You know that we're all the way back when the timeline is full of clips from Dallas Cowboys training camp. On that note, shoutout to all the reporters in Oxnard for asking great questions and providing up-to-the-minute updates at every practice.
Day 1 is in the books, and even though players were not in pads, it was a doozy. Similar to OTAs and minicamp, there's only so much stock you can glean from a non-padded practice, but running back Jaydon Blue deserves recognition regardless.
It was actually Phil Mafah who got the first burn behind Javonte Williams. However, Blue checked in for Mafah after he lost a fumble on an admittedly elite punch-out from Rashan Gary. How did Blue respond? By taking his first touch to the house.
Per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, it was a 45-yard house call that would've been legit in pads as well. Talk about making a statement in the RB2 battle.
Jaydon Blue draws crucial first blood in Cowboys' heated RB2 battle
You absolutely love to see Blue starting hot.
Jon Machota of The Athletic asked Blue about his TD run after practice. Suffice it to say the second-year back is brimming with confidence.
“My speed is what I’m best at," Blue said. "Once I get in the open field and it’s one-on-one, I don’t think anyone in this league can stand a chance.”
While Blue flashed explosive-play ability last summer, he never earned the coaching staff's trust. He was a healthy inactive for most of his rookie season, appearing in just five games and eclipsing 15 snaps only once, in the regular-season finale.
It's early, but the former Texas Longhorn seems to have flipped the script. Brian Schottenheimer complimented Blue during OTAs and minicamp, calling him "night and day" compared to last season. He was seen getting in extra reps after practicing and said himself that he hasn't been able to take his eyes off the playbook this offseason.
Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue needs to keep stacking good days in training camp
That's not to say Blue has definitively turned a corner. Wednesday was a dream start, but he's got a long way to go to lock down the RB2 job.
Phil Mafah looked powerful before his fumble and will have every opportunity to make his own case. The same goes for Malik Davis, who enters camp as the incumbent RB2 after holding that role for most of last season following Miles Sanders' season-ending knee injury. Israel Abanikanda and Dominic Richardson are further down the depth chart, but they're just as hungry.
Continuing to create explosive plays will obviously bode well. But for Blue to really leave his mark, he has to prove he can be trusted in every facet of the position. That means running behind the right blockers, executing his blocking assignments, understanding every audible in the playbook, and even mastering Dak Prescott's cadence.
All that said, he couldn't have made a louder statement on Day 1.
Add us as a preferred source on Google