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Cowboys Mailbag
Might John Phillips' injury be an opportunity to keep two fullbacks and have one of them double as a tight end?
(Editor's Note: Each day we will take the 2 best questions for our staff writers to answer from the Mailbag. "Click here" to email questions now.)
GENE LIPP - HOUSTON, TX: I'm not sure how good these fullbacks are as receivers, but might John Phillips' injury be an opportunity to keep two fullbacks and have one of them double as a tight end?
Rob: Possibly. To me, this is Scott Sicko's chance to be the third tight end, and he played pretty well in the game. Fullback Chris Gronkowski played a little of both in college, but he's not a pure tight end, and neither is Deon Anderson. Either way, you're probably going to see fewer three-tight end sets.
Nick: I think it's something the Cowboys are intrigued about. Remember Gronkowski started out as a tight end. He's got good hands and he's pretty smart. It might work out.
Josh: Gronkowski looks like the biggest beneficiary of Phillips' injury. He should be able to do some of those H-back kinds of things Phillips was doing last year. There are ways to get around having only two true tight ends. You either keep an extra fullback or use an unbalanced line with an extra tackle.
C.D. MADISON - ATLANTA, GA: How do you guys see Marcus Dixon progressing and possibly fitting on the team?
Rob: He's in that mix, but the problem is all six rotation players are back from 2009. The four ends (Spears, Igor, Bowen and Hatcher) are making the team, so they'd have to go heavier with Dixon. That'll be tough to do if they want to keep six receivers.
Nick: I can't say he's done anything to get noticed just yet. But with Spears out all preseason I would imagine Dixon will keep getting opportunities.
Josh: He's progressed OK, a lot of it from a physical standpoint since he didn't have an NFL body his first year here. But he's going on his third year in Dallas, and it's probably going to take an injury to someone to get him on the roster. It helps that Sean Lissemore has been out.
Might John Phillips' injury be an opportunity to keep two fullbacks and have one of them double as a tight end?
(Editor's Note: Each day we will take the 2 best questions for our staff writers to answer from the Mailbag. "Click here" to email questions now.)
GENE LIPP - HOUSTON, TX: I'm not sure how good these fullbacks are as receivers, but might John Phillips' injury be an opportunity to keep two fullbacks and have one of them double as a tight end?
Rob: Possibly. To me, this is Scott Sicko's chance to be the third tight end, and he played pretty well in the game. Fullback Chris Gronkowski played a little of both in college, but he's not a pure tight end, and neither is Deon Anderson. Either way, you're probably going to see fewer three-tight end sets.
Nick: I think it's something the Cowboys are intrigued about. Remember Gronkowski started out as a tight end. He's got good hands and he's pretty smart. It might work out.
Josh: Gronkowski looks like the biggest beneficiary of Phillips' injury. He should be able to do some of those H-back kinds of things Phillips was doing last year. There are ways to get around having only two true tight ends. You either keep an extra fullback or use an unbalanced line with an extra tackle.
C.D. MADISON - ATLANTA, GA: How do you guys see Marcus Dixon progressing and possibly fitting on the team?
Rob: He's in that mix, but the problem is all six rotation players are back from 2009. The four ends (Spears, Igor, Bowen and Hatcher) are making the team, so they'd have to go heavier with Dixon. That'll be tough to do if they want to keep six receivers.
Nick: I can't say he's done anything to get noticed just yet. But with Spears out all preseason I would imagine Dixon will keep getting opportunities.
Josh: He's progressed OK, a lot of it from a physical standpoint since he didn't have an NFL body his first year here. But he's going on his third year in Dallas, and it's probably going to take an injury to someone to get him on the roster. It helps that Sean Lissemore has been out.