The Seattle Seahawks had one of the most proficient running games in the entire NFL last season, thanks in large part to Mike Solari’s revamped offensive line and the impressive running from Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny and Mike Davis.
And even though Seattle held fullback Tre Madden on their roster the entire season, they rarely ran two-running back sets. That made Madden more of a special teams contributor than the traditional lead-blocker role a fullback usually fills.
Now that Madden is set to hit free agency, the Seahawks will be on the market for a fullback this offseason. Historically they have just brought a handful into training camp on non-guaranteed deals, and rostered the one who performed the best.
While that is very likely their strategy again for 2019, the team does have some options available in free agency that they could explore.
Here are three free agent fullbacks Seattle could look to bring in next season to give them some veteran experience on the offense and on the special teams.
Derrick Coleman
Coleman played with the Seahawks from 2012-2015 after going undrafted out of UCLA. He is known primarily as the first legally deaf offensive player in the NFL, but he also carved out a very nice role as a run blocker, special teamer and occasional threat in the passing game — hauling in all 11 targets for 91 yards and two touchdowns in his time with the Seahawks.
He spent 2017 with the Falcons and last season with the Cardinals, filling a similar role.
Coleman would be a familiar face for Seattle fans, and would provide a well-rounded skill set that plays into Seattle’s offense and special teams needs.
Nick Bellore
The Seahawks recently met with the hybrid Bellore, who spent the first ten years of his NFL career playing linebacker before converting to a fullback for his final two seasons in Detroit.
He hauled in all five of the targets he received in the last two seasons, although he only gained 16 yards.
Like Madden, he is more of a special teamer than an actual fullback, although his size makes him an ideal lead-blocker should Seattle choose to utilize that skill set next season.
Tre Madden
Both Coleman and Bellore have skills that are similar to Madden, so why not just bring back the guy with the most familiarity with the current offense and special team schemes?
Madden seems like the best fit, having performed well in his special teams role last year and even hauling in a few catches last season.
The Seahawks will surely bring in multiple players, likely a few undrafted free agents, to see if they can find a hidden gem to serve as their fullback. Most likely, however, they’ll end up with Madden again for 2019.
