Patriots Assistant ‘Fighting’ To Make This Addition To Offense

FOXBORO, Mass. — Patriots assistant Taylor Embree might be one of the youngest members of the coaching staff, but he’s an old soul.

He’s fighting for the addition of a near-extinct position onto New England’s roster, after all.

“I’m always looking out for a fullback,” Embree said Tuesday, just prior to an OTA session. “It’ll happen when the right one is there. I’m picky with that, and right now we have so many good runners we have to focus on that.

“I’ll always fight for a fullback. I’m waiting on the right one, but right now we’re getting the other stuff rolling and obviously some of the tight ends can do some of the fullback stuff.”

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Embree, who coaches running backs, isn’t lying when he talks about having some players on the roster who can fulfill the role in a pinch. The Patriots have allowed Jahlani Tavai to play some fullback in the past, while rookie tight end Jaheim Bell actually played running back and fullback at different points in his collegiate career.

Mitchell Wilcox, who is fighting for a roster spot behind Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper, also has experience playing in the backfield.

It might seem like a silly thing for Embree to desire, but he found great success coaching Nick Bawden with the New York Jets in 2023. He doesn’t have the same depth in his position room like he did last season, though, so once the running back competition shakes out, perhaps New England will feel comfortable making that addition he desires.

“You’ll know when we get a fullback,” Embree said. “I’ll be excited about (it).”