When Dez Bryant visited the Dallas Cowboys in the preseason last year, there was one prospect who stood out to the franchise legend. It wasn’t the recently signed George Pickens, but a running back from the Longhorns. Bryant posed for a picture with him, believing he was going to be a crucial part of the team’s offense. But just a year later, that same rookie finds himself on the chopping block.
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As the Cowboys whittled their roster to the league-mandated limit of 53, Jaydon Blue, the second-year running back competing with Phil Mafah and Malik Davis, was cut. And just like the rest of the fanbase, it was a decision that puzzled Bryant.
When the team practised in Oxnard, Bryant was a visitor, watching the team through the training camp. That’s when he ran into Blue once again. And when Blue was cut, Bryant recalled that moment on X.
“I literally pulled into the facility and saw Jaydon Blue, so I told him, ‘Good luck this year! Wow! Keep your head up, big dog these are the moments that will define you. Keep pushing bro!🙏🏿’” Bryant wrote on X on August 30.
What makes this cut confusing is the timing. Blue had emerged as one of the top prospects for the RB2 role. In three preseason games, Blue recorded 23 carries for 94 yards. He featured in Dallas’ Aug. 15 opener at Seattle and later paced the Cowboys with 15 carries for 75 yards at Arizona, adding a 26-yard kickoff return.
It looked like a turnaround after a poor rookie season. The Cowboys had drafted him after Blue had an impressive season with the Longhorns, but when Javonte Williams went down with injury, Blue couldn’t make a difference. He carried the ball 38 times for 129 yards with 1 touchdown. That’s why Blue was looking forward to the season.
“I just think I’m a completely different person than what I was at this time last year,” he said in June, via The Athletic. “Knowing how bad I want to be a part of this offense and how big of a piece I could be for this offense helped me out a lot. I think I made a 180 from where I was last year. … I feel really good. I’m just ready to go.”
And it was visible in how the team viewed him as well. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer even mentioned:
“I think he came back, and I’ve said this before, I think he came back with a different mentality, which is great. He’s always been extremely bright and picked up the scheme very, very well,” the head coach said. “It’s been good for us to see him take the next step in certain areas, whether it’s pass protection, whether it’s some of the stuff in the return game.”
When the Cowboys released their unofficial depth chart, Blue was listed as Javonte Williams’ top backup. The second-year pro sat out Dallas’ preseason finale, a move that led many to believe Blue would comfortably make the Cowboys’ final roster.
However, that confidence didn’t carry over. During training camp, Davis pulled away in the fight for the RB2 spot. Blue’s lack of pass-catching reps is also a concern, according to NBC Sports’ Patrick Daugherty.
After releasing Blue, the current options were Javonte Williams, Malik Davis, Phil Mafah and Israel Abanikanda. However, Mafah and Abanikanda have both been dropped by Dallas.
“Israel Abanikanda wasn’t better than Blue,” A to Z Sports’ Mauricio Rodriguez stood in Blue’s defense. “Phil Mafah wasn’t better than Blue. Heck, both were also waived. In other words, Blue kind of lost this battle to nobody.”
Jaydon Blue’s surprising exit leaves the door open for speculation about the Cowboys’ next move. The team now desperately needs help at RB, as the position now has only three players on the depth chart: Williams, Davis, and Hunter Luepke, who is a fullback.
Williams is prone to injuries, which would thrust Davis into the starting role. He has played in only three seasons for the Cowboys, as he spent 2024 on the practice squad. Davis only has 411 total rushing yards on his resume so far, along with three touchdowns.
Luepke will most likely also be deployed on pass-protection duties. Dallas now seriously needs to add at least one rusher to bolster the depth. They would either have to turn to veterans like Kareem Hunt, who is still available in free agency, or call someone back off the waivers to at least fit them on the practice squad.
“All of that being said, it is possible once the cut-down dust settles that either Blue or fellow waived sophomore Phil Mafah ends up back on the Cowboys’ 53-man roster,” Daugherty wrote.
Many hope that Blue returns to the practice squad, because he has flashed in the preseason and training camp this year. We will have to wait and watch.