Meet the New Fullback, Michael Burton
October 16, 2019
by Steve Thomas
Attention, everyone!! The Washington Redskins actually signed a fullback, and it took just 8 days after Jay Gruden’s unceremonious departure for his (interim) replacement to make the move. It’s not news to remind everyone that Gruden just wasn’t a fan of the position. In fact, the only one he ever had on the active in-season roster during his entire tenure in Washington was Shanahan holdover Darryl Young, and Young’s role was greatly minimized under Gruden’s stewardship. Frankly the running game suffered at times as a result. Therefore, I think a short writeup about Washington’s new fullback is worthy of my time to write and your time to read.
Michael Burton, who stands 6’0” and weighs 240 pounds, spent four years at Rutgers, entering as a walk on, but eventually becoming a team captain. He played in a total of 39 games in four years from 2011 – 2014, with 22 carries for 116 yards, and 5.3 yards per carry. He also had 47 receptions for 401 yards and 3 touchdowns. Burton was invited to the 2015 NFL Combine, running the 40 yard dash in 4.74 seconds, jumping 9’7” in the standing broad jump, and posting 25 bench press reps at 225 pounds.
Burton was drafted by the Lions with the 168th pick in the 5th round. He spent two years in Detroit, seeing action in 31 games, starting 7. He was waived in the 2017 offseason and signed by the Chicago Bears the next day. Burton spent the 2017 and 2018 seasons on the Bears’ roster, playing in 24 games and starting 4 during that time. He was then signed by the Saints this past May but was released prior to the start of the regular season.
As a pro, Burton has a total of 8 carries for 11 yards, plus 9 receptions in 12 targets for 53 yards and 1 touchdown. He is a true, classic fullback in every sense of the word, in both body type and playing style. Given interim head coach Bill Callahan’s stated focus on the Redskins run game, this signing shouldn’t come as a surprise. Whether Burton can make a difference remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: Redskins fans will see something different this weekend against the 49ers.