Going into 2016, it's clear that while depth was't the biggest issue, the forward position certainly lacks the firepower that the midfield and defense possess. That being said, a few offseason moves gives FC Dallas four current forwards: Tesho Akindele, Coy Craft, Carlos Lizarazo and Maximiliano Urruti. While that's a formidable squad as a group, only two at most would play at a time and with that in mind, it's somewhat of a hole in an otherwise solid roster.

What that means for Akindele is that in his third year, he's no longer a young player given how young this roster is and needs to start regularly contributing. Akindele had a down year by comparison to his Rookie of the Year season in 2014. He only tallied five goals and a lone assist in 1,500 minutes. While he flipped between starting and being a late-game sub, Akindele scored four of those five goals in his starts.

In 2016, Akindele needs to be a more consistent player if he wants to be a starter in this league. It's hard to believe given the players FC Dallas has at forward that he'll be a consistent bench player this season, instead, it's fair to assume he'll at least equal his minute total of 2014 at 1,700.

The issue is, Urruti is a similar player. He's scored the majority of his 15 MLS goals in starts and looks to be a more aggressive shooter while Tesho shows plenty of signs that he can be trigger-shy. Where Akindele does himself the most favors is his mix of size and speed. If he can consistently provide speed up top, it creates consistent style of play from the outside backs to the forward position. Assuming Oscar Pareja utilizes a single-striker formation this season, it's Akindele's position to lose –– but that's not to say that it isn't Urruti's position to gain.

On a team where youth carries the flag, it's put-up or shut-up time for Akindele or else he will quickly find himself as a consistent substitute behind Urruti. If Akindele can flirt with double-digit goals, it will mean two things: FC Dallas didn't pick up a more talented forward in the transfer window and Akindele earned Pareja's trust as his go-to striker on a team where Papi has several options.

Games played (all competitions) 38, 23 starts, 11 goals, three assists