With Javonte Williams fresh off a Pro Bowl-caliber debut season with the Dallas Cowboys, it's pretty remarkable how big a conversation the running back position has morphed into this offseason.
That said, the coverage is warranted. The Cowboys' offense was elite last year, but it can reach another gear with a reliable runner behind Williams, whose efficiency dropped off in the second half of the season amid a career-high workload.
Well, wouldn't you know it, the arrow is suddenly pointing up on second-year backs Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah. They've still got plenty to prove, but if you'd told us back in January they'd be this far along, we'd have been skeptical.
Williams did not participate in team drills in the final minicamp practice, and it was Mafah (!) who got the first rep with the starting offense. Blue got the second crack, and the Cowboys still have veteran Malik Davis hanging around in case the young RBs slip up.
This is a great problem to have.
The Dallas Cowboys have a great RB problem with Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah exceeding expectations
It's no secret that Brian Schottenheimer was hard on Blue as a rookie, and rightfully so. The former Texas star clearly needed the wake-up call, as he responded by changing his approach and earning praise from Schottenheimer this offseason.
“There’s nothing that would make me and the offensive staff more ecstatic than for Jaydon to take the step we hope he takes, because of the one-two punch that he and Javonte could potentially have," Schottenheimer said.
"Jaydon’s ability to hurt you catching the ball out of the backfield, that’s a dimension that we — not didn’t have — didn’t do as much because we chose to throw the ball to CeeDee [Lamb], George [Pickens] and [Jake Ferguson] and guys like that. I do think it is different."
Blue clearly didn't have the right mindset as a rookie. That concern followed him into the draft, but to his credit, he's responded the right way. He's studying the playbook every chance he gets, showing greater attention to detail, and even staying after practice for extra work.
While Mafah didn't have maturity concerns, he wasn't ready to contribute in Year 1. That's not unheard of for seventh-round picks, but the consensus from OTAs and minicamp is that the Clemson product is night and day compared to last season.
Whereas Blue projects as the speedy change-of-pace back, Mafah is a punishing runner with impressive contact balance. His skill set mirrors Williams' in a lot of ways. Given that they both win in different ways, it's not crazy to think that both backs can carve out roles in the offense.
We still have a whole training camp and preseason for the "competition" to play out, but the Cowboys have to be thrilled with where Blue and Mafah are in their development after both redshirting as Day 3 rookies.
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