Training Camp: Top Five Position Battles (#4)

The Backfield

I talked a little bit about Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown in my first training camp post. They are the roster locks and figure to be the best unit of the team. The other three guys competing for probably one spot are 6th round picks Jalen Parmele and Lex Hilliard along with roster holdover Patrick Cobbs.

Usually being a roster holdover is a good thing but this regime has already shown they will buck that trend. In fact, I'd now say that if you were handpicked by Parcells and Ireland, via free agency or the draft, you stand a better chance of sticking around. Cobbs is a special teams ace which is usually what is desired most for a third string running back, but it is a time of keeping the best all-around players, not niche guys. He will have to start showing some running ability and also hope the new guys don't develop the special teams abilities too quickly if he wants to hold them off for this spot.

As for the other two guys, it looks like Parmele has been given the most carries in practice thus far and has shown a flash or two. He is probably the best pure runner out of the three and may project as one of those late round steals at running back we have seen in the NFL lately. My money would be on him, but he does need to be able to play on special teams which we probably won't see or hear much about until the preseason games.

Lex Hilliard is the afterthought in this race but he does seem to have a niche that could earn him a spot. In college he was a phenomenal goal to go runner and racked up a large amount of touchdowns (50). He could project as a hybrid tailback/fullback that could be used in short yardage or third down situations. Like Parmele though, he needs to try to become the special teams ace that Cobbs is.

The fullback situation should be rather interesting as well. Reagan "I'm the Juggernaut, Bitch" Mauia did an okay job in his rookie year but was nothing special. Two things he has working against him are that he is a roster holdover and did have an arrest in the offseason. Boomer Grigsby was signed as a free agent to make this a competition and I'm half hoping he wins just because he would win "Best Name on the Team" honors hands down. He was a big special teams star in Kansas City but supposedly wanted a better look at fullback. We are giving that to him and if he can prove to be at least as good as Maiua, he will probably get the spot.

Prediction

I think Cobbs will be released and Parmele will win the third running back spot. I'll take Boomer Grigsby for the fullback spot. As for Lex Hilliard, I think it's a toss up whether he stays on as another back. I'd bet on him making it.