There’s no sense in cutting players after two days of training camp, but the Dallas Cowboys have a few players who are starting to pull away from the rest of the group. Heading into camp, one of the team’s biggest concerns was who would be the RB2 behind Javonte Williams? Jaydon Blue broke off a long run in the team’s first practice and showcased why his breakaway speed made him an appealing prospect in the first place. Phil Mafah has also already had a few highlights in practice
Players need to see
their practice reps go up between now and the first preseason matchup, and need a few splash plays along the way. Here are a couple of names that need some action to help make the roster.
Malik Davis, RB
Keeping with the running back conversation, Malik Davis had a career year with Dallas last year, which should have earned him enough to be the unquestioned No. 2 back to start camp. Instead, Blue and Phil Mafah are seeing a lot more action.
Davis came back to Dallas at the very end of camp last year and was able to play in a preseason game with little practice time. That impressed Schottenheimer and the coaching staff. However, if the team is looking at the long-term picture for the position group, Davis might not fit into the equation given the flexibility of rookie contracts with Mafah and Blue.
There were enough eyes on Davis’ production last season that could lure some trade interest from other teams. Maybe the Cowboys can pull off an end-of-training-camp trade for a position of need. If Dallas feels like they could do a player-for-player swap, maybe Davis could be someone who gets the front office what they’re looking for, and he can go compete for meaningful snaps elsewhere.
The running back rotation will be an interesting storyline to follow all of camp.
Shemar James, LB
The hype around Jaishawn Barham is real. The 2026 third-round pick has looked solid across two days of practice and is excelling starting out as an off-ball linebacker.
One player who could be in danger of making the 53 might be Shemar James. Barham was already in the plans for this season, but his presence alone pushes James further down the depth chart. Combine that with the new coaching staff, and things look a little different for James than they did a season ago. With Christian Parker in the fold, he went out and added Barham, traded for Dee Winters, and signed Curtis Robinson back in April.
Three new linebackers who could end up fitting what Parker’s vision of the defense is supposed to look like, leaving James as the odd man out. Brian Schottenheimer has also praised Justin Barron for what he’s seen in his development, so the final linebacker spot could be a fight between James and Barron. Or, James could lose out to an unnamed veteran who may be brought in. Stephen and Jerry Jones seem to have trades or veteran free agents on their mind to improve the defense. If they grab a veteran LB, James could be the guy pushed out.
It’s not all bad for James. The team leader in tackles a season ago still has a ton of time left to show his ability to grow under a new staff. Preseason games are made for linebackers looking to find their way either on defense or special teams. The question is whether James can overcome all of the change on defense and the loss of the one spokesperson in Eberflus who championed for him during draft weekend.
