The New England Patriots signed an additional tight end last week to add depth to the position for training camp, and I believe that he has a legitimate opportunity to make the team as a fullback if the tight end position becomes too crowded.
Cole Fotheringham is 6-foot-4, 245 lbs., and in 2022, he was undrafted out of Utah by Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas when he was the head coach of the Raiders. It’s not a coincidence that Fotheringham is in New England for training camp.
After signing a future/reserve contract with the Raiders at the beginning of 2024, Fotheringham was eventually waived and bounced around on a few practice squads last season. He signed with the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos over the last year.
Cole Fotheringham Is the Fullback Patriots Need
Although the Patriots are looking for their third tight end for this season and the future, the same can be said for fullback, and I believe that Fotheringham can be a serviceable fullback for New England after they lost Brock Lampe to a season-ending injury in training camp.
Since then, tight end Jack Westover has been the fullback. He’s an additional depth option with some versatility, but I believe that Fotheringham can be a better serviceable fullback option if the Patriots are going to experiment with transitioning a tight end to the fullback.
In the first preseason game against the Washington Commanders, Fotheringham played most of the second half at tight end. He didn’t have any targets or make any plays that stand out, but he was a key blocker on every play that he was in the game, and it opened up the opportunity for plays to happen.
The tight end position should be all set this season with Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper leading the group. There’s also Jaheim Bell, who was drafted last year, and Westover, who was signed at the top of the year.
Two undrafted rookies have been in the mix since after the draft: Gee Scott Jr. and CJ Dippre.
The Patriots would likely prefer to keep four tight ends on their roster. That gives them two additional options behind Henry and Hooper to run various formations and to have depth if one of them goes down with an injury during the season.
The depth tight end position will likely also serve as the fullback. After watching the game film, it was obvious that Fotheringham was the more polished blocker than Westover, who saw all of the fullback snaps in the first preseason game.
Cole Fotheringham left TE lined up offset. This positioning gives him the leverage needed to take his block out of the play. He does a better job of making a block than Jack Westover who was the lead-block at FB. pic.twitter.com/O9d5eKLtv6
— Justin Trombino (@Trombino20) August 10, 2025
Fotheringham is a capable pass-catcher. He was graded that way in 2022 from NFL Draft Buzz, where they called him a “savvy and reliable pass catcher with good body control and focus.” But the same outlet said that Westover wasn’t a great run-blocker.
With the way the team is currently built, the Pats don’t need another receiving-type of tight end to be the fullback; they need more of a blocker who has power. That description fits more of Fotheringham than it does Westover.
It’s worth mentioning that since McDaniels utilizes a fullback in his offense, there’s a strong possibility of there being a roster spot solely for a fullback. If that is the case, Fotheringham might have a spot on the roster as a fullback.
There hasn’t been any indication of Fotheringham playing fullback, but I think it’s important to note that he is a player with whom McDaniels has a previous connection. At this point, I would expect Bell and Westover to be depth tight ends behind Henry and Hooper, with Fotheringham being the fullback and Scott Jr. and Dippre to the practice squad.