Blogging The Boys
The back end of the depth chart is going to be reshuffled for the Cowboys at running back.
It’s a time of significant change at the running back position in Dallas. Last year’s starter and backup are gone, two rookies were just drafted, and two veterans were signed in free agency. Some already have more job security than others, but competition will abound throughout the Cowboys’ depth chart between now and final cuts.
Rico Dowdle joined the Panthers as a free agent last March and Ezekiel Elliott remains unsurprisingly unemployed. They accounted for 92% of the snaps for pure running backs last year (not counting Hunter Luepke’s), meaning we’re in for an almost complete renovation of the RB room.
Rather than go after one big name with a clear path to the starting job and a workhorse role, Dallas has found multiple options. They signed veteran free agents Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, both with ample starting experience, and then used Day 3 picks on rookies Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah. At least one of these four won’t have a chair when the music stops, and perhaps more depending on a couple of holdovers from last season.
Hunter Luepke will likely make the roster as a fullback. Just recently, head coach Brian Schottenheimer praised him for his versatility on offense and special teams. The bigger question is if Luepke’s ball-carrying skills are enough that Dallas might make him their third RB and save a roster spot for another position. Obviously, that makes things tighter for the other candidates.
One guy hoping he's not forgotten in this conversation is Deuce Vaughn. Entering his third year since being a sixth-round pick, Vaughn has had minimal snaps during the regular season. Now with Blue’s arrival as a speedster and receiving option, it feels like Vaughn’s chances have gone from slim to none. With WR KaVontae Turpin also offering some flexibility out of the backfield, whatever niche or utility role Vaughn may have had on offense seems filled.
At this point, the only guy who feels like a roster lock is Jaydon Blue. While that’s not something you often say for fifth-round picks, Blue was generally considered a steal there thanks to a very deep RB class in 2025. He’s not an every-down back at his size, so it’s quite possible he won’t be the starter. But at the least, he seems poised to have the old Tony Pollard role as the change-up option and should get plenty of opportunities both running and receiving.
If he’s fully recovered from a major 2022 knee injury, Javonte Williams will also be tough to beat. He was the 35th-overall pick in the 2021 draft by Denver and had a big rookie season, but since the injury has struggled to get back to that form. While they hedged their bet with the Blue and Mafah picks in the draft, the Cowboys are hoping for a steal with this one-year reclamation attempt. Williams would be their most well-rounded back...
