5. Andy Janovich, Fullback
When Kevin Stefanski was introduced as the Cleveland Browns new head coach he spoke on his beliefs for team building as well as his offensive strategies. One thing he mentioned was the usage of a traditional fullback, something the Browns haven’t really had in the past couple of seasons.
Cleveland isn’t alone in this as the fullback has become a bit of a dying breed in the sport. In the past, it was commonplace to have a bulldozing blocker lead the way and when used correctly, it was like a Mack Truck pulling a trailer — with the fullback leading the way as the halfback followed in the wake he created.
Instead of having this dynamic lately, teams have often employed a single-back offense and when another back is there, it’s been an H-back, which is more of a tight end. The Browns have also used Kareem Hunt along with Nick Chubb, just going double halfback, which has its own advantages.
Stefanski, however, wants to have a fullback that’s able to be a stellar lead blocker. He wants him to also help in the passing game if possible, and we saw him have success with this in Minnesota with C.J. Ham.
Now in Cleveland, he has a player who is arguably even better as he traded for Andy Janovich from the Denver Broncos. Janovich isn’t going to light up the scoreboards as he had one rush and five receptions last year but he can be a weapon in this offense. Even if he rarely touches the ball, he’s an upgrade for them and a perfect fit in the Stefanski offense, meaning he’s not getting nearly the attention he deserves.