There will be several interesting position battles when the Minnesota Vikings kick off training camp in Mankato next month. Who plays at which guard spot on the offensive line. The safety spot opposite Harrison Smith. Weak-side linebacker. One position that isn't discussed much is tight end. Perhaps that's because a healthy Kyle Rudolph is the undisputed starter. A difference-maker. Teddy Bridgewater's security blanket. With the spread of multiple tight end offenses in the NFL and Minnesota the position goes beyond just Rudolph. The training camp battles at tight end may also include the fullbacks. The Vikings didn't use a fullback much last year. That should change with the return of Adrian Peterson. It's been said many times over Peterson's years in the league that he prefers to run out of single-back sets. That's never been quite accurate. When he mentioned his preference for having no fullback in front of him he was running behind Naufahu Tahi. Peterson didn't mind running behind good fullbacks. Fullbacks like Tony Richardson early in his career and Jerome Felton more recently. Richardson is retired. Felton is now in Buffalo. Whether the Vikings use a fullback moving forward may depend as much on the tight ends as it does on the fullbacks.
Here's the current depth chart at each position:
Tight ends
Kyle Rudolph
Rhett Ellison
Chase Ford
Brandon Bostick
MyCole Pruitt
Fullback
Zach Line
Blake Renaud
Before the 2015 NFL Draft the Vikings tight end position seemed fairly clear. Rudolph as the starter. Rhett Ellison as the do-everything player. The H-back, in-line blocker, catch the ball on occasion, convert a big third down. The second tight end in two tight end formations. The sort of player that every good team needs but only those close to the team truly appreciates. Chase Ford as the back-up and security if Rudolph can't stay healthy. Brandon Bostick was the wildcard. A young, talented player that's trying to gain traction in the league. The Vikings tight end position became much less clear when MyCole Pruitt was selected in the fifth round. At 6'2" and 250 lbs he is a more of a movement tight end like Ellison. He's much more of an offensive threat than Ellison but provides similar versatility. His blocking is probably a work in progress but his possible impact in the passing game is intriguing. Too big for safeties. Too quick for linebackers. He's drawn comparisons to Charles Clay, formerly of the Miami Dolphins and now of the Buffalo Bills. Clay was a nightmare against the Vikings last year. Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner apparently campaigned for the selection of Pruitt and sees similar nightmarish match-up possibilities with him. Will the Vikings keep four tight ends? That's probably not an excessive number these days but it feels like it. The four would probably be Rudolph, Ellison, Ford, and Pruitt. What does that do to the fullback position? The Vikings appear to be fond of Zach Line as they've kept him on the active roster even though they had Felton. Two fullbacks is an absolute luxury on a 53-man roster. That's significant dedication to a player that has appeared in four games in two years. He's more of a runner than Felton but nowhere near the blocker. Ellison and maybe even Pruitt have the movement skills and versatility to line up in the backfield and provide lead blocking. If Line's blocking doesn't improve to the point that it's at least equal to that of those tight ends, his chances of maintaining a roster spot is diminished greatly. Line's other chance for the roster is if he can win a running back spot over, say, Matt Asiata. That would allow Line the chance to provide some power-running carries to spell Peterson while he continues to refine his blocking. But that becomes a running back position debate. This is about the tight ends and fullbacks. Blake Renaud is a developmental rookie fullback. He played linebacker at Boise St. He's adjusting to the NFL and a new position. At 6'2" and 255 lbs he has about 20 lbs on Line. That size is more fullback-sized and a linebacker-mentality in a fullback is a very good thing. Renaud is likely destined for the practice squad and it wouldn't be a stretch to think that he might have a future in Minnesota after a couple of years of work. That's probably due more to my hope that the fullback always has a place in this game. I just love those blocking grunts.
The Vikings tight end and fullback positions seemed pretty clear a couple of months ago. Rudolph, Ellison, and Ford made up a solid group. Line has nice potential at fullback. If his blocking improved he could make serious contributions to the offense. The addition of Pruitt changed things. A fifth-round pick doesn't often make an immediate impact. If Pruitt's college production and intriguing physical skills are any indication he could be one of the fifth-round picks that actually does make an immediate impact. Rudolph and Pruitt could make a dynamic offensive combination. If I had to guess the Vikings tight end and fullback positions right now, I'd go with:
Kyle Rudolph
Rhett Ellison
MyCole Pruitt
and
Zach Line
Letting Ford go is a gamble. He's the one tight end currently on the roster that can best step in for Rudolph. Bostick could be that guy but Ford has proven it. In four seasons Rudolph has had one healthy season. In that light letting Ford go is a big gamble. The guess here is that Rudolph has finally shaken the injury bug. There's still the chance that the Vikings keep four tight ends. If that's the case, I think that it's at the expense of Line, and the fullback position. Peterson's lead-blocker would be a tight end, likely Ellison.
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