Cleveland Browns All-Decade Team: Vote on the Fullbacks
After a brief hiatus from this feature, it's time to resume with who was the best Cleveland Browns fullback of the past decade. There aren't a lot of choices, but there are at least two pretty good candidates to choose from.
The criteria I used for fullbacks was a little more loose than what I used for quarterbacks and running backs. Basically, if you were labeled as a starting fullback for at least a season or two, you're listed.
Previous All-Decade Polls: Quarterbacks, Running Backs
Fullbacks
1. MARC EDWARDS (2000)
When the Browns beat the Steelers 23-20 in the 2000 season, Edwards had a 21-yard touchdown reception from Tim Couch in the first quarter. That's all I remember besides his name; sorry folks!
2. MIKE SELLERS (2001)

Sellers was technically labeled as an "H-Back" for the year he was with us, but I'll put him under the fullback category since "H-Backs" aren't going to be receiving their own category. Note: Similarly, Aaron Shea, who was labeled as both an H-Back and a TE at points of his career, will be in the tight end category.
I really don't have much to remember or go off of regarding Sellers' one-year stay with the Browns. He is currently with the Washington Redskins though and has evolved into a Pro Bowl caliber player.
3. TERRELLE SMITH (2004-2006)
When Smith came to the Browns in 2004, it was a huge addition to the team after his efforts of blocking for Deuce McAllister and company with the New Orleans Saints. Lee Suggs rushed for a career-high 744 yards in Smith's first season with the team. The following year, Smith was the fullback in front of Reuben Droughns. Droughns ran for over 1,000 yards during the 2005 campaign, the first time such a feat had been accomplished on the Browns in 20 years.
The following year, the Browns began shifting their focus toward youth at the position when they drafted Lawrence Vickers. Smith still had a good season and an overall solid three-year stay with the Browns. He was never known for his pass-catching, but his blocks were refreshing as he was basically the Browns' first true fullback of the decade. After the Browns, he played for the Cardinals and was heavily used during the team's Super Bowl run last season.
4. CHARLES ALI (2007-2008)
Ali received the opportunity to start a few games during his time with the Browns when Vickers went down to injury. Although he wasn't necessarily a starting-caliber fullback, I always considered him an above-average fullback. There were even rumors during the 2008 season that the team might be able to trade him to a team looking for a starting fullback.
That was under the Romeo Crennel era. Ali received a shot to make the roster in Eric Mangini's camp, but it didn't happen. I don't think it was indicative of Ali's potential, but rather that Mangini didn't feel he needed two fullbacks on the roster. Ali is currently with the Baltimore Ravens.
5. LAWRENCE VICKERS (2006-2009)
Vickers, a sixth-round draft choice from 2006, ended up being a tremendous pick. When he became the starter in 2007, the same year that Jamal Lewis arrived, Vickers picked up where Terrelle Smith left off in terms of paving the way for a 1,000 yard rusher.
Funny enough, Vickers was often the topic of controversy during his first two seasons with the team. It wasn't because of anything he did, but because of the offensive gameplans. Vickers was known to have pretty good speed for a fullback, and whether he could succeed as a running back in the NFL remains to be seen. Instead of blocking though, we would consistently see the following plays called:
- Fullback sweep to the corner on 3rd-and-1
- Vickers option pass on 3rd-and-1
- Running backs lining up in single-back formation, with Vickers on the sideline
Things changed under mangini this season, particularly at the end of the year when Vickers supposedly bought into Mangini's system. In front of Jerome Harrison, it probably would not be a stretch to say that Vickers was blocking like he was the best fullback in the league.
Another fun fact: Vickers has three career receiving touchdowns; all of them came against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
OTHER FULLBACKS
These fullbacks played for the Browns during the decade but are not up for consideration in the poll due to their lack of tenure or playing time with the team. If you'd still like to comment on them, or if you believe one of them should be the all-decade quarterback instead, sound off in the comments section. (Note: I am not listing fullbacks who were only camp fodder).
- R.J. Bowers (2002-2003)
- Corey McIntyre (2004-2005)
DECISION TIME
Now it's time to cast your vote in the poll below, and then go ahead and explain your choice in the comments section
Please be aware that the considerations do not include the 1999 comeback season.
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50 comments
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Comments
more important, who voted for Sellers?
I hate the steelers the way a mother loves a child.
by notthatnoise on Feb 3, 2010 5:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I thought only Camp could vote for the FBs.
Way to break his heart Chris.
If I hear "There's always next year" one more time...
by SpecialBrownie on Feb 3, 2010 5:43 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I almost voted for Smith, just because I loved watching him run out to block on outside runs. He looked like a tank coming out of the backfield. Vickers, however, clearly deserves the vote. I hope next season he gets more opportunities to catch some footballs. I seem to remember him being a useful contributor at Colorado beyond just blocking.
by Chief Wahoo on Feb 3, 2010 6:14 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
What´s this little fiction you´re creating, calling Vickers the best fullback in the NFL?
You´re desperation is starting to scream.
Besides, he didn´t pave anything. Remember: 270 lbs. Singleback Jamal Lewis?
by mooncamping on Feb 4, 2010 9:38 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Since mooncamping the expectation has changed.
The fullback is expected to get 40% of the carries. Block and catch is history.
by mooncamping on Feb 4, 2010 9:40 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
And on a side note, if Madden Football continues to force teams´ hands, in regards to who is expected to be starting, they will be sued impeding freedom of choice. Retrograde.
If the people depicted on the cover continue to fail, they will be sued for witchcraft.
by mooncamping on Feb 4, 2010 9:44 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
I used to be irritated that I could not move certain defensive ends in Madden to the OLB position in the 3-4. They may have since corrected this since I haven’t played Madden in 4-5 years, but maybe a lawsuit is the appropriate course of action.
by Roger Dorn on Feb 4, 2010 10:46 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I haven’t played since Madden 2008 (I just update rosters on my CPU for current ones), but I’ve been upset that I can’t insert Cribbs at QB.
Dawgs By Nature - Covering the Cleveland Browns on SB Nation.
by Chris Pokorny on Feb 4, 2010 10:49 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
That have a wildcat package now. It doesn’t work like it should. ZB never worked like it should, so a lot of the zone-read-option stuff doesn’t work.
by rufio on Feb 4, 2010 2:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
in madden, isn’t it like the 3rd WR who becomes the QB?
by bross09 on Feb 4, 2010 3:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
It used to be that punters were the only players other than QB that could be QBs.
by danvail on Feb 4, 2010 3:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
that was wierd…and all of their OVRs were 12.
but I am talking about for the wildcat too.
by bross09 on Feb 4, 2010 4:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Kickers too
The sporting gods hate Cleveland, they give us false hopes, then yank it out from under us like a tablecloth.
by North Coast Flea on Feb 5, 2010 6:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Honestly, I haven’t played in a long time so IDK. That sounds right, though.
by rufio on Feb 4, 2010 10:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
yeah…I usually do not play but I played a friend’s copy of ’10. in that cribbs is the browns 3rd WR b/c of the wildcat. I reset the depth charts to put Momass at the #3 and then MoMass was in the wildcat.
by bross09 on Feb 5, 2010 2:24 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
you can sub cribbs back in during gameplay
The sporting gods hate Cleveland, they give us false hopes, then yank it out from under us like a tablecloth.
by North Coast Flea on Feb 5, 2010 6:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I know…
I was just really confused at first…
by bross09 on Feb 6, 2010 8:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I think you can do that now but their ratings change.
you can also move linebackers to 4-3 DE. I always do this when I start with a crappy team. I take linebackers who have average strength in the game, good speed, great acceleration, and are at least 250 pounds or so and make them a DE. its fun to watch a guy who is an overall 71 become an overall 90 when he is a DE.
by bross09 on Feb 4, 2010 12:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Right, it´s a fun concept to pretend to be an NFL player.
But the point I was trying to make is that they are far exceeding their sphere of influence beyond just making a fun game. It has become a matter of contention, which names appear within the game.
by mooncamping on Feb 5, 2010 6:30 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
You can move them now, but the rating system is 4-3 all the way. So if you stand a DE up, they rate his overall as though he would play like a 4-3 OLB. You can convert some LBs to DEs, and even in the 3-4 with low strength their Overall skyrockets.
It is kind of disappointing they can’t do some sort of conversion in terms of knowing the difference between 3-4 and 4-3 personnel, especially now that so many NFL teams run a 3-4.
by rufio on Feb 4, 2010 2:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
At the very least it´s a cult, with characteristics and ties derived from occult practices.
There is also cross-fertilization going on with fantasy football.
by mooncamping on Feb 4, 2010 9:54 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
When that´s done, the NFL will be sued, for using professional sports as a tool of bad pedagogy and enforcing and reinforcing the insinuations of professional community lobbyists. The monetary reimbursements are a charade, and the standards for athleticism are false, all this in favor of altruism endorsed by politics.
by mooncamping on Feb 4, 2010 10:05 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
There is a peace offering though:
The best will be signed.
The best will play.
The best will get payed.
The best will be retired.
Only then will everyone else get payed.
by mooncamping on Feb 4, 2010 10:09 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
It must be all this talk about fullbacks…
by mooncamping on Feb 4, 2010 10:11 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
The sixth offensive lineman – Vickers without a doubt. Smith kinda got worse as seasons progressed, but he’s undoubtedly a good player as well.
Too bad Ali couldn’t make the roster again. He’s an ok player.
by BuenosAires_Dawg on Feb 4, 2010 1:16 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I like the fact that mooncamping chose not to vote in the poll.
Dawgs By Nature - Covering the Cleveland Browns on SB Nation.
by Chris Pokorny on Feb 4, 2010 1:31 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I am guessing he is not pleased that you limited the options to real fullbacks instead of fantasy fullbacks.
by Roger Dorn on Feb 4, 2010 2:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Ok, I went back and voted Terrelle Smith for being a true every down blocking fullback.
Did he get his share of carries?
by mooncamping on Feb 5, 2010 6:33 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
He had 18 carries in 48 games with the Browns. He averaged less than 1.8 YPC.
by danvail on Feb 5, 2010 7:21 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks for the stats.
I´ve stated this before. I was a Seahawks fan growing up in the 80´s.
And if you like a running game, we were so spoiled. Anyone remember “Ground Chuck”, named after coach Chuck Knox. It meant I-formation on every play. They had John L. Williams and Curt Warner as a tandem for six years straight.
Now, John L. Williams is known for being a double threat. He had one season where he rushed for a 1000 yards, and also ran for a 1000 yards. So if it wasn´t a pass play often involving the also legendary Steve Largent and crew, you could count on John L. Williams being in some way being involved.
You never get passed these childhood and teen impressions.
Ok, so you say Vickers was one of the best. And maybe he was, lacking comparisons in this pass happy league. But compare Vickers to John L. Williams, and you know the true story.
by mooncamping on Feb 6, 2010 8:03 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Whoops, my fantasy got the best of me.
Here are his statistics however:
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WillJo00.htm
by mooncamping on Feb 6, 2010 8:05 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
And here are Curt Warner´s statistics on the same time span:
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WarnCu00.htm
by mooncamping on Feb 6, 2010 8:07 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Make that 5 years together, 1986-1990. But those years were awesome.
by mooncamping on Feb 6, 2010 8:09 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I missed the line “of the decade” when I first skimmed the article. I was wondering where Ron Wolfley was? Hey – he didn’t see the field on offense often, but he made up for it between special teams and his ’MMS Morning Zoo recaps. Man I miss the “White Boy Formation”.
Please Lord, Just one Browns Superbowl in my lifetime.......
by DaveDawg09 on Feb 4, 2010 6:54 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
We are just shy of 1000 votes on this poll, I want to know where all of the commenters are!
by Roger Dorn on Feb 6, 2010 12:41 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Easy vote for Vickers, but I don’t have a lot to add otherwise. Perhaps others are in the same boat?
by RelapsingDawgCatcher on Feb 6, 2010 10:20 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
No I didn’t mean people already registered. I just am saying there seems to be a lot more people reading the site than I realized.
by Roger Dorn on Feb 6, 2010 12:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I know. I often wonder how many people read this site but don’t ever comment.
by Buckeye Brad on Feb 6, 2010 3:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
It could be the casual people who see the news on Google News, and then vote on the poll. They might not be too interested in commenting, and if they are, the 1-day wait might be a turn off for them (aka they forget to come back). I’ve thought about turning off the 1-day wait thing, at least until March when every Browns fan in the world will want to make 5 fanposts in two minutes about the draft ;)
Dawgs By Nature - Covering the Cleveland Browns on SB Nation.
by Chris Pokorny on Feb 6, 2010 4:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I just signed up and definitely did not dig the one day wait thing. What’s the purpose?
Please Lord, Just one Browns Superbowl in my lifetime.......
by DaveDawg09 on Feb 7, 2010 1:09 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Has a lot to do with trolls from opposing teams during the regular season posting inflammatory drive by posts.
by talonk on Feb 7, 2010 1:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
An example would be like this: let’s say there were rumors that Eric Mangini would be fired. Ideally, we would have one post or one fanpost on DBN where everyone would post their thoughts on the situation.
The problem is that fly-by-fans would visit the site from Yahoo or Google, register for the site, and without reading the community guidelines or checking to see what’s already been posted, they would create an entirely new post just saying, “i don’t think we should fire mangini because of this, this, and this.” It might not seem bad with one member doing it, but imagine several new people coming by and doing the same thing, which only leads to confusion. The issue is that these members usually don’t return to the site either way. It seems more likely that if someone is patient enough to wait a day before they can post, then they genuinely feel like contributing the right way.
Dawgs By Nature - Covering the Cleveland Browns on SB Nation.
by Chris Pokorny on Feb 7, 2010 3:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
they would create an entirely new post just saying, "i don’t think we should fire mangini because of this, this, and this."
I think you mean "When are we EVER GOING TO GET THIS THING RIGHT? I have been a fan for 89million years, and WHY DO WE KEEP HIRING IDIOTS WHO SUCK? MANGINA SUCKS, MANGINA MANGINIA MANGINA, DIRKA DIRKA ROB SCHNEIDER, dude who will ever read this whole thing because it is so long and I don’t breakt it up in to more than one paragraph and it is all one big long sentence and you have no idea what i am trying to say HIRE COWHER OR SELL THE TEAM LERNER WE WILL NEVER BE A WINNER AS LONG AS HE OWNS THE TEAM why dontt we draft more BUCKEYES like James Lorenities??!!! Hes just a winner and we need to win!!!!!GO BROWNS!!!!
I mean, sometimes you gotta throw around an all-caps, exclamation point-ridden, confusing (and potentially drunk) rant. But we really don’t need a whole lot of those. And if you really want to post one, you can wait for a day or so.
by rufio on Feb 7, 2010 5:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, that is what I meant :) I just didn’t feel like replicating a full-length paragraph of it, lol.
Dawgs By Nature - Covering the Cleveland Browns on SB Nation.
by Chris Pokorny on Feb 7, 2010 5:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

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