Raiders’ offense: Glimpses of Klint Kubiak’s fullback usage bodes well

An old-school truther of the vitality of a dying breed, the Raiders head coach wasn't playing any games on his desire to have a fullback on his roster. As free agency began this past March, the Silver & Black pounced on a player Kubiak deemed fit for the position by signing Connor Heyward , a versatile tight end by trade the Pittsburg Steelers wanted to keep. (This also explains the quote I used above for true fullback.)

"Running the ball is important, we think that's a huge part of winning football games," Kubiak said when asked about the importance of the fullback in his offense. "Running the ball, stopping the run on defense. Just in our scheme, it's a very versatile player. Guy that plays tight end, plays fullback, that can pass pro, that has to be a four-core special teams player, he's got to be one of the smartest players on your team. So, we're going to keep getting Connor and get him better. And (Patrick) Gurd's coming along."

Lofty expectations from the Raiders head honcho, but if there's someone who can do what Kubiak wants, it's Heyward who was listed as a tight end but who blocked, ran the ball, ran patterns and caught the rock, and was special teams mainstay during his four years in the Steel City.