Eagles might have found their new fullback with linebacker Ben VanSumeren: ‘I’m whatever I need to be’

Andre’ Sam was just playing along. It was the last day of training camp, and the Eagles were ending their session with a series of one-on-ones. Sam, an undrafted free agent rookie safety, lined up across from Ben VanSumeren, an undrafted free agent from the 2023 class who, like Sam, plays defense.

What Sam didn’t know, however, was that VanSumeren wasn’t just a linebacker with a lot of energy who was forcing his way onto the 53-man roster with a strong camp. No, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni was unintentionally playing a trick on Sam. VanSumeren only made the change from offense to defense midway through college. He racked up nearly 3,000 receiving yards at Garber High School in Essexville, Mich., and then started his college career as a fullback at Michigan before transferring to Michigan State.

The rep at training camp started and Sam went to jam VanSumeren.

“He gave me a wiggle and I’m like, whoa,” Sam said. “Then it got to a point where he beat me and I thought, if he catches it, he catches it.”

Backup quarterback Kenny Pickett sailed the throw, much to Sam’s delight. It was a fun way to end camp, but it also proved to be a bit of a foreshadowing sequence. VanSumeren is back taking snaps on offense for real this time. The Eagles first revealed a package with VanSumeren at fullback during their Week 4 loss in Tampa, but they brought him onto the field for five plays during Sunday’s 28-3 win over the Giants at MetLife Stadium.

The snaps included a few notable blocks, VanSumeren getting into the second level and committing some linebacker-on-linebacker crime to free up space and open holes. He sprung runs of 41 and 14 yards on back-to-back plays.

“I play with a lot of energy, regardless of what side of the ball, so when you pop a big run like that … I got pretty into it for sure,” VanSumeren said.

There’s one part about it that’s “annoying” to VanSumeren: He has to declare his eligibility on every play given his jersey number (57), and it’s too late to change that.

VanSumeren, who ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and had a 42.5-inch vertical jump at his Michigan State pro day, said he first got wind that he’d be getting some work on offense near the end of training camp. One day, he picked off a pass and had a nice return, the next, he was learning about the offense.

“The more plays you make in practice, the more comfort and belief they have in it for sure,” VanSumeren said.

“It feels natural to me. I don’t feel like there’s really any rust I needed to knock off or anything like that when I got introduced to it.”

Getting some work on offense means VanSumeren has to take part in extra meetings. He has made his mark as a special teams ace and is obviously in the room during defensive installs and other meetings. Now, he has added offensive meetings to his plate.

“I see coaches come in and take him out of meetings or come and talk to him and give him a packet on what his plays are for the week and he’s always excited,” linebacker Zack Baun said. “He puts the work in and he deserves opportunities.”

During a linebacker meeting a few weeks ago, Baun said he was watching some of VanSumeren’s high school highlights.

“The dude is fast and physical and there’s no reason he can’t handle a fullback role,” said Baun, who didn’t practice Wednesday because of a shoulder injury.

Fullbacks are a dying breed in the NFL, though VanSumeren said he loves watching 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk. The Eagles have rarely used one, but offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said the team felt as if Sunday was the right opportunity to utilize the package. The Eagles were down two starters on the offensive line before halftime.

“Sometimes it starts as more of a fun experimental aspect and it then it might turn to serious over the course of training camp and the season,” Moore said. “We’ll see where it plays out. ... His effort in the run game he had the juice and energy going, and I think it was a real benefit to us.”

VanSumeren raised some eyebrows along the way, that energy especially.

“It was really impressive,” tight end Grant Calcaterra said. “Just his energy. He was so excited to go out there and play offense and he hit that dude full speed, it was awesome.”

The Eagles have some more in their arsenal when it comes to VanSumeren’s packages. “We got routes and there’s a bunch of stuff,” he said. “I think we’ll eventually get to that.”

They got an early look in camp. But even after VanSumeren blew by Sam, who is now on the practice squad, and got open, he sat at a podium inside the NovaCare Complex a few days later, after making the initial 53-man roster, and made sure to declare that he was a linebacker.

Now?

“I’m whatever I need to be, and really I’m whatever I can excel at,” he said. “I just want to be the best at something and I really want to help this team.”

Said Sam, who was the guinea pig of sorts: “Ben is that Swiss Army knife.”

Baun, though, perhaps had the simplest description: “He’s a football player, that’s what he is.”

The Eagles signed offensive lineman Jack Driscoll to the active roster from the practice squad. An Eagles fourth-round pick in 2020, Driscoll was elevated for the last two games to play on special teams and at tackle while Jordan Mailata is on injured reserve.

Wide receiver Parris Campbell was signed to the practice squad a day after he was released. The Eagles also signed former Browns defensive tackle Siaki Ika to the practice squad.