Blue, Mafah will get a ‘bunch’ of preseason work

This news comes from Cowboys beat writer Clarence Hill Jr., who also noted that Blue “got a lot of work with the first team” during Thursday’s practice. Blue is entering his second season with the Cowboys and has reportedly turned in a strong first two days of camp, ripping off one big run after another while mixing in with the starters. He appeared in just five games last season, rushing for 38-129-1 while also catching one pass, but this isn’t the first time Blue’s pass-catching abilities have been highlighted during the offseason. Earlier this month, The Athletic’s Jon Machota said Blue was “the ideal fit” to complement Javonte Williams, specifically because of his ability to catch passes out of the backfield. We’re still in the very early days of camp, but Blue could make for an interesting late-round stash in PPR leagues this season and may even have some standalone value in deeper leagues if he can earn a reliable role in what’s expected to be a pass-heavy offense.

Machota noted Blue’s pass-catching ability as the biggest reason for him to potentially see some work behind Williams. Blue caught 42 passes for 368 yards and six scores during his final season at Texas. He then flopped as a rookie, seeing just one catch and 38 carries in total. The bulk of his opportunities came in a meaningless Week 18 game. Still, Dallas did nothing to address their backfield depth this offseason and head coach Brian Schottenheimer has talked up Blue’s work ethic this time around. With a strong training camp, Blue could cement himself as a change-of-pace option for the Cowboys, putting him on the menu for fantasy drafters in deeper leagues.

Reporters noticed Williams was not participating in organized team activities last week. The Cowboys hosted their three-day mandatory minicamp this week, and it sounds like Williams was either limited or held out again today. Schottenheimer was asked whether this was due to Williams’ shoulder injury from last season or simply veteran maintenance. Fortunately, Schottenheimer said Williams is “in a great spot” and “looks great.” His absence was “more about getting the young guys some reps in this last full-speed practice.” It seems like the Cowboys are hoping that one of Blue or Mafah can step up and be a reliable backup. If one separates from the other, he will be a worthwhile late-round pick.

There has been a drumbeat around Blue being a big winner at Cowboys OTAs. Early last week, we heard that Blue was rotating in behind RB Phil Mafah, so this is a bit of a change. Schottenheimer was very complimentary of his second-year back and said he had a “very candid” exit interview with Blue after last season. Schottenheimer also referred to Blue as being “football brilliant.” After a disappointing rookie season, Blue has seemingly bought himself another chance to earn the RB2 role in training camp. Stay tuned.

Cowboys starting RB Javonte Williams was absent. Archer notes that fellow backups, RB Jaydon Blue and RB Malik Davis, also got some work. After backup RB Miles Sanders suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4 last season, Davis and Blue respectively served as the Cowboys’ RB2 and RB3. Mafah was limited to just 10 offensive snaps all season. It appears as though he is getting the chance to work his way up the depth chart behind Williams this summer.

ESPN’s Todd Archer advises that readers not to get carried away with any of today’s observations. It’s a reasonable preface. There is no reason to think Williams’ absence is concerning. The Cowboys are still conducting voluntary workouts, so he is not compelled to be there. Mandatory minicamp is scheduled for June 16-18. Archer adds that RBs Phil Mafah, Jaydon Blue and Malik Davis split first-team reps, with Mafah notably taking the first snap.

The deal includes $16 million in guaranteed money and ties the veteran back to the Cowboys through the 2028 season. Coming off a career year, Williams remains with the Cowboys after playing the 2025 season on a one-year, “prove it” deal. The value on the contract is the same as was recently signed by Bears running back D’Andre Swift, making Williams the 16th highest paid back in the league on an average annual value basis. Expect Williams to enter the 2026 regular season as a borderline workhorse after handling 252 carries and seeing 51 targets in 16 healthy games a season ago.

“Even if [Javonte] Williams does not re-sign, the Cowboys will look to find a lead back in free agency,” Archer adds. Blue had a nice meaningless Week 18 game where he almost doubled his carry total for the season and scored, but we agree with Archer that it’s hard to view him as a potential 2026 lead back for the Cowboys at this point. Blue’s dynasty stock is well down from its 2025 preseason peak.

Williams, 25, produced multiple career-bests this season, notably rushing for more than 1,000 yards for the very first time. A multi-year extension could keep Williams in a Cowboys uniform through the rest of his prime. Hopefully, the team can get the No. 2 RB role sorted out in 2026 to help keep Williams fresh down the stretch.

This was the first NFL action for the seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He was used as a physical complement to fellow rookie Jaydon Blue and also added two catches for 11 yards. The 23-year-old will likely have to battle in training camp to keep his spot on the roster next season.