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Aside from his daughter's signature, there's not much Brad Hoover likes about the cast he's wearing on his right foot and ankle.
"I wish they'd cut it off right now," he said Thursday.
The sight of Hoover on crutches only begins to tell the story of the dilemma the Carolina Panthers face this week as they try to creatively find ways to address the absence of their top three options to play fullback Sunday against unbeaten New Orleans.
Hoover, the usual starter and a 10-year veteran, has a high ankle sprain that could cause him to miss multiple games.
Rookie Tony Fiammetta, Hoover's backup, is sidelined with a concussion; and Dante Rosario, a tight end who sometimes plays fullback, has an injured knee.
Hoover and Fiammetta were injured during the third quarter of last weekend's win at Arizona - Hoover on a running play and Fiammetta while playing on the special teams' kickoff unit.
"Both of us being hurt definitely has put the team in a tough spot, that and having Dante out," said Hoover. "Technically, we have three guys who can play that position, who have (done it) at a very high level.
"We're having to go elsewhere in our room, (or) elsewhere with maybe linemen, just trying to find an answer to have an 'F' on the field."
Coach John Fox wasn't about to drop hints about how he'll address the opening, but described the importance of the fullback's role in his run-oriented offense as "huge."
"The blocking element is important and the fullback is a big part of that blocking element," said Fox. "You make do and you adjust and you put people in there who know your system."
The Panthers considered signing a free agent to fill in for a week, but chose not to.
"We'll see if it's the right decision or not," said Fox. "We decided to stay within and we'll hopefully get through some guys being nicked up."
Fox's options include using another tight end, a lineman or a running back at fullback. The fullback's job assignment centers heavily around being the lead blocker for running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.
The injuries hit just as the Panthers' running game was finding its groove. Carolina recorded two of the top three single-game rushing performances in franchise history in the past three weeks, gaining 267 yards Oct. 18 at Tampa Bay and 270 Sunday at Arizona.
The Panthers (3-4) are fifth in the NFL in rushing, averaging 148.9 yards per game.
The Saints (7-0) rank 11th in run defense, allowing an average of 102.1 yards. However, after not allowing an opposing running back to run for 100 yards in the first six games, they gave up 151 yards to Atlanta's Michael Turner in Monday night's win against the Falcons.
Hoover's absence could hinder the chances of Williams and Stewart breaking loose against the Saints.
Center Ryan Kalil said Hoover's experience is critical to the running game because of his instinctive ability to pick the right hole to block.
"The way the run game is explosive is when you're not hesitant and you play fast," said Kalil. "So when you have an experienced guy like Brad in there, it's a lot easier for the backs to follow behind him and it makes the reads and decisions a lot quicker."
Hoover is a former running back, so he chooses where to block based on where he thinks Williams or Stewart will want to run.
"He doesn't read the hole like a lineman or a tight end," said Williams. "He reads the hole like a running back. So where he would run the ball is usually where you run the ball. He clears holes and things of that nature."
When asked if he's concerned by the unavailability of Hoover and the other top fullback reserves against the Saints, Williams said his concern is that they return to health, but that he "has the utmost confidence" the Panthers will find a way to compensate for the loss.
"We've got all kinds of answers for those situations and scenarios," Kalil said.
"I like some of the answers we've come up with this week, so I'm excited about what we're going to do game-plan wise."
