'Let's Add A Little Bit More:' Behind the Eagles' FB Addition

PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles haven’t used a fullback in a long time.

The organization got a taste of what it’s like this season with hybrid Ben VanSumeren and planned on expanding his role before the second-year player suffered a season-ending knee injury in last Friday’s practice.

VanSumeren underwent surgery in Los Angeles earlier this week and is expected to miss six months while rehabbing.

Instead of just scrapping the position with no BVS, the Eagles went outside the organization to sign Khari Blasingame, a veteran with 66 NFL games and 21 starts under his belt as a fullback in Tennessee and Chicago.

“I think what it's done is give another layer for the defense to have to pay attention to,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said when asked about using a fullback. “I'm not going to get into the scheme of it, why it's been helpful for us, but one of the benefits is the layer that it gives the defense to have to defend, and have to spend time on, and have to study.”

Blasingame, 28, is a 6-foot, 233-pounder who interned under Minnesota veteran C.J. Ham, one of the standards at what has been a position on the endangered list. The Vanderbilt product wasn’t unseating Ham with the Vikings but was able to carve out his own niche with the Titans where he was a teammate of A.J. Brown, and then the Bears.

At practice Wednesday, it was easier for Blasingame with Brown on hand.

"We chopped it up just like old times," the newest Eagles player said.

Another familiar face greeted Blasingame when he arrived in Philly, a former college teammate at Vanderbilt, linebacker Oren Burks.

“Oren is my guy so I reached out to him,” Blasingame said. “He said good locker room, good dudes. Just an opportunity to come here and help a really good team win.”

Blasingame is starting on the practice squad but it sure sounds like the plan might be for him to somewhat mirror VanSumeren’s role as not only the fullback but as a special teams contributor.

“I don’t know if I should say that. Everybody has different rules with the media,” Blasingame said. “Just get up to speed as much as possible with offense and special teams. Ready for whenever they call my number.”

Sirianni was certainly foreshadowing that number being called.

“It’s been pretty productive for us this year,” Sirianni said of the fullback position. “I haven't been on a team that we've utilized the fullback in quite some time. Sometimes you go into it and you're like, do we need a fullback? And you say, eh. Then you get into it, and you start doing it, and you're like, ‘man, okay, this has been a good benefit for us.’ And you build on that.

“So [because of] the confidence that you get because things are being successful, you look to put a little bit more in. That's how we are with players. That's how we are with plays. That's how we are with personnel groupings. Oh, this is good. Let's add a little bit more. Oh, let's add a little bit more, let’s add a little bit more.

“So, yeah, we're excited about that. We'll continue to use it as we need to.”

Blasingame has the opportunity to be that little bit more.

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