FRISCO, Texas — While the Cowboys weren't exactly quiet during free agency this spring, there is still plenty of work to do for this team that finished 7-9-1 in 2025.
Not only did they add some key players in free agency and via trades, but they also re-signed some of the core depth as well.
Still, there are other guys on this team that must take that next step in order for the Cowboys to be successful in 2026.
Today, we'll continue the Next Man Up series with running back Jaydon Blue.
- Name: Jaydon Blue
- Position: Running back
- Experience: 1 year
- Games Played/Starts: 5/0
- Years Left on Contract: 3
- How Acquired: 2025 fifth-round pick 149th-overall
- Key Stat: 64 yards, first career TD in Week 18
The Past: Blue's past prior to 2025 involves the Texas Longhorns, where he was a home-run hitter with the ball in his hands during his time in Austin. That's ultimately what led to him getting a call from the Cowboys when they went on the clock in the fifth-round of last year's NFL Draft, but if Blue thought the NFL would be a cakewalk based simply upon his ability, he was wrong. His rookie season routinely saw him shelved by head coach Brian Schottenheimer to demand consistency from his young running back, never relenting on that standard, not once.
The Present: It wasn't until the final game of the regular season that Blue earned a chance to show what he can do in a Cowboys' uniform, and he did it in short order, and in spades. The 22-year-old mostly had his way with the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium to end the season, and he looked confident, shifty, quick and fast with the ball in his hands — tearing off chunks of yardage on multiple occasions and scoring his first-ever NFL touchdown, to boot.
The Future: His performance in Week 18 has to make the Cowboys feel good about his growth and maturity heading into Year 2, but it begins with how he approaches OTAs, minicamp and training camp/preseason. Hopefully, Blue has lived in his playbook this offseason and, if so, he has a very real chance at battling Phil Mafah for the role of RB2 behind Javonte Williams, the definitive RB1 going forward.
