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Dallas Cowboys sign a fullback with tight end traits

By Steven Mullenax

MURFREESBORO, TN - OCTOBER 20: Ryan Yurachek #85 of the Marshall Thundering Herd runs after a catch in the first quarter of a game against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Floyd Stadium on October 20, 2017 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
MURFREESBORO, TN - OCTOBER 20: Ryan Yurachek #85 of the Marshall Thundering Herd runs after a catch in the first quarter of a game against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Floyd Stadium on October 20, 2017 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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The Dallas Cowboys added another fullback to their roster on Wednesday. And this player has a history of success as a tight end in college.

The Dallas Cowboys are one of the last teams in the entire NFL to employ a fullback on their active roster. Now, America’s Team has two of them. According to several reports, the Cowboys have signed former Oakland Raiders fullback Ryan Yurachek. He’ll join another former Raider fullback, Jamize Olawale, in Dallas when training camp kicks off late next month.

Undrafted out of Marshall in 2018, Yurachek spent a month with the New Orleans Saints prior to landing in Oakland last June. He would spend his entire rookie season on the practice squad. The Raiders waived Yurachek last month with an injury designation following offseason arthroscopic knee surgery. Dallas had him try out for the team just last week following one of their minicamp practices.

Yurachek had success as a tight end during his four-years with the Thundering Herd. During his senior season, he posted an impressive stat-line of 54 receptions for 490 yards and a team-leading 10 touchdowns in 13 games. Yurachek, who was named the offensive team captain by the end of the season, was also elected first-team All-Conference USA. His college career totals at Marshall are 143 catches for 1,354 receiving yards and a whopping 26 touchdowns.

So why would Yurachek be forced to change his position from tight end to fullback to play at the next level? According to the official Marshall website, his height is listed at 6-foot-3. According to the NFL’s official site and DallasCowboys.com, Yurachek is actually 6-foot flat, 240-pounds. That lack of size is likely the reason the talented tight end is forced to play fullback instead. All five tight ends currently on the roster in Dallas are 6-foot-5 or taller!

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Despite his small frame, Ryan Yurachek has tight end traits that could serve him well at the fullback position. His history suggests he is an excellent receiver out of the backfield and could provide quarterback Dak Prescott with another valuable outlet underneath. But Yurachek faces an uphill battle to even make the final roster with Jamize Olawale already cemented in one of the rarest positions in the entire NFL. He’ll likely have to be one heck of a special teams player to make the final-53 in Big D.

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