Jaydon Blue is gearing up for a comeback in his sophomore NFL season, looking to shake off the disappointment of his rookie year. With the Cowboys' top rusher spot secure, Blue is eyeing that No. 2 position, but he knows he'll have to earn it.
Reflecting on his first year, Blue admits, "I didn’t start off like I should have. Maybe it was not practicing the right way or just on a maturity level, I think I wasn’t really there."
But he's been learning from the veterans and putting in work this offseason. Blue's ready to apply those lessons and make a mark on the field.
In 2025, Blue's stats were modest - 129 yards and a single touchdown on 38 carries, debuting only in Week 5. But he’s using that as fuel.
"Of course I want to be on the field. But at the same time, I know this is the NFL, so any week things can change," he says.
Blue's determined to ensure that inconsistency is a thing of the past.
Switching gears to the defensive side, Rashan Gary is set to make a significant impact for the Cowboys in 2026. While the team has invested in new talent like Malachi Lawrence and Jaishawn Barham, Gary's experience and prowess, particularly in run defense, make him a standout. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer sees Gary as a "grown-ass man" on the field, and his stats back it up - 48 total tackles last year with the Packers and a career full of impactful plays.
Gary's ability to pressure quarterbacks is another feather in his cap, with 54 QB pressures last season alone. That kind of production is exactly what the Cowboys need as they look to bolster their defensive line.
On the offensive line, Tyler Guyton is in the spotlight as the likely candidate to secure the left tackle position. Despite some inconsistencies and injuries over the past two seasons, Guyton remains the frontrunner.
His first year was marred by penalties and shaky blocking, while his second year saw him sidelined by injuries. Yet, the gap between him and his competition suggests the job is his to lose.
Finally, under the leadership of Brian Schottenheimer, the Cowboys are exuding a new vibe. Schottenheimer's unconventional approach to building his coaching staff, including the hires of Klayton Adams and Christian Parker, has breathed fresh air into the team.
His ability to relate to players and innovate on both sides of the ball has drawn praise, with the Cowboys' offense ranking in the Top 5 last season. Schottenheimer's blend of old-school and modern tactics has put the Cowboys in a position to make waves this season.
In Dallas, the stage is set for a season full of potential, with players and coaches alike ready to rise to the occasion.
In Other News...
Cowboys Early Roster Projection Puts Familiar Names In Serious Danger
With July approaching, the Cowboys first pass at a 53-man roster already hints at a lot of familiar names getting squeezed. The projection is less about locking anything in and more about mapping the competition at every spot, from quarterback to the back end of the defense, while also weighing which rookies can push their way into bigger roles before the season arrives.
One of the trickier calls sits behind the starting quarterback, where Dallas may end up carrying three passers but still has to sort out a backup pecking order. The same uncertainty runs through the rest of the roster, with a few players who logged real snaps last season suddenly looking vulnerable and others, including rookies like Jaishawn Barham and LT Overton, offering the kind of long-term promise that can make these early projections feel more like a warning than a prediction. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Are Suddenly Getting The Respect Fans Never Expected
The Cowboys have spent plenty of recent offseasons under a cloud of frustration and second-guessing, but this one is drawing a different kind of attention. Around the league, several personnel executives are looking at Dallas as one of the NFLs most improved teams, with the roster moves and coaching decisions giving the franchise a steadier, more credible feel than it has had in a while.
A big part of that perception comes from how the defense has been upgraded and how the staff has been shaped, including Brian Schottenheimers choice to bring in Christian Parker to run the unit. There is also a sense that the front office has handled the business side more cleanly, from the George Pickens situation to contract decisions that no longer seem to linger as distractions, which is why some evaluators are now discussing Dallas in a way fans have not been used to hearing. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Already Took A Hit Where This Roster Could Least Afford It
The Cowboys have spent enough time talking about ceilings and upside this spring, but the latest reminder of how thin the margin can be came in a place Dallas could least afford it. With Dak Prescott coming off a strong 2025 season, the bigger picture still points toward a roster that needs its quarterback to keep playing at that level while the front office tries to manage what comes next on the cap. At the same time, the defensive side is being shaped by Christian Parkers expected Vic Fangio-style approach, which puts even more pressure on the line to create disruption without much blitz help.
That is why the early look at a rookie edge rusher such as Malachi Lawrence matters so much to this team. Dallas needs pass rush juice to show up quickly, and it needs it from players who can fit into a system built around patience, discipline and pressure from the front four. If that kind of help is going to come, it has to come soon, because the roster does not have many obvious places left to absorb another hit. [Read more 🡒]