FRISCO, Texas — Jaydon Blue put weight on this offseason so he could hold blocks, and the Dallas Cowboys running back said Wednesday that being more decisive was the other thing he set out to fix.
Blue said he was never a bad pass protector, and that the area has improved a lot.
“Just being more decisive. And of course, I would never really a bad pass protector, but I feel like I’ve improved, like, a lot in that area,” Blue said. “So that was the main two areas that I was focusing on more this offseason, just making sure that I put more weight on my body so I’d be able to maintain those blocks.”
The added mass has shown up in more than the blocking.
“It’s helped a lot. Not only with just being able to run a ball between the gaps like you said, but like I said, the pass protection,” Blue explained. “I feel better at the weight I am. I feel like I’m faster, more explosive.”
What Jaydon Blue Wants From The Finale
Blue is not changing anything Friday.
“Really just keep getting better, keep building. Not doing anything that I haven’t been doing,” Blue said. “Just keep stacking those good days. That’s the main thing for me. Of course, there’s a lot of things that I could clean up from the previous practices and games, but I’m just looking to keep getting better.”
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday that Blue came back with a different mentality and has taken a step in pass protection and the return game.
The Room Around Him
Blue is one of the youngest players in the running back room and said he leans on the veterans in it, Javonte Williams among them.
“We enjoy competing against each other. We know that this is a competition, but we all learn stuff from each other. We all try to push each other, make each other better,” Blue said. “But the main thing, we know this is a competition. We have a lot of love for each other in that room.”
Dallas drafted Blue in the fifth round in 2025 out of Texas. He played 78 offensive snaps as a rookie, 6.58% of the team’s total, and 11 on special teams. Williams took 769 of them, 64.84% of the team’s total, and carried 252 times for 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns. He signed a three-year, $24 million extension in March.
Malik Davis played 155 offensive snaps and 147 on special teams. Phil Mafah played 10 on offense. Blue is the youngest of the four.
Blue hurt his shoulder in the preseason opener at Seattle on Aug. 15 and was limited the following week. He carried eight times for 19 yards that night and was the first running back on the field.
Fullback Hunter Luepke played 251 offensive snaps and 240 on special teams last season. Dallas has carried him as a separate roster spot.
Blue is the second running back Dallas has drafted in three years. The Cowboys spent the first three weeks of camp at River Ridge Playing Fields in Oxnard, California, and returned to The Star on Aug. 24. Tuesday and Wednesday nights were the last two practices of the summer, both open to fans. KaVontae Turpin handled returns and took 138 special teams snaps.
Dallas is 2-0 this preseason and sat 29 players in the 34-13 win at Arizona on Aug. 22. The Cowboys have to move 37 players off the 90-man roster by Sunday.
Friday’s finale against New Orleans kicks off at 7 p.m. CT at AT&T Stadium on CBS locally. Rosters must be at 53 players by 5 p.m. CT Sunday, Aug. 30.
