Emmitt Smith didn’t hand Javonte Williams a long lecture. He barely needed to.
When the two met for the first time during mandatory minicamp, the Cowboys icon offered a simple message to the running back who has become an easy target in a strangely crowded backfield conversation.
"He just told me to keep running the way I was running, and everything will be all right," Williams said.
That’s about as strong an endorsement as Williams could ask for from the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. Smith has never been shy about calling out his old team when he thinks it’s warranted, so the fact that he had no real corrections for Williams says plenty about how the 26-year-old is being viewed inside the building.
And honestly, the noise around the Cowboys’ running backs has been a little odd. Jaydon Blue drew plenty of attention after coming out of Texas, but his rookie season amounted to nothing.
There’s still real belief that he can carve out a role and give the offense another gear. Even so, that chatter can make it easy to overlook what Williams did last season on a one-year, $3.5 million deal.
He was as steady as they come.
Brian Schottenheimer and offensive coordinator Klayton Adams deserve their share of credit for shaping a run game that worked, with Schottenheimer pushing a balanced approach and Adams helping build the schemes. But Williams did the hard part. He found creases, made people miss, and created yardage on his own.
The numbers back it up. Among running backs with at least 200 carries in 2025, Pro Football Focus had Williams at 81.7 in rushing grade, 10th in the league.
He finished with 1,201 rushing yards, 12th overall, while averaging 4.8 yards per attempt, which ranked seventh. His 11 rushing touchdowns tied for seventh, his 3.56 yards after contact per attempt ranked fourth, and his 54 missed tackles forced put him ninth.
He also logged 26 explosive runs, good for 14th.
There was a little dip late in the year, and a nagging shoulder injury cost him one game and parts of several others. Still, the bigger picture is clear: the Cowboys have a real lead back here.
Williams played 278 times last season, so the ideal next step is obvious. Dallas would love to trim that workload and keep him fresher for the stretch run.
That matters with the way he runs. Williams is built for the kind of physical, punishing style teams want to lean on when the weather turns.
If Blue or someone else can emerge as a dependable RB2, Williams should only become more efficient. More room, less wear, same downhill violence.
For now, though, Smith’s message says it all. There’s not much Williams needs to change. In fact, the best advice might be to leave him alone and let him keep doing exactly what he’s been doing.
In Other News...
Cowboys Early Roster Projection Puts Familiar Names In Serious Danger
July is still early enough for a lot of roster math to feel like a projection exercise, but that is where the Cowboys are right now, with the 53-man picture already forcing some familiar names into uncomfortable territory. The exercise goes position by position and tries to map out not just who makes the team, but how Dallas wants the roster to function, with rookies such as Jaishawn Barham and LT Overton also drawing attention as possible future pieces if they can carve out roles quickly.
The most interesting pressure point may come at quarterback, where the Cowboys could carry three and still have to sort out a backup debate that is not especially clean. Sam Howell looks like the steadier option, while Joe Milton brings more upside and flash, and that kind of choice can ripple through the rest of the roster. There is also real competition elsewhere, including at tight end and in the secondary, where players who saw meaningful snaps a year ago are suddenly fighting to stay in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Took Another Chance Up Front And Camp Will Decide Everything
Otito Ogbonnia is the latest low-risk swing the Cowboys are taking on the defensive line, a move that fits a front looking to remake its depth after trades sent other linemen elsewhere. Signed in 2026 free agency, Ogbonnia is being brought in to battle for a backup nose tackle or rotational role, the kind of job that can matter more than it sounds when camp starts sorting out the big bodies in the middle.
The contract tells you plenty about where things stand: there is not much financial protection built in, so Ogbonnia will have to earn every bit of his place. Dallas also has younger challengers in the mix, including Jay Toia, and the competition figure will be shaped by health and performance once the pads come on. [Read more 🡒]
Cobie Durant Is Suddenly At The Center Of A Cowboys Dilemma
Cobie Durant has been one of the more interesting defensive additions to emerge from the Cowboys offseason program, turning heads in both OTAs and mandatory minicamp. The free agent cornerback has stacked together the kind of plays that get noticed in June, including an interception of Dak Prescott in OTAs and a diving pass breakup in minicamp, and the early takeaway is that Dallas has found a player who is already making life easier on the coaching staff.
The bigger question is how that performance fits into a cornerback room that still has pieces to sort through before training camp opens. Durant appears headed for a meaningful role and could line up opposite DaRon Bland if the season started now, but the pecking order at the second boundary spot also has to account for rookie Shavon Revel Jr., who is healthy and ready to compete. In other words, Durant has already forced his way into the conversation, and the final answer may depend on how the health of the group holds up once the competition gets real. [Read more 🡒]