I didn’t think I would be talking about the Cowboys’ running back room after two practices, but here we are.
My train of thought going into this camp was Javonte Williams is the no-brainer RB1. Somebody would eventually win the backup job, and we would just move on. Of course, that’s not how this is going down.
Jaydon Blue has probably been the most explosive player on the field, Phil Mafah bounced back from a bad first day with one of the biggest runs of camp, and Williams is now catching passes out of the screen game.
All of that going down just two days into camp has me looking at this running back room differently.
This may end up not being one starter and two backups. Brian Schottenheimer might be trying to find a way to use all three running backs and use them often.
Jaydon Blue Is Different
Jaydon Blue’s athleticism has never been in question by me or anyone else that I know of. Everybody knew he could fly, and he just needs a little bit of space to blast off.
The question has been maturity. Can he stay locked in? Can he handle the work when he doesn’t get the ball? Can Dallas trust him with more than just a few designed plays for him?
A season ago, he proved he couldn’t do any of those things. A few days into this training camp, he just looks different.
Blue broke loose for a 45-yard touchdown and made it look easy. He got through the first level, hit the open field, and nobody could catch him. Give Blue a crease and good luck.
And Dak LOVES it! 😂
Dallas hasn’t had that in the running back room in a few years. We all know Javonte Williams can handle a steady workload. He proved it last season, but Blue can give this offense a player who can flip the field before the defense knows what hit them.
One long touchdown doesn’t prove he knows how to protect Dak Prescott, or hold onto the football. Still, the talent is sitting there.
If his maturity has finally caught up with his talent, the Cowboys are going to have a hard time keeping him off the field.
Phil Mafah Made a Mistake and Made Up For It
Phil Mafah put the ball on the ground during the first practice when Rashan Gary punched the ball out and Caleb Dows recovered the fumble.
I don’t know if there is a quicker way for a young running back to make coaches nervous than with turnovers.
He could have let that follow him into day two of training camp, but he put it behind him.
Mafah made a nice catch out of the backfield over a defender, then later he bounced a run outside and ran about 50 yards untouched. For a running back who’s built like a battering ram, that play showed he has more in the bag than I expected.
I liked how Mafah bounced back from the mistake more than I hated the fumble. Young running backs are going to screw up. What gets them beat out and on the sideline is when one bad play turns into three or four.
Mafah didn’t do that, he came back and made plays.
All of that doesn’t make the fumble disappear. Ball security can get you buried on the depth chart or looking for another team really quick. What he did after shoes me he can take a bad rep, reset, and get back to playing football.
The Screen Game May Be a Big Wrinkle This Season
More screen passes are already showing up, and Javone Williams turned one into a big gain with Tyler Booker leading the charge. We also saw Phil Mafah get involved in the passing game, and Jaydon Blue is built for short throws that he can turn into a foot race.
I don’t think those plays were just some random thing thrown out at camp.
I feel like Brian Schottenheimer wants the running backs more involved rather than just have them as an emergency option when things fall apart. If so, that should help Dak Prescott as much as anyone.
Dak doesn’t need another offense where everything depends on him throwing for 350 plus yards every game. If Williams can handle the bell cow work, Blue can create explosive plays, and Mafah can bring the power, Dallas becomes a lot harder to defend.
The screen game can slow down the pressure, and give these backs a chance to work in open space. I like that more than relying on Dak and the receivers carrying the lion’s share of every drive.
I don’t want to call this a three-headed monster just yet, it’s only been a couple of practices. Camp clips have fooled people before.
Right now, though, I don’t see a running back room with one answer. I see three potential answers.
And that is a great problem for Brian Schottenheimer and this offense to have early in camp.
Was this helpful?
Comments