Bearings can and do lock up, but its more common to see flat spots on the pressure roller making the noize... At least until the Heat Roller drive gear cracks and you have less noise but a constant jam at the fuser.
Can you describe the sound? Is it more of a Parakeet on Crack or a Constipated Grizzley Bear? A rattlesnake caught in a chainsaw maybe?

Keep in mind some fuser noise is normal at the start / end of a job for the pressure roller release motor (if I got my model numbers straight)