We have our first major surprise of cutdown day. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Dallas Cowboys are waiving running back Jaydon Blue.
Phil Mafah had already been waived, but that move was anticipated. Blue, on the other hand, was in pads for Friday's preseason finale without taking a snap, which is a sign that usually signals a guaranteed spot on the initial 53.
Instead, Week 2 may have served as Blue's audition while Week 3 belonged to Mafah, with each back leading Dallas in carries in their respective outings.
One has to assume that Malik Davis has made the team. But by waiving Blue and Mafah, the Cowboys have left themselves pretty thin behind Javonte Williams.
It's starting to feel like the coaching staff and front office have identified an RB on the waiver, free agent, or trade market they're interested in. Something bigger has to be coming down the pipe.
Jaydon Blue's surprise release hints Cowboys may be eyeing a bigger RB move
Either the Cowboys are scheming another move behind the scenes, or they are seriously thinking about keeping Israel Abanikanda.
That would be quite the turn of events, but Abanikanda's downhill running style fits what Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams want from their backs. He brings a bit more burst than Williams, too. He could flourish running in Adams' scheme behind Dallas' starting offensive line.
Still, it'd be one of the bigger Cowboys surprises in recent memory if Abanikanda made the 53. He feels more like a practice squad candidate, which brings us back to our earlier point: Does Dallas have another running back in mind?
The free agent pool leaves everything to be desired. Turning to retreads like Joe Mixon, Austin Ekeler, Kareem Hunt, or Antonio Gibson would be taking a step backward. The Cowboys would be better off keeping Abanikanda, Blue, or Mafah.
Editor's note: The Cowboys have now waived Israel Abanikanda.
The Cowboys can't be done adding at running back
Former draft crush Trey Benson won't be one of them after clearing waivers to revert to Arizona's IR, but with teams trimming rosters down to 53 today, a massive influx of running backs is about to hit the wire. The next few hours will unveil a fresh batch of potential targets for Dallas to monitor.
Earlier today, the Green Bay Packers acquired Kaleb Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2028 sixth-round pick. That's the kind of move Dallas may be eyeing.
It's a disappointing outcome for Blue, who entered camp as the RB2. However, Malik Davis passed him on the depth chart, and he clearly didn't show enough in the preseason.
It was fun to think about the speed element Blue could add to the offense, but there were lingering concerns about his attention to detail. We'll know soon enough if Dallas has completely washed its hands of the former Longhorn or if he'll be back on the practice squad.
There has to be something else in the works inside The Star.
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