Cowboys' Jaydon Blue Reportedly Gets RB1 Reps in Camp amid Fantasy Football Outlook

The Dallas Cowboys marginally addressed the running back position this offseason, adding Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders in free agency.

But the most impactful addition may have come in the draft, when Jaydon Blue was selected in the fifth round. He's already getting in some work with the first-team offense, perhaps an early hint of what could become a potentially significant role this season:

"I think in the spring he picked it up slower than we had hoped," new Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer told reporters on Wednesday regarding Blue. "But not now. He's got it. He's figuring it out. He's one of those guys that doesn't say much, but there's a big time competitive fire in there. He wants to be great. He wants to be elite. He knows he's talented. I think he’s realizing, 'OK, I'm really talented. I'm really good. But I'm in the NFL now... so I have to do the things off the field, preparing mentally in the class room, studying a little bit extra the installs for the next day, taking care of my body.' It's been fun to see."

From a fantasy perspective, the Cowboys' running backs are giving "wait and see" as a likely committee situation sorts itself out. Williams has never rushed for over 1,000 yards in a season or even hit the five touchdown mark on the ground, so he isn't terribly exciting even if he wins the starting gig.

Sanders, meanwhile, was a Pro Bowler for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022 after rushing for 1,269 yards and 11 scores, but he largely conceded the starting gig to Chuba Hubbard during his two seasons in Carolina. That doesn't bode well for him returning to a lead back role.

In other words, a significant role is very much there for the taking. Whether Blue can grab it remains to be seen, but he'd certainly offer more upside for fantasy players than Williams and Sanders, a pair of uninspiring flex options at the very best. If Blue doesn't seize the role, this is a backfield to avoid.