GLENDALE, Ariz. — Jaydon Blue entered his second NFL training camp with a completely different mindset and approach over his first offseason with the Dallas Cowboys. The former Texas Longhorn made it clear, months ago, that he is a “different person” now — matured in his approach to practice and the playbook.
That appears to be very true. Blue stacked plenty of good days over the past several weeks in Oxnard, and his transition to practice in Dallas began with a 75-yard showing in the preseason win over the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday, wherein he averaged five yards per carry.
There was even a hurdle thrown in for good measure, embarrassing a Cardinals' safety who didn't know the move was in Blue's "bag". Equally as impressive, though? Blue's physicality.
"Yeah, I mean, of course my speed will stand out, butI think that I'm also a tough runner," he told DallasCowboys.com. "I can run between the tackles. And it might sound crazy, but I'd rather run between the tackles than run outside zone and stuff like that. I'm trying to perfect my game at every level, not just in the passing game.
"And not just tosses in outside zone. I'm running between the tackles, also."
Blue's showing in the desert was his best since the Cowboys' regular season finale against the New York Giants last year, when he ran for 64 yards on 14 carries and scored his first NFL touchdowns. The former fifth-round pick is making strides in all the right directions.
"Absolutely, man. Like I said [before], I went back and I looked at last year, looked at some things I could have done differently, and the game is coming a lot easier to me," Blue said. "That's me knowing this playbook like the back of my hand, and me being more comfortable in the system. Like [head coach Brian Schottenheimer] said a few months ago, it's probably day and night compared to where I was last year."
The Cowboys will hold their final training camp practices in The Star at Frisco beginning on Tuesday evening before hosting the New Orleans Saints in the preseason finale on Friday, giving Blue yet another opportunity to show what he's capable of doing as early as Sept. 13.
That's when the team will travel to the Big Apple to take on the New York Giants in the regular season opener and, unlike last season, Blue wants to be on the field in Week 1 and making plays for Dak Prescott and the offense.
"Man, I just wanna continue to improve, and continue to get better," he said. "I don't wanna do anything different than I haven't been doing. I'm trusting my preparation, trusting my tracks, and just playing fast. When I play fast, I can play free."
"That's mainly what I want to do in this last preseason game, to make sure I'm ready for Week 1."
