Todd Anderson 6'2" 267
FB, Michigan State
Rankings: NFLDraftScout: 19th-ranked fullback, free agent grade.
Pro Football Weekly: Not listed.
Biography/honors:
2011: Moved to fullback during spring practice. Won team award for most improved player on offense. Played in 14 games, starting 7. 6 receptions for 40 yards and a TD, one carry for one yard. Spartans gained over 2,200 yards on the ground for the season.
2010: Backup defensive end played in 8 games. 8 tackles, a quarterback hurry and a pass breakup.
2009: Missed season due to knee injury.
2008: (unconfirmed) Medical redshirt.
2007: Redshirted.
Major: interdisciplinary studies in social science and health study.
Injuries:
2009: Missed entire season due to knee injury. Had microfracture surgery to repair torn cartilage on his femur.
2008: Redshirt season appears to have been due to a torn quad.
Pro day stats: (averages are of the two declared fullbacks at the NFL Combine)
5.06 40 (4.82)
1.74 10-yard split (Bradie Ewing: 1.64)
29” vertical jump (34”)
8'8" broad jump (9'6")
7.53 3-cone drill (Ewing: 7.14)
4.68 20-yard shuttle (Ewing: 4.16)
35 bench press (Anderson kills here, Ewing had only 14)
Positives: Battering ram with decent speed. Explosive at the point of attack. Beats defenders to the hole and packs a wallop. Has the right mentality for the position, loves to hit. Spartan fans say he completely erased defenders from plays and was like having another guard in the backfield. Good receiver for his size. Good hands, doesn't drop many. Beast in the weight room, benches over 500 lbs. Has also played defensive end and linebacker and was a backup long snapper. Snaps well for placekicks, puts the ball right on target with the right number of rotations. Chargers and Falcons (coincidence?) were also interested in signing him.
Negatives: Carried the ball ONCE in his college career. Only one season of experience at fullback. Other than bench press, came up well short of Bradie Ewing's and Rhett Ellison's (partial) Combine results. Poor snapper on punts. Many more wobblers than spirals and delivers the ball too low too often. Injury history may be a concern.
Compares to: Brit Miller, except 20 lbs bigger.
Fun Facts: Speaking of surprising ability for one's size, Todd can do the splits (ouch). His favorite meal is his mom's golumpki, which is a Polish cabbage roll. He was all-state in baseball in high school, where he caught and played first base, and in wrestling, where he finished second in the state as a senior.
RamView: A fair share of fullbacks converted from the defensive side of the ball, including the Rams' Brit Miller. It's not a complicated position, and Anderson reportedly caught on to it quickly at Michigan State. Miller converted to become an NFL fullback, so can Anderson. But RamView's never thought Miller's really played fullback all that well in the NFL. I'm having a hard time seeing past Anderson's lack of experience, especially at carrying the ball. If you're likely to keep one pure fullback on your roster at most, you have to be able to trust him with the ball on third-and-inches. I also don't think Anderson adds enough value on special teams to overcome his lack of experience at fullback. He's in an open race for a roster spot, and it'll be interesting to see him take on unsuspecting last-stringers in the 4th quarters of preseason games. Ultimately, though, I think he's too limited.
Chance of making roster: 20%.
Sources: NFLDraftScout, Detroit Free Press, Michigan State athletics, Grand Rapids Press, YouTube, St. Louis Rams
Photo: Michigan State University
3 comments:
If he doesn't make Rams roster, they need glasses & would be giving other teams a great opportunity for a huge FB that blocks & catches very well plus can play sp.tms. Look @ MSU backfield 2011. With that talent, not much call to carry ball within offensive scheme. Doesn't mean he can't. Never bet against a guy that was a preferred walk-on turned scholarship earner, leader, strong character & work-ethic, plus award winner. If MSU switched him a year earlier, there'd be no doubt. Having Falcon FB come in is just gonna ramp him up more. Rams better get ice-machines tuned up for LB/DB in preseason. Todd's gonna bring it every play!
I hope Anderson can make it a spirited competition at fullback. The Rams need all the help there they can get, it has been a weakness for them for years. --Mike
Thanks for the info as well, it's hard sometimes to appreciate how far some of these players have come when they're one of 22-23 players that all get signed the same day right after the draft. --Mike
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