In the final day of the Dallas Cowboys minicamp this week, starting running back Javonte Williams did not participate in drills with the rest of the team. For a guy who set a career high in carries last season–with 252–Williams is now an established centerpiece for the offense, but there are concerns, too, about how much usage the Cowboys are putting on him. No other running back on the team carried more than 52 times last year, and Dallas does not want to have that kind of disparity again.
So, the Cowboys gave Williams the day off from drills, but not because he needed the rest. It’s because the Cowboys are doing the work of digging into their RB2 options.
As Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News wrote on Twitter/X on Thursday: “Brian Schottenheimer was asked about Javonte Williams not participating in team drills. He said it was about giving more opportunities to both Phil Mafah and Jaydon Blue with the starters. The first two plays were tailored for both Mafah and Blue.”
Cowboys Getting Better Effort From Jaydon Blue
This is a good thing for the Cowboys. Sure, it’s possible that neither Blue (a fifth-round pick in 2025) nor Mafah (a seventh-rounder) is the answer at backup running back behind Williams, but the fact is the Cowboys need to test both early in camp when the team opens in Oxnard next month to figure out whether they need to find another free agent or seek out a trade.
Certainly, there has been enthusiasm about Blue who, by all accounts, has come into his offseason at The Star with a more serious attitude than he had as a rookie, when he did not show much of a work ethic and chafed at doing special teams work. Blue himself has said that he is coming into Year 2 a different person.
Jaydon Blue Has ‘Different Look on His Face’
The Cowboys’ Schottenheimer has seen the same thing from Blue, and he concedes that having blue as a productive speed back to work in with Williams would be his preference.
Said Schottenheimer: “I think he has come back with a different look on his face, I think he is practicing better. I do think that, as he continues to grow, he has got to understand and realize that, until he is the bell cow, there’s going to be other roles he is going to have to fill, whether it is coming out of the backfield to catch the football, special teams, but I love the idea of a change-of-pace back to go with Javonte, who is just an absolute pounder, bruiser, a guy that’s gonna score 12, 13 touchdowns every year for us.
“Jaydon is a huge part of what we’re trying to do but he has got to do his part, and I think he is doing his part. That’s got to continue.”
Phil Mafah in the Cowboys’ Mix
But Schottenheimer is giving Mafah, who missed almost all of last year with injuries, primarily to his shoulder, a crack at the RB2 job for the Cowboys, too. The more options the Cowboys can develop to give Williams a break, the better.
As Schottenheimer said: “There’s certain roles that he might fit better than Jaydon and there’s certain roles that he might fit better than Phil. But at the end of the day, I try not to call plays depending on which back is in the game. You’d like the flow of the game to come to you as a play-caller. It’s the guy that does the most things the best. That’s what you’re thinking. But special teams are a huge part of it. So, when Phil came back late last year, there were things we saw from Phil—his run instincts are unique, they’re elite. They really are.
“Another guy that, when the pads come on, you’re going to get a sense of where Phil Mafah is.”
Cowboys Have Encouraging Reason Why Key Starter Didn’t Participate in Camp Drills