The Dallas Cowboys don’t currently have a proven fullback on the roster after Jamize Olawale surprisingly decided to opt out of the 2020 season. They may have a few candidates on the roster, however, no one with an established track record at the NFL level or the collegiate one for that matter. There is however a former Mike McCarthy player who could fit the bill.
Enter former Green Bay Packers FB Aaron Ripkowski.
Aaron Ripkowski played under Mike McCarthy with the Green Bay Packers from 2015-2017. He joined the Packers as a sixth-round draft pick out of Oklahoma in 2015 and took over as the starting fullback in Year 2 when they didn’t re-sign John Kuhn. He was eventually released in 2018, but not before he helped lead them to the playoffs in back to back seasons (2016, 2017), playing a vital role both years.
Sadly, Ripkowski hasn’t played in a single game the last two years. He did sign a reserve/future contract with the Kansas City Chiefs last year, but was released a few months later. Being two years removed from the game doesn’t exactly bode well for him reuniting with Mike McCarthy in Dallas, but it doesn’t mean his name hasn’t come up as a potential FB replacement either.
Aaron Ripkowski checks a lot of the boxes the Dallas Cowboys could be looking for in a Jamize Olawale replacement. He is a proven veteran Mike McCarthy already knows how to utilize, he plays special teams, he’s inexpensive, and he’s a nativeborn Texan (Dayton, Texas). Kicking the tires on such a player in training camp wouldn’t exactly be unwise on the Cowboys part.
As things stand right now, the Dallas Cowboys don’t have anyone on the current roster they know for sure can step in and fill the void left by Jamize Olwale. They may have a few players in mind, but none of them with the kind of track record Aaron Ripkowski brings to the table.
Now it’s unlikely bringing in Ripkowski is being discussed much, if any, behind closed doors due to the irregular offseason caused by the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic, but he remains an option nonetheless. His link to Mike McCarthy helps his cause a little, but right now this is nothing more than out-of-the-box thinking and speculation on my part. If it becomes true though, remember you heard it here first.
