The Vikings' decision to carry two fullbacks on the roster was a mildly surprising one, considering how the position has fallen out of favor across the NFL. A decade ago, a team carrying two true fullbacks was commonplace. But today, there are some teams that don't even carry one of them.

So why are the Vikings bucking the trend by keeping both Jerome Felton and Zach Line on team?

"Well, we think they're both good players. Fullbacks are hard to find if something happens," head coach Mike Zimmer said. "You don't want to lose good football players if they're young guys, too."

And why is a good one so hard to find, beyond the obviously lack of appeal that comes when asking someone to run headfirst into 260-pound linebackers and 210-pound safeties with little fanfare?

"In college, no one has them anymore. They don't have any fullbacks in college football," Zimmer said. "So typically you're taking a tight end — if they have those. There's hardly any blocking tight ends anymore. So you're taking them and making them fullbacks or taking linebackers and making them fullbacks. When you find one, if you have a fullback offense, you keep them."

The Vikings, for example, drafted Rutgers linebacker Ryan D'Imperio in 2010 and converted him to fullback. He played 12 games for the Vikings in 2011 before getting released. He retired last year.

Zimmer added that the Vikings kept two fullbacks because "the need in this offense I think is big."

Offensive coordinator Norv Turner didn't use the fullback much a year ago when he was with the Cleveland Browns, but he said in training camp that he wanted a "physical presence" at fullback.

In addition to being the backup to Felton, a Pro Bowler fullback in 2012, Line can contribute on special teams and he does bring a different skill set to the mix than Felton, according to Zimmer.

"They have a little different styles," he said. "[Line is] probably not a running back. He's a fullback. He can be in space a little more than Jerome. Really, the position is just hard to find nowadays."