Many teams don’t even carry a traditional fullback anymore, as the game has shifted more towards smaller, faster, shiftier players who can spread the field and operate in space. The Buffalo Bills carried two fullbacks last season. Currently, they have two fullbacks on their roster.
In our latest installment of “90 players in 90 days,” we look at one of those fullbacks, a small-school product looking to make a big-time impact in Buffalo.
Name: Zach Olstad
Number: 48
Position: FB
Height/Weight: 5’11” 245 lbs.
Age: 24
Experience: R
College: Winona State University
Draft: Acquired by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent following the 2018 NFL Draft
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Olstad’s contract is a standard UDFA deal—3 years, $1,710,000, with a $480,000 cap hit if he makes the roster in 2018.
2017 Recap: Olstad’s sixth year at tiny Winona State University in Minnesota saw him primarily used as a blocker for the Warriors. He totaled 5 catches for 44 yards in 10 games. He ran once; a one-yard touchdown plunge. According to this interview with NFL Draft Diamonds, he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a major in physical education and a minor in coaching.
Positional outlook: Olstad is one of two fullbacks on the roster, as veteran Patrick DiMarco tops the depth chart at the position.
2018 Offseason: Joe Buscaglia of WKBW profiled Olstad in early June. The player and his family are all-in regarding #BillsMafia, as both the article and Olstad’s twitter profile suggest. Olstad has attended all offseason workouts, including mandatory minicamp.
2018 season outlook: It’s hard to see Olstad unseating DiMarco as the team’s primary fullback, but it is possible (albeit unlikely) that the team could keep both players on the final roster. Olstad is most likely competing for a chance to land on Buffalo’s practice squad, although a strong training camp and preseason for Olstad could see Buffalo parting ways with the far more expensive DiMarco. Though unlikely, Olstad is another player who is easy to root for, and this (admittedly limited, as it is a YouTube reel) highlight tape of his college days shows a player with good mobility and a mean streak.