Dallas Cowboys‘ training camp is going to be filled with battles for the last spots at multiple positions, but running back could be the toughest of all to figure out. The Cowboys have turned over almost all of the players at the position from last season, starting fresh with a mix of different options.
The Cowboys haven’t invested much in the position financially, around $8 million, which means there isn’t much holding them back from an open competition. In years past, money has played a role in who saw snaps, but that won’t likely be the case in 2025.
Javonte Williams was one of the first players the team targeted in free agency, signing a one-year, $3 million deal. He is a young back who had an excellent rookie season with the Denver Broncos, but hasn’t been the same since he tore his ACL in 2022. New head coach and play caller Brian Schottenheimer has routinely spoken about wanting backs who are a threat in the passing game, and Williams does that. He is also a solid pass protector, which a team with questions at offensive tackle could desperately use. The way the team approached him in free agency, his fit with what the new play caller wants from the position, and his youth make him the likely top candidate to begin the year as the starter.
Jaydon Blue is another player who appears to have a guaranteed roster spot as a fifth-round pick who brings explosive playmaking out of the backfield. He never reached 200 touches in a single season in his college career, so he has fresh legs. A receiving weapon out of the backfielwith 42 receptions for 368 yards and six scores in 2024 , he also averaged over five yards a jaunt in his final year in Austin, combining for 1,098 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Hunter Luepke does so much for the team that he is likely going to be the third guy in the running back room. He starts at fullback, can play as a lead back and tight end in limited snaps, and is a leading contributor on special teams. He has played 481 offensive snaps and 442 special teams snaps in his two seasons in the league.
Dallas is skilled at playing games with their 53-man roster through the early portions of a season, and they may look to employ those shenanigans to effectively use more than three backs. Teams can cut vested veterans (four or more years of accrued service) without the player going through waivers, and this roster mechanism could allow them to release Miles Sanders, place him on the practice squad, and use call-ups to move him up to the main roster on game day.
It allows Dallas to get a look at Sanders for a few games, and if he performs well, he can be moved to the permanent 53-man roster or remain on the practice squad if not. It’s likely he is cut in an attempt to keep either Phil Mafah or Deuce Vaughn. With a loaded roster and Sanders able to be called up from the practice squad, it’s possible Dallas doesn’t put Vaughn or Mafah on the 53-man roster, but these two will battle to try to be the last guy.
Vaughn has a story most Cowboys fans are familiar with. A very productive college back who fell in the draft due to his size, his dad is a lead scout for Dallas. He hasn’t been productive in his two seasons with the Cowboys, which has hurt his chances, but the team’s new offensive line coach is his former offensive coordinator at Kansas State, Connor Riley, so he has support within the staff.
Mafah has a strong case to make the 53-man roster based on the Cowboys’ recent history. They don’t often cut their draft class. Mafah is a seventh-round selection, but in a deep running back class, he could be a fourth or fifth-round back on their draft board. Looking beyond the 2025 season, Dallas has Williams and Sanders on one-year contracts. They might not want to risk one of their few backs with multiple seasons left on their contract. Fans should look for Mafah to receive plenty of looks on special teams, which could help him make the roster.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys’ running backs see little investment, big competition in 2025