Inside The Star
The weather is getting hot, a new coaching staff is getting acclimated, and players are back on the field; it must be summer. With that comes a few huge months for a few of the Dallas Cowboys veterans.
It’s usually the rookies and the superstars that get all the attention at this point, but the in-between guys are scrapping for playing time right now.
Dallas added a slew of these players during free agency, and has their fair share returning from last year. How they perform during these summer months will dictate the depth chart and the snap count in the early weeks of the 2025 campaign.
Let’s talk about four of these guys here, and what is at stake as the clock slowly ticks to Week 1.
At this point, there is little debate about the leader of the Cowboys’ running back room; it is Javonte Williams, the former North Carolina Tar Heel and Denver Bronco.
The front office brought Williams in on a cheap, one-year deal this offseason, and he’s going to be fighting for his NFL career these next few months.
This Cowboys veteran needs to secure the starting job by the start of the year.
Cowboys RB1 Javonte Williams last season pic.twitter.com/d1l0ooz70x
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) May 11, 2025
Fellow-signee Miles Sanders and rookies Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah will be on his tail throughout the summer, and with his lack of production in recent seasons, it is do-or-die.
He is both young and experienced, which gives him a leg up over the rest of the depth chart. Now, it’s about proving he still has what it takes to start in the NFL.
Most fans shook their heads in disbelief at the Jonathan Mingo trade the second it happened, but that reaction only solidified as his production in Dallas flatlined, and George Pickens was added to the room.
Mingo, 24, caught just five passes in eight games for the Cowboys, despite it taking a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to get him.
Why would Dallas give Carolina such a premium pick if they didn’t plan to use him?
That is a question that will remain up for debate until he actually makes something out of his Cowboys tenure. Unfortunately for Mingo, the upcoming season may be his final chance to do that.
He simply hasn’t shown enough at this level to justify a new contract, or even a roster spot, if he doesn’t make some noise this summer. He must win the WR3 battle before Week 1.
After falling to the Cowboys in the 2022 NFL Draft due to a spinal injury, linebacker Damone Clark’s potential earned him a lot of attention from fans.
Unfortunately, the ceiling Clark has always had hasn’t been reached.
In three seasons, the former LSU Tiger has been largely inconsistent. In limited...
