The Patriots have had some unfortunate injuries to begin training camp, including cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis, and projected starting center James Bradbury. While a more under-the-radar injury, UDFA fullback Brock Lampe was placed on IR with an undisclosed injury. This will keep him out for the entirety of 2025.
Lampe was a UDFA, yes. Nonetheless, he was also pegged as one of the top UDFA candidates to make the roster. Given the nature of the fullback position and his collegiate success (85.6 PFF grade in 2024), there was a chance he'd not only make the team but be a staple of McDaniels' offense.
From 2020 to 2022, McDaniels had three consecutive seasons with Jakob Johnson on the roster between the Patriots and Raiders, and he was heavily utilized. In each year, he played 300+ snaps, leading a Patriots rushing attack that ranked third and eighth in yards per game in 2020 and 2021.
With Lampe no longer a candidate to fill the fullback slot, who could the Patriots turn to?
There are experienced free agents for the Patriots to consider before the 2025 season
This late in the offseason, getting top players at their position is rare. Nonetheless, some more experienced players can find themselves free agents after falling victim to new coaching staffs and schemes. One of such players is former Saints fullback Adam Prentice.
Prentice was deemed unnecessary for Kellen Moore's pass-heavy offense. Moore was the offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl-winning Eagles last season, and fullbacks Khari Blasingame and Ben VanSumeren played a combined 40 snaps all season.
Prentice has played 627 snaps in the last four seasons for the Saints and was penalized just once. In his first two years, he was particularly highly thought of as a pass blocker, which is an interesting niche for a fullback: McDaniels may be able to be creative in the way he uses him in pass protection.
Aside from being experienced, he also brings major special-teams value: he played 215 snaps last year. An experienced player who can bolster the run game and has special-teams value is the exact type of fullback the Patriots should be looking for.
New England is fortunate to be in good standing to explore trade options, too
While trades for a fullback often fly under the radar, they can certainly benefit an offense. In 2020, the Browns sent a seventh-round pick to the Broncos for Andy Janovich, who bolstered their rushing offense from 12th in 2019 to 4th in 2020. The Patriots could make a similar move with the Cowboys' Hunter Luepke.
Luepke got his start at North Dakota State, where he never averaged less than 6.1 yards per carry and even took 185 carries in his final two years. In the NFL, he became more of a traditional blocking fullback, as he's only seen 18 carries in two seasons. His only career touchdown was against the Patriots in a 2023 Dallas win.
With Dallas's new coaching staff in place, the offense could look different. New offensive coordinator Klayton Adams spent 2024 as the Cardinals' offensive line coach, a team that didn't use a traditional fullback. Similar to the aforementioned Prentice, Luepke could be deemed unnecessary for Adams' new scheme.
If the Cowboys could fetch a late-round pick for a player they might otherwise release, why not take the bait?
There also might be players already on the roster Josh McDaniels could utilize in Lampe's place
It was reported after the Lampe was placed on IR that second-year tight end Jack Westover was taking reps at fullback. At 6-foot-3 and 248 pounds, he certainly has the size for it. During his final year at Washington in 2023, he primarily lined up as a tight end and in the slot, but that wasn't the case earlier in his career.
From 2019 to 2021, a large portion of his snaps came in the backfield. Given his frame and receiving background, he could make an excellent Swiss Army knife.
While it hasn't explicitly been reported, they've taken snaps from the backfield; other tight ends could make a push for the role. 2024 seventh-round pick Jaheim Bell took snaps last season, but rookies C.J. Dippre and Gee Scott could also be developmental options.
Upon the writing of this article, the Patriots signed a pair of tight ends in Tyler Davis and Cole Fotheringham. Both have been in the league for several years, but have nine catches combined.
We will have to wait and see what direction the team goes, but the addition of a fullback in some respect would massively benefit Josh McDaniels' scheme and the rushing offense as a whole.