Dallas Cowboys training camp 2015 is getting closer, and soon the position battles will begin in earnest. Those competitions are a core piece of training camp, and we'll continue our look at them based on this list at the Mothership. Today, it's the fullback battle. This one is not only a battle between players, but a battle to see if they even keep one.
As is customary, we'll start with the Mothership's take:
4. Fullback - It didn't even look like Tyler Clutts was going to be part of this roster, and now he's the favorite to win the fullback job. The Cowboys released free agent Jed Collins early on during the offseason program, but fellow free agent signee Ray Agnew is still on board. Maybe the biggest question here is: will the team even opt to keep a fullback?
For a forgotten position, this one does hold some intrigue for Dallas. Tyler Clutts is the incumbent after the Cowboys decided to re-sign him, but his audition last year was not a slam dunk. His fellow fullback, Ray Agnew, actually started half of the season in Cleveland last year before losing his job. For a traditional fullback spot, you're looking at those two.
The Cowboys could also choose to with a blocking TE as a hybrid-fullback and keep someone like Geoff Sawim, who they actually traded back into the 2015 draft to get in the seventh round. Swaim's main selling point is his blocking. They could also just use some combination of Gavin Escobar and James Hanna back there on rare occasions and not keep a fourth TE or a FB. Then again, the Cowboys could dump the position all together like many NFL teams are doing.
During his career as head coach in Dallas, Jason Garrett has carried a true fullback much of the time. Is this the year he breaks that trend? With the Cowboys running the ball so much last year, and planning on being a run-team again this year, they may think they need someone back there to block on occasion. Swaim could make them think about the hybrid approach, but somehow I think Garrett will stick with a traditional fullback and keep Swaim on the PS. I wouldn't be surprised if Ray Agnew was that guy.
Who ya got? Poll below and then hit the comments.
Previous camp battle articles
Cowboys Position Battles (Training Camp 2015): Swing Tackle
Cowboys Position Battles (Training Camp 2015): Linebacker
Cowboys Position Battles (Training Camp 2015): Defensive Tackle
Cowboys Position Battles (Training Camp 2015): Cornerback
Cowboys Position Battles (Training Camp 2015): Free Safety
Cowboys Position Battles (Training Camp 2015): Backup QB