Getty Images

The Seahawks really, really, really, really want a fullback on their roster. They are carrying four of them, only one less than the five tailbacks on their roster.

Seattle wants to become a more physical running team, which means adding a more traditional fullback.

“It has been a return to the dynamics that that gives you,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said, via Curtis Crabtree of 950AM KJR and PFT. “We always want to be hard ball and run the thing as we like and that gives us a whole [different] dimension that we’ve just been without. . . . This is a good competition right now, and I’m really happy that we have that kind of depth so that we can really check it out and we won’t have to just kind of spot play it and we can really go to it and lean on it during the camp time.”

Tre Madden played 67 snaps in the eight games he played at fullback last season after converting from being a college tailback. The Seahawks added Jalston Fowler to their practice squad last December 13 after the Titans cut him, and then Seattle signed him to a reserve/future contract after the season. Fowler played 42 games at fullback for Tennessee over the past three seasons.

For good measure, the Seahawks signed undrafted free agent fullbacks Khalid Hill and Marcus Martin.

Hill missed action in the rookie minicamp while nursing a pulled muscle, but, at 6 foot 2, 263 pounds, he looks the part.

“He’s had really good background,’’ Carroll said, via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “He was a tight end and played fullback and their offense at Michigan is a well-rounded NFL-style offense, so we have seen him already do a lot of things. Getting him with us, we realize that he is really bright and does understand the motions, the shifts, the different positions that a fullback could get in, a tight end could get in. He’s going to have a chance. He’s a little nicked, had a little pull coming in here. But when he’s ready, he’ll have a chance to compete and a chance to show something.’’