The Dallas Cowboys still have one more preseason game left on the docket, and after that, the team will head into the decision-making bunker and start to sort out who will be on the 53-man roster and who will be cut. Certainly, from the Cowboys’ perspective, the fact that there will some very difficult decisions on the roster is a pleasant change. There is more talent on hand than in recent years, and the team needs to get to 53, which means good players will fall off. But that also raises a question: Why is fullback Hunter Luepke so often considered a sure bet to make the team?
There are not many fullbacks left in the league these days, and Luepke is middling even by that standard. He is not much of a blocker–the primary advantage of having a fullback–and last year he carried the ball a grand total of 16 times for 71 yards, and caught 13 passes for 109 yards. So he’s not much of a running back, either.
Cowboys Unanimously Projected to Keep Hunter Luepke
Despite that, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Cowboys projected 53-man roster that does not have Luepke in the running back room.
From the Blogging the Boys analysis site: “Javonte Williams, Hunter Luepke, Malik Davis, and Jaydon Blue.”
From ESPN’s Todd Archer: “Javonte Williams, Malik Davis, Jaydon Blue, Hunter Luepke.”
From Jon Machota of The Athletic: “Javonte Williams, Hunter Luepke, Jaydon Blue.”
From SI.com: “Javonte Williams, Malik Davis, Jaydon Blue, Hunter Luepke.”
You get the idea. Without necessarily adding the kind of value that a top-tier fullback would bring, why the there the presumption that Luepke is going to be on the team? Especially if it means cutting Phil Mafah, who has had a good camp.
Cowboys Value Special Teams Contributions
Well, Calvin Watkins, longtime Cowboys beat writer of the Dallas Morning News, has an explanation. He wrote on Twitter/X: “Want to know why fullback Hunter Luepke is valuable: He’s a backup deep snapper and holder.”
That sort of hidden superpower is something that Cowboys fans should, perhaps, get used to in the coming week or so. Dallas will make decisions on players that might not seem to make sense, but their contributions on special teams will need to be factored in. The Cowboys saw special teams ace CJ Goodwin retire this year, and there is a need to make sure that unit stays together–and improves after several lapses last season.
Marist Liufau, for example, has been held up as a likely Cowboys cut. But Liufau has a lot of fans in the organization because of his special teams work. The same is true of safety Markquese Bell.
Hunter Luepke Should ‘Get n the Field’ More
Even with Luepke’s contributions, there is still some confusion about why, exactly, he is a necessary component to the Cowboys roster. As an offensive player, his production is limited.
Cowboys reporter Bobby Belt of 105.3 The Fan in Dallas said recently: “I cannot understand for the life of me where the love affair with Hunter Luepke comes from, because they clearly don’t have a strong feeling towards the position itself, because if you love them that much, it’d be really easy to get him on the field.
“But when you’ve gotten him on the field, the offense has been running inefficiently. They’re so desperate to get him on the field, it sounds like they’re talking about running him out there as a single back at times, which he was in college.”
Cowboys Decision on Seldom-Used RB Stems From Hidden Superpower