The Cowboys had to do something after shocking everyone by cutting Jaydon Blue, and on Monday they got their answer.
Dallas was awarded running back Emari Demercado off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs, according to the league’s transactions wire. The move gives the Cowboys a little more depth at a position that suddenly looked thin after Blue was left off the initial 53-man roster.
Demercado enters the picture with a built-in connection to Dallas offensive coordinator Klayton Adams. He spent his first three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals after going undrafted out of TCU, and that overlap matters because Adams was Arizona’s offensive line coach from 2023-2024.
Across those three seasons in Arizona, Demercado logged 126 carries for 819 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 50 receptions for 324 yards and another score.
"Emari's a guy that Klayton has some exposure to. Good veteran that plays special teams, and there are a lot of good things that we're excited about with him," head coach Brian Schottenheimer said of Demercado, per Patrik Walker of DallasCowboys.com.
Demercado is also known for a costly 2025 mistake when he dropped the ball before crossing the goal line for a touchdown, resulting in a turnover.
From a roster-fit standpoint, the Cowboys clearly needed someone who could help in the passing game out of the backfield. Malik Davis has had shaky moments as a pass-catcher, and Demercado’s receiving work is where he has offered the most value. He saw plenty of third-down work with the Cardinals.
His pass protection is serviceable, though not always steady.
Blue’s departure still stands as the biggest surprise from Sunday’s cuts. At one point, it looked like he might even win the RB2 job, based on what was coming out of camp from beat writers and from Schottenheimer himself, who had plenty of praise for the rookie.
“I think he came back, and I’ve said this before, I think he came back with a different mentality, which is great. He’s always been extremely bright and picked up the scheme very, very well,” Schotty said of Blue.
“It’s been good for us to see him take the next step in certain areas, whether it’s pass protection, whether it’s some of the stuff in the return game. But I noticed it early on that there was a little bit different intentionality about him."
Even when Malik Davis gained ground late in the competition, Blue still appeared to have done enough to stick.
Instead, he’s now on the market, a reminder that camp buzz doesn’t always match what NFL coaches decide when the roster gets finalized.
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Cowboys Just Sent A Tough Message To Jaydon Blue And Phil Mafah
The Cowboys backfield picture took another turn as the team trimmed its roster and reshuffled its practice squad. Dallas waived Jaydon Blue and Joe Milton, with the expectation that Milton could return on the practice squad if he clears the next step, while the club also moved to add Israel Abanikanda as another running back option behind the active roster.
For Blue and Phil Mafah, the message was less about effort than about competition, at least in the view of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. Blue and Mafah were not retained on the practice squad after going unclaimed, and the Cowboys choice to keep moving at the position suggests the staff liked what it saw from other backs more in camp and the preseason. [Read more 🡒]