Been a pretty eventful 24 hours in Dallas Cowboys land, don't you think? Between waiving Jaydon Blue and Joe Milton, the Cowboys reminded fans to always expect the unexpected.
Of course, Blue and Milton present two very different situations. Dallas is hopeful Milton clears waivers so they can bring him back on the practice squad. Meanwhile, they've completely cut ties with Blue and draft classmate Phil Mafah.
The Cowboys announced their 2026 practice squad on Monday, and neither Blue nor Mafah made the cut after going unclaimed on waivers. Not a huge surprise, but still quite the fall given both had an opportunity to win the backup job.
Not only did the team claim Emari Demercado, but it also signed Israel Abanikanda to the practice squad. Dallas is Abanikanda's third team in as many years. And he made the practice squad over Blue and Mafah.
Talk about twisting the knife.
Cowboys keeping Israel Abanikanda is one last message to Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah
A quick look at Dallas' practice squad:
- Israel Abanikanda - RB
- Justin Barron - LB
- Tommy Dunn - DT
- Jordan Hudson - WR
- Marcellus Johnson - OT
- Derion Kendrick - CB
- Anthony Smith - WR
- Michael Trigg - TE
- Isaiah Land - OLB
- Nick Leverett - C
- Adedayo Odeleye - DL (IPP)
- Curtis Robinson - LB
- Reddy Steward - DB
Including Abanikanda, the Cowboys now have five running backs: Javonte Williams, Malik Davis, Emari Demercado, Hunter Luepke, and Abanikanda.
That might not be a top-15 running back room in the league, and yet Blue and Mafah still couldn't make it. Passing through waivers unclaimed was one thing. But being passed over for Dallas' practice squad entirely signals the coaching staff closed the book on both backs before last Friday's preseason finale.
Mafah didn't stay healthy long enough to surpass Malik Davis on the depth chart. A lot of fans thought he'd be back on the practice squad because he's a patient, downhill runner. He was also drafted two rounds later than Blue.
If you meshed Mafah's professionalism and running style with Blue's athleticism, you'd get a damn good player. That's what makes Blue's time in Dallas such a disappointment. Had he just locked in, there was a prominent role in the offense waiting for him.
Concerns about his professionalism and maturity coming out of Texas proved very real and ultimately explain why the franchise washed its hands of him.
The Cowboys were ready to move on from Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah
Brian Schottenheimer made it pretty clear on Monday that the Cowboys weren't pushing to add Blue to the practice squad.
"It's not that Jaydon didn't do anything," Schottenheimer said. "It's that Malik Davis did things. We were heavy at safety ... It's more about these other guys doing certain things that we felt like they were deserving a spot on this roster.
And again, I really wish Jaydon nothing but the best. He's a talented, talented young man. I'm sure he's gonna land on his feet and have an awesome, awesome career."
That's the polite way of saying that Blue didn't mature as much as Dallas hoped after he was benched for most of his rookie year. It's hardly what Dallas envisioned when they reported to Oxnard in late July, but credit to Schottenheimer and his staff for being willing to pull the plug on a talented player.
And credit to Abanikanda for remaining competitive in a competition that easily could've gotten away from him. He has zero ties to the coaching staff or front office and managed to stick around.
Nothing less than he deserved after how hard and efficiently he ran all summer. His downhill, tenacious running style is a perfect fit in Klayton Adams' scheme, making him an ideal practice squad stash and potential Sunday call-up depending on the matchup.
Bringing back Abanikanda over Blue and Mafah underscores what this staff values most right now: Immediate reliability over untapped potential.
That has to sting for Dallas' former draft picks.
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