No three words define preseason football like "fullback position battle", and Atlanta has one on their hands
After rookie Bradie Ewing suffered a season-ending knee injury in the team's preseason opener, the Falcons brought in veteran Lousaka Polite to push Mike Cox for the starting job. Polite, who has bounced around the league with occasional starting gigs since 2004, isn't getting starters reps -- yet -- but caught a touchdown pass from Matt Ryan Thursday night against Cincinnati, one of his two receptions on the evening. He's now inching closer to Cox's starting role.
"I’ve been around long enough to know that you can’t make the final decision, all you can do is put it on tape and do your best and appreciate every rep you get," Polite said. "When you sit out for a while like I have, when you get another chance, you want to cherish it. I don’t really think about the decision making, I think about playing football."
Cox won't exactly give up the spot easily: the fullback is playing in familiar territory -- he went to Georgia Tech -- and started down the stretch last year. Cox also had a reception for seven yards against the Bengals.
For now, Polite will be less concerned with taking Cox's job and more concerned with making the Falcons' roster, as life as a second-string fullback isn't always easy.
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