There aren't many things to nitpick about the Dallas Cowboys' offense, but it could have used more stability behind Javonte Williams last season.
As such, all eyes are on Jaydon Blue this summer and whether he'll win the backup job. While Dallas is only in the second week of OTAs, Blue has earned glowing reviews, with reports citing a noticeable maturity and more attention to detail relative to his rookie year.
The Cowboys probably want Blue to gain the upper hand, but it sounds like they are going to have healthy competition at the position, as Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram named Phil Mafah as another standout.
"Mafah has specifically drawn a lot of praise for his work this offseason, with one source saying he is “night-and-day” different from last year," Harris wrote.
Jaydon Blue's got some company.
Dallas Cowboys RB Phil Mafah already making waves at OTAs
Whether Mafah is "forgotten" in Dallas' RB room is open for interpretation, but he certainly isn't mentioned in the same light as Blue and Malik Davis. The RB2 competition is widely perceived as a two-horse race, but Mafah isn't going quietly into the night. Not by a long shot.
Some of the skepticism surrounding Mafah stems from a rookie season that was even more uneventful than Blue's. He landed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury during roster cuts and wasn't activated until Week 18, despite having his practice window opened two weeks earlier.
Many Cowboys fans have long suspected the team stashed Mafah on injured reserve to avoid exposing him to waivers -- a common practice around the league. Whether that's true or not, Dallas made a concerted effort to keep him in the organization.
After all, they moved on from several fan favorites last August, including DB Israel Mukuamu, WR Traeshon Holden, and TE Rivaldo Fairweather Jr., and while many returned on the practice squad, Mafah never left the building. That alone suggests the team saw enough potential to prioritize his development.
That aligns with what fans noticed during the preseason.
While Mafah didn't light up the box score, he passed the eye test, showing a knack for breaking tackles and squeezing out extra yards after contact, routinely falling forward to finish runs. His contact balance and physical running style closely resemble those of Javonte Williams.
Despite catching just 58 passes in four years at Clemson, Mafah has also flashed more receiving upside than expected, with Harris noting that the former Tiger caught a touchdown in red-zone drills.
Continued growth in that area could go a long way toward securing a roster spot. After all, the more Mafah can do, the harder he'll be to cut.
With Jaydon Blue also making his presence felt, the competition behind Williams is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing battles of the summer.
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