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There are plenty of storylines we are watching at Dallas Cowboys OTAs at The Star, and one is who will be Javonte Williams' backup in Brian Schottenheimer's offense.
With Malik Davis, Jaydon Blue, and Phil Mafah, the trio that will be vying for snaps this offseason, things have already gotten off to a good start for Blue and Mafah.
The pair were involved in the red zone work the offense did last week, both finding the end zone, so that's a good start.
Blue came to The Star last season with some excitement, but, per our own Mike Fisher, his issues with consistency and play style meant he barely saw the field.
READ MORE: Where's Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb Rank Among NFL's Most Dangerous Playmakers?
Mafah dealt with a shoulder injury in his rookie year, and that put a line through the majority of his 2025 season, but we did see him in Week 18 against the New York Giants.
But now both are in full flight as the fight for jobs becomes real.
And for Nick Harris, of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he's got high praise for what Blue and Mafah have done already this offseason.
"Phil Mafah is earning a lot of praise behind the scenes," Harris said. "Had someone tell me yesterday, night and day different from this point last year with Phil Mafah. Jaydon Blue, I was told, has been super locked in, more locked in than he's been in the time that he's been in Dallas.
"Even in the locker room, he was on his iPad the whole time, going through film of the practice that had just happened. So that's good to see with a guy like Jaydon Blue for sure after some of the consistency issues that Schottenheimer talked about last year both on and off the field."
READ MORE: Cowboys Comedy: Is 'The Jonathan Mingo Package' Still A Thing In 2026?
So both have gotten off to a good start this offseason, and that is exactly what the Cowboys would have wanted.
Make the decision tough.
Blue has the athletic traits, with his speed and elusiveness as his big weapons, while Mafah is in a similar style to Williams, with a physical, bash-and-crash approach to the position.
How the pair now builds on this as the weeks roll on will be interesting to see play out, because someone has to win the backup role. I doubt Dallas will go with both, and don't discount Davis in this conversation, either.
But right now, it appears Blue and Mafah stock is on the rise inside The Star.
Continue reading...
With Malik Davis, Jaydon Blue, and Phil Mafah, the trio that will be vying for snaps this offseason, things have already gotten off to a good start for Blue and Mafah.
The pair were involved in the red zone work the offense did last week, both finding the end zone, so that's a good start.
Blue came to The Star last season with some excitement, but, per our own Mike Fisher, his issues with consistency and play style meant he barely saw the field.
READ MORE: Where's Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb Rank Among NFL's Most Dangerous Playmakers?
Mafah dealt with a shoulder injury in his rookie year, and that put a line through the majority of his 2025 season, but we did see him in Week 18 against the New York Giants.
But now both are in full flight as the fight for jobs becomes real.
And for Nick Harris, of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he's got high praise for what Blue and Mafah have done already this offseason.
"Phil Mafah is earning a lot of praise behind the scenes," Harris said. "Had someone tell me yesterday, night and day different from this point last year with Phil Mafah. Jaydon Blue, I was told, has been super locked in, more locked in than he's been in the time that he's been in Dallas.
"Even in the locker room, he was on his iPad the whole time, going through film of the practice that had just happened. So that's good to see with a guy like Jaydon Blue for sure after some of the consistency issues that Schottenheimer talked about last year both on and off the field."
READ MORE: Cowboys Comedy: Is 'The Jonathan Mingo Package' Still A Thing In 2026?
So both have gotten off to a good start this offseason, and that is exactly what the Cowboys would have wanted.
Make the decision tough.
Blue has the athletic traits, with his speed and elusiveness as his big weapons, while Mafah is in a similar style to Williams, with a physical, bash-and-crash approach to the position.
How the pair now builds on this as the weeks roll on will be interesting to see play out, because someone has to win the backup role. I doubt Dallas will go with both, and don't discount Davis in this conversation, either.
But right now, it appears Blue and Mafah stock is on the rise inside The Star.
Continue reading...
