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The San Francisco 49ers have begun the process of figuring out their fullback situation. Matt Barrows was the first to report that the team brought in Will Tukuafu on Tuesday afternoon for a physical and workout. The team did not immediately sign Tukuafu, and is likely figuring out their options before committing to a roster move. The team has an extra day to think on this because they will play on Monday Night Football.
Tukuafu is a defensive lineman, but he has some limited experience as a fullback. He was previously a reserve defensive lineman for the 49ers, but the team used him as a two-way player. He was waived/injured early in the season and agreed to an injury settlement. That meant the 49ers had to wait six weeks after the one game check settlement before re-signing him.
If the team does sign Tukuafu, he would not be signed to replace Bruce Miller entirely. We'll see guys like Anthony Dixon, Vance McDonald and Derek Carrier get significant opportunities as well. I still think Dixon is the guy we see more frequently, but the next two weeks could see the 49ers mix and match their options. If the 49ers clinch this weekend, I imagine they might get even more creative in the final week. They need at least one win to move past the Carolina Panthers or New Orleans Saints, but I still think we'll see them look at several options in game action.
