Training camp is providing all sorts of clues about who will make the Dallas Cowboys' 53-man roster. However, Tuesday's joint practice with the LA Rams and Saturday's preseason opener against those same Rams will help paint a clearer picture of the roster battle.
As far as the running back competition is concerned, the injury to Miles Sanders has created more opportunities for Javonte Williams and Jaydon Blue. Sanders seemed to have jump ahead of Williams in the pecking order, so this battle is only just getting started.
While Sanders, Williams and Blue are effectively locks to make the team, Hunter Luepke is also trending toward roster lock status just two weeks into camp.
Cowboys fans should expect Hunter Luepke to make the 53-man roster
A favorite of the previous coaching staff, Luepke has already left a mark on Brian Schottenheimer and company. While Luepke was involved in the offense under Mike McCarthy, Schottenheimer has gotten more creative with the third-year pro out of North Dakota State.
Both Jon Machota of The Athletic and Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News circled Luepke as one of the Cowboys' camp standouts through two weeks of practice.
"Luepke has lined up as a fullback, halfback and tight end for Schottenheimer during camp. The variety in the offensive scheme appears to include several formations that will use the 2023 undrafted free agent," wrote Machota.
According to Hoyt, Luepke watched film on 49ers' do-it-all chess piece Kyle Juszczyk this offseason. It would be great news for Dallas if Schottenheimer takes a page out of Kyle Shanahan's playbook with how he utilizes Luepke.
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A nine-time Pro Bowler, Juszczyk lined up all over the place for San Francisco last season. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he lined up 200 times in the backfield, 191 times as an inline tight end, 96 times in the slot and 50 times out wide.
That has been the case year in and year out for Juszczyk. While Luepke might not be featured as heavily as the 13th-year vet, it seems Schottenheimer has a similar vision for Luepke.
The Cowboys aim to be a physical offense under Schottenheimer, who called Luepke "an incredible football player" in a recent press conference. Luepke is one of the more physical players on the team, and his ability to play up to four positions all but confirms he'll not only make the roster, but be on the field a ton during the regular season.