The Cowboys’ running back room is set to draw a lot of attention when training camp opens in Oxnard, and Jaydon Blue sits right at the center of it.
Dallas clearly wants the former Texas Longhorn to grow into the backup job behind Javonte Williams. The idea is simple enough: a “Thunder and Lightning” pairing built around Williams’ power and Blue’s elite speed. But that plan only works if Blue proves he’s ready for the role.
Blue has already said he’s matured into a better person and player over the offseason, and the Cowboys are counting on that progress to show up on the field. Even so, the path to RB2 is not wide open.
Malik Davis is still there, and he deserves more attention than he’s getting.
Davis was signed off the couch last season when Blue was struggling, and he ended up handling the backup role reasonably well. In 52 carries, he rushed for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns while averaging 4.8 yards per carry.
He doesn’t have Blue’s top-end speed, but he’s not lacking burst either. His 43-yard rushing touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving is proof of that.
There are still areas where Blue should have the edge. He brings more as a receiver, while both backs have work to do in pass protection. That makes camp in Oxnard especially important, because improvement there could swing the competition.
Blue has the inside track to the RB2 job, but Davis has enough production and enough fight to make this a real battle.
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Safety and left guard stand out most, with Derek Williams Jr. and Laurence Seymore among the players trying to turn opportunity into a starting role. There are other names worth tracking too, from Justus Terry on the defensive front to freshman Jermaine Bishop Jr. on offense and in the return game, while Lance Jackson and Brad Spence are pushing to make the edge-rusher rotation harder to sort out than it looked a few months ago. [Read more 🡒]