Saunders: Don’t Think Steelers Aren’t Serious about Kendrick Green at Fullback

When backup Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Kendrick Green took to the field as a fullback for three snaps at Latrobe Memorial Stadium, it seemed like a fun thing to try.

Even Green was unsure what the future may hold for him at the position, suggesting it was likely to be a “today thing only.”

Then he did it the next day. And again the next. And he continues to look good doing it.

Which brings two questions into consideration: Would the Steelers really consider using Green as a fullback in a regular-season game, and would the Steelers make him an active player on a game day in order to facilitate that usage?

Let’s start with the first one: Yes.

The person largely making the decision on whether or not to use Green as a fullback will be offensive coordinator Matt Canada, and if there’s one thing that we know Canada likes, it’s fullbacks and big guys with the football.

When Canada got to Pitt in 2016, fullback George Aston was a former walk-on linebacker that touched the football eight times in his collegiate career. That season, he scored 10 touchdowns. After Canada left in 2017, Aston had 21 more career touches and his football days were basically over.

Also at Pitt that season, offensive tackle Brian O’Neil became a sensation when he caught a lateral for a touchdown and ran in another.

68 Days until Pitt Football

Brian O’Neill. Fat guy touchdown. pic.twitter.com/Y3t5mSfMIZ

— The Loyal Sons (@TheLoyalSons) June 29, 2020

This is clearly not an offensive coordinator that is shy about using players of questionable pedigree in unusual roles if they show an aptitude for it. 

They used the fullback quite a bit last season, but do not have a 1 for 1 replacement for Derek Watt on the roster. Connor Heyward can do some ball-carrying and receiving, but he is not anywhere near the same type of blocker. The sudden retirement of rookie Monte Pottebaum has left the team without an obvious other option. So why not Green?

The second part is tricker. Last season, Green was the team’s No. 4 guard and was not active for almost the entire season. He didn’t play in a single snap.

This season, he has moved back to center, where he is currently the backup to Mason Cole. Last season, backup center J.C. Hassenauer was active for most games. But this year, the No. 4 guard is former starter Kevin Dotson. Would the Steelers put Dotson in the press box in order to make Green available to play fullback on game days?

After all, both Nate Herbig and James Daniels can play center, so there is not an acute need for the backup center to be dressed on a regular basis.

The situation that would call for Dotson to play, two interior linemen being injured in one game, seems relatively far-fetched. That’s why Green was a scratch in that spot last year. But Dotson has started 30 NFL games for the Steelers, and while he hasn’t been so good that they couldn’t upgrade on him, he hasn’t been a disaster, either. It would be a tough pill to swallow to have him be a healthy scratch.

The Steelers should probably be looking to trade Dotson, anyway, as it’s clear he likely would have more value to another team than them. If they can make the active roster part of things work, it seems pretty clear