Jaydon Blue was a huge story entering his first training camp with the Dallas Cowboys after former team scout and assistant Glenn "Stretch" Smith expressed concerns about Blue's professionalism.
Appearing on the Locked On Cowboys podcast, Smith said the Cowboys aren't thrilled with Blue's work ethic and that he spoke to coaches who believe the rookie running back is "borderline lazy." The report blew up and even prompted a response from Blue on Instagram.
Blue ensured that his play would do the talking. While that has come to fruition just one week into camp, it is Blue's professionalism that has caught the eye of Brian Schottenheimer.
"The speed. The dynamic playmaking ability. He's a dual-threat guy. He doesn't need a lot of space to make guys miss. He's uncanny. ... But what I like is the professionalism he's shown at this camp," Schottenheimer said of Blue, per Patrik Walker of the team's official website.
Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue already dispelling professionalism concerns in training camp
That didn't take long.
Blue was among the biggest standouts from the first week of camp. He delivered arguably the highlight of the first batch of practices when he made a one-handed diving catch down the field. The former Longhorn showed excellent ball-tracking and body control to reel in the off-target pass.
He has been equally impressive running the football. He has ripped off multiple big runs, including during the first padded practice of camp on Sunday.
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None of this means that Blue's supposed concerns won't resurface down the road, or even next week. Dane Brugler of The Athletic heard from scouts before the draft that Blue "may need time to learn what it takes to be a professional."
It is important to remember that Blue is still 21 years old. Not every player enters the league with consummate professionalism and top-tier leadership skills. CeeDee Lamb didn't have the same concerns as Blue, but it took him time to hit his stride as a leader.
Regardless, Cowboys fans have to love the response from Blue. He's letting his play do the talking and showing improvement as a professional.
If that continues, there is no reason to think Blue won't have a major role on the offense. He is simply too dynamic to keep off the field, and it's not like Dallas has a definitive upgrade ahead of him on the depth chart.