The Dallas Cowboys have themselves a good running back as the Javonte Williams experiment produced positive results, prompting the front office to reward him with a three-year, $24 million deal. Congrats, J-Dub. Well deserved.
But every backfield Batman needs a Robin, and the Cowboys are currently without their boy wonder as their running back room is filled with a bunch of young, unproven guys. The most talked about caped crusader is second-year running back Jaydon Blue. On paper, he is the perfect
complement. The kid possesses home run speed, evident from his 4.3 showing at his Texas Pro Day. The raw velocity is undeniable, but how can this team harness the goodness and have it show on Sundays?
Before Blue even stepped on the field at training camp last year, the drama started. Leaked reports surfaced indicating that his work ethic was questionable. And soon to follow was an understanding that his new employers had some issues with him. Next thing we know, he’s inactive on gameday as we started hearing about his lack of consistency in practice. It wasn’t until the season finale that we finally got to see the elusiveness that was so well-advertised post-draft. So, what now for our boy Blue?
The thing is, the Cowboys’ scouting department loved this guy. There were some leaked rumblings that Blue was viewed by the team’s as the third-best running back in his draft class. Yikes? He entered the NFL with super fresh legs thanks to sharing the Texas backfield with some true Longhorn studs like Bijan Robinson, Roschon Johnson, and Jonathan Brooks. The potential is there, but how can the Cowboys find ways to make it work?
Certified trench wizard Klayton Adams is a run game architect. If he can’t find a way to get something out of this kid, probably no one can. With Williams being the hammer, Blue needs to be the nail gun that can get things done in a hurry. He just needs to get himself pointed in the right direction. The coaching staff must find ways to scheme him so he can get outside, so he can one-cut and go. Adams has the athletic offensive line required to pull this off. His guys move well laterally. Get Blue in outside/wide zone, allow him to read the blocks, make good decisions, and suddenly the Cowboys have another explosive playmaker on offense.
Of course, that’s easier said than done. To make this work, the coaching staff must reach deep into their bag of tricks. Here are some key elements that need to happen if this young running back is going to find a way to be successful in this offense.
Motion activated
Adams is a master at drawing up creative pre-snap motion. By shifting formations, the Cowboys can easily isolate Blue against slower linebackers in space. He is a legitimate route-running threat, not just a boring safety valve drop-off option. He is elusive and forces missed tackles in the open field.
Attack the perimeter
This is where Blue is going to butter his bread. This is not about running between the tackles or overpowering defenders. This is about pure speed. They just have to find areas where he can build up speed and switch gears so they can cut him loose in space.
Attention to detail
This is the ultimate hurdle. Blue is prone to putting the ball on the turf, which is a one-way ticket to the bench. No bueno. While he is a willing blocker, he misses assignments. You cannot comfortably rely on him in pass protection just yet. All these brilliant coaching concepts hinge entirely on Blue doing the little things.
If the flip switches for the Cowboys’ young running back, good things can happen. A busted first year certainly doesn’t inspire confidence, but that doesn’t mean the book is closed. He must clean up the elements of his game that forced him to ride the pine last year. Blue has to want it, and he has to do it, but he should be given every opportunity to maximize his potential. The good news is that if he’s able to turn a corner, he could be off and running.
