joe how in a handful of years, a fullback went from being a key cog in an offense to being little more than a luxury.
August 14th, 2014 at 3:12 pm
5′ 1″ at 258lbs
o.O
August 14th, 2014 at 3:14 pm
@Cannon
Beat me to it!
That would be one stocky dude.
August 14th, 2014 at 3:32 pm
It says 5-11 in the article I read.
August 14th, 2014 at 3:53 pm
@gatrbuc17
I think Evan and I caught the article before one of the Joe’s corrected it
:o)
August 14th, 2014 at 4:00 pm
Hope he makes it over Stocker if he is as good of blocker that is… Easier for a FB to be a 4th TE if we need it than a 4th TE be a lead blocking FB when we need it… Ugh is it Saturday yet? I want to get this awful game off my mind. 🙁
August 14th, 2014 at 4:01 pm
Given the fact that we have No talent at the guard position, if this guy can block and be a mobile battering ram leading the charge in front of whoever is running behind him, PLUS, he’s got soft hands??? WHY WOULDN’T HE MAKE THE FINAL CUT??!!…oh I forgot, this is the same Lovie Smith who apparently has not learned his lesson about utilizing good blockers on offense even though he already had a DECADE to learn it in Chicago…
August 14th, 2014 at 4:03 pm
Charles Sims in walking boot at practice… Ugh
August 14th, 2014 at 4:25 pm
What about Lonnie?
August 14th, 2014 at 4:35 pm
good luck finding a fullback??? bucs had a pretty good fullback named lorig… now we’re stuck with a guy half his ability in lane. lol.
August 14th, 2014 at 6:35 pm
And worse, Lorig is in New Orleans.
August 14th, 2014 at 7:17 pm
I really do not get the love for Lorig at FB. His special teams play was a highlight for me, but he just whiffed on too many blocks for my taste.
With that said, Lane missed a few himself last Friday and I was not really impressed by his overall play. I’m looking for major improvement on Saturday.
August 14th, 2014 at 8:13 pm
Mort Says:
August 14th, 2014 at 6:35 pm
And worse, Lorig is in New Orleans.
————————————
Lorig is MIA in New Orleans. He hasn’t been seen or been mentioned in New Orleans by Sean Payton since August 2nd. That’s nearly 2 weeks of him being gone in New Orleans. Since he disappeared, the Saints have signed another FB, FSU product Greg Jones.
http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2014/08/as_some_saints_show_sign_of_re.html
August 14th, 2014 at 11:32 pm
Mike Alstott was special and would still be a great asset to any NFL team.
He realy was the A-Train, fast wrecker.
He would be perfect on this team, even with no blocking, he would get hit 3 yards in the own backfield by 3 guys and still run for at least a 3-4 yard gain.
Legend.
And Bucs could still play good old smash mouth football it isn´t completely gone.
Look at Chip Kellys offense, its an cleverly combination of spread and power running shemes.
Just perfectly combined in the plays, making it so hard to defend.
Win/Loss always determined in the trenches.
Its all just about disguising pre-snap what you gonna do
so that defenses can´t just load the box like last year and the bucs will run it straight into them regardless.
Pass/Run gotta be able to do both – thats why an good o.line makes an o-coordinators job that much easier.
Take what the defense is giving:
They load the box >> spread it out
They lay back >>> underneatch throw
press cover >>> just beat the man in front of you (smash mouth run or WR being able to shake the defender off)
Normal coverage >>> beat em one-on-one
thats why herron struggles: he certainly has physical tools, but doesn´t seem to smart about how to fake out and defender (Mike Evans too, but better)
thats where Tedford comes in play to help the O.line, and the rest of the crew.
Imagine the starting Line from last week and a potential game winning 4th down at the 1 and a half yard line against the Panthers.
you obviously wouldn´t be able to just push them that 1yard for a run in a heavy set.
Maybe you can spread them out, but Herron for example, while fast, didnt exactly wow with his hands.
Throw it up 50/50 ball to V-Jack or Mike Evans or ASFJ? possible, but QB´s not blessed with tons of accuracy…
would you have an good o.line: easy. you would have established the run early on and could run it again, or go play action, or because defense will be on their hills – they gotta respect the run, you quick throw it
basically
you couldn´t do wrong, besides you have an playbook as vanilla as Shiano.
August 16th, 2014 at 10:20 am
I hope Lane makes the club. All Lovie Smith has to do is remember a player by the name of Alstott, a FB that can run from the HB position, and with authority. Lane was a monster in college, and even is a better blocker than Alstott was. When we need a short distance to score or get a first down, he can be that bruising back to get it, he’s NOT easy to tackle and is pretty shifty for his size. I think he has the perfect storm of talent to not only make the team better, but also a fan favorite by inflicting pain with every run!