General Manager Brian Gutekunst continues to look for ways to improve the team when injuries pile up. We are only three weeks into training camp, and injuries have hit the fullback position with Danny Vitale suffering a calf injury.
Gutekunst wasted no time and announced on Monday that the team has free agent fullback Tommy Bohanon. He is a former Jacksonville Jaguar and played the past two seasons under new Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Bohanon is more of a pure blocking fullback and bigger than the two fullbacks who are currently on the Packers roster.
The fullback position is still a prominent position in Green Bay. Former Packer Head Coach Mike McCarthy utilized fan favorite, fullback John Kuhn, who came a crucial component to the offense throughout his career. The past few years of his tenure, McCarthy went away from the position and would utilize a tight end to fill the fullback role when needed.
New Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur plans to utilize the fullback more in his offense than his predecessor did. He also does not want to use a tight end in that role. So, when injuries hit the position, Gutekunst went out and brought in a fullback who has experience working with Hackett and can jump in right away.
In his two seasons with the Jaguars, Bohanon started 16 games and scored two touchdowns. He even was a key contributor for the Jaguars when they made the AFC Championship game in 2017.
With the team’s both fullbacks currently nursing injuries, I would expect to see Bohanon play in this weeks preseason game. Being familiar with Hackett can only help him as he tries to earn a spot on the 53 man roster.
Anthony Haag is a writer for PackersTalk.com. He has been a Packers fan since the day he was born and truly bleeds green and gold. He makes annual visits to Lambeau Field and has attended his fair share of games. You can follow Anthony on Twitter at @anthony_haag
