One of the better unsigned veteran fullbacks has reportedly shed 15 pounds as he works to stay ready for another call from the NFL.
In a story published by Al.com on Saturday, ex-Chargers fullback Le’Ron McClain said he has been training since being released by San Diego in March and that he wants to “get as fast” as possible.
“I’m trying to evolve my game also and do more than just blocking and everything. Just trying to evolve my game as in catching, running routes, just trying to be a difference-maker on the field,” McClain said at his youth football camp in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Saturday, according to Andrew Gribble of Al.com. “That’s what I’ve been working on this offseason.”
The 29-year-old McClain was listed at 6-feet tall and 260 pounds at the end of the 2013 season. If he were 245 pounds, that would be 11 pounds lighter than his weight entering the NFL seven years ago, per Pro Football Weekly’s 2007 Draft Preview.
McClain’s all-around game could differentiate him from other unsigned blocking backs. Six seasons ago, he rushed for 902 yards as one of the key backs in a ground-heavy Baltimore attack. While he’s unlikely to get that much tailback work ever again, his ability to at least take some short-yardage carries shouldn’t hurt his marketability. Nor should slimming down, assuming he retains a fullback’s physicality. His pass catching (94 career receptions) appears passable for his position, too.