FA
Running Back
#23
Player Stats
Former Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue goes unclaimed on waivers. Blue now becomes a free agent and can be signed by any running back-needy team, including the ability to sign onto the Dallas practice squad.
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It has been quite the fall from grace for Blue over the previous 24 hours, seemingly going from the favorite for backup duties for the Cowboys to without a home. It is also noteworthy that only one running back was claimed during the waiver period, veteran Emari Demercado, by this same Cowboys team. Blue appears to have lost all fantasy value and faces an uphill battle for a meaningful role in his sophomore campaign. Hanson’s NFL teams to watch, Super Bowl picks
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Blue was waived by the Cowboys and went unclaimed, and the 2025 fifth-round pick will remain in the NFC East.
He’ll begin the campaign behind Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley as backups to Saquon Barkley, but some strong performances in practice could give the 22-year-old a chance to receive touches in 2026. Well this one is going to leave a mark. 2025 fifth-rounder Blue was a summer ’25 fantasy creation the Cowboys never seemed to get behind, confirming as much when they made him a Week 1 healthy scratch. That set the tone for a bitterly disappointing rookie year that featured just 39 touches. This offseason seemed to be different, however, with head coach Brian Schottenheimer spending the spring dishing out over-the-top positive quotes on his second-year back. The praise again died down during training camp, but Blue showed well in his preseason action.
Just apparently nowhere close to well enough to beat out survivor veteran Malik Davis for No. 2 status behind Javonte Williams. Blue is still only 22 years old, but his back-to-back failures to earn pass-catching duties in a backfield that could really use such a player is an ominous sign for his NFL future. He’s now a tenuous hold in dynasty leagues despite his youth and past high expectations. All of that being said, it is possible once the cut-down dust settles that either Blue or fellow waived sophomore Phil Mafah end up back on the Cowboys’ 53-man roster. Davis appears to have secured a roster spot, but we won’t know for sure until Sunday.
The broadcast initially referred to him as the starter, but it was instead RB Phil Mafah who took the field. Mafah dominated backfield touches throughout the first half, repeatedly running into Saints defenders on runs up the middle. He was spelled by RB Israel Abanikanda. Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue does not seem to be playing this evening. Last Sunday, The Athletic’s Jon Machota predicted Blue would seize the No. 2 running back job from Davis in-season. Davis got the start in Saturday’s preseason game against the Cardinals, rushing five times for 29 yards while adding one catch for eight yards and a touchdown.
The 27-year-old back has gained steam in recent weeks as the favorite to win the Cowboys’ RB2 job out of camp, but Machota also said he believes “Jaydon Blue takes (the RB2 job) during the season.” Blue rushed 15 times for a team-high 75 yards in Saturday’s win over the Cardinals, ripping off multiple chunk gains on the day. While we still have one preseason game left to go, Ultimately if Javonte Williams goes down this will likely be a committee, but Davis could have some stash value in deeper leagues. Blue led all Cowboys running backs in snaps, but played on just two snaps on the team’s opening drive of the game compared to Malik Davis’ 10. Davis would see just four snaps the rest of the way compared to Blue’s 24, but the second-year back made the most of his opportunities. Blue’s 75 rushing yards led all Cowboys players, with eight of his carries going for five or more yards.
His usage, which extended into the third quarter, suggests Blue is battling with Phil Mafah and Israel Abanikanda for the RB3 role, which doesn’t come as much of a surprise after it was reported last week that Blue was the fourth player up in drills. It was a strong showing for Blue, who will need another convincing outing in the team’s preseason finale next week against the Saints.
The good news is that Blue took “some” snaps in team drills for the first time this week, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. The bad news is that Blue was the fourth player up behind starting RB Javonte Williams and fellow backups RB Malik Davis and RB Israel Abanikanda. Earlier today, COO and co-owner Stephen Jones said Blue and RB Phil Mafah were being “pushed” by Davis. While it’s possible the team is just easing Blue back into action, his spot in the rotation, coupled with Jones’ comments, is concerning. He had received positive reviews to this point, but a fantasy-related reassessment may be in order. The backfield rotation in Saturday’s preseason game against the Cardinals is worth tracking. Blue was able to go for the preseason opener against the Seahawks on Saturday, but was held out of action for the combined practice.
He’s attempting to win the backup tailback job and competing with Phil Mafah and perhaps Malik Davis for that honor. Per Schottenheimer, Blue and Mafah “are in a tight battle for the backup running back spot.” Blue has received positive reports for some time now.
His speed and receiving ability make him an ideal complement to starting RB Javonte Williams, who “probably won’t get a whole lot of run” in the preseason. If Blue can secure the role, he could warrant FLEX treatment on a weekly basis.
Mafah (6’/234) is a burly rusher. Were he to win the RB2 job, he may be ill-suited to playing on passing downs, which could benefit Williams. We’ll see how things shake out in the preseason. Stay tuned. This news comes from Cowboys beat writer Clarence Hill Jr., who also noted that Blue “got a lot of work with the first team” during Thursday’s practice. Blue is entering his second season with the Cowboys and has reportedly turned in a strong first two days of camp, ripping off one big run after another while mixing in with the starters.
He appeared in just five games last season, rushing for 38-129-1 while also catching one pass, but this isn’t the first time Blue’s pass-catching abilities have been highlighted during the offseason. Earlier this month, The Athletic’s Jon Machota said Blue was “the ideal fit” to complement Javonte Williams, specifically because of his ability to catch passes out of the backfield. We’re still in the very early days of camp, but Blue could make for an interesting late-round stash in PPR leagues this season and may even have some standalone value in deeper leagues if he can earn a reliable role in what’s expected to be a pass-heavy offense. Machota noted Blue’s pass-catching ability as the biggest reason for him to potentially see some work behind Williams. Blue caught 42 passes for 368 yards and six scores during his final season at Texas. He then flopped as a rookie, seeing just one catch and 38 carries in total. The bulk of his opportunities came in a meaningless Week 18 game.
Still, Dallas did nothing to address their backfield depth this offseason and head coach Brian Schottenheimer has talked up Blue’s work ethic this time around. With a strong training camp, Blue could cement himself as a change-of-pace option for the Cowboys, putting him on the menu for fantasy drafters in deeper leagues.
Rotoworld
NYJ
Quarterback
#11
Player Stats
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Rich Cimini of ESPN reports that the Jets will sign Bailey Zappe to their practice squad. Zappe was unable to win the backup quarterback position — that’s going to rookie Cade Klubnik — but he’ll remain in the organization as the emergency signal-caller behind Geno Smith and Klubnik.
– Christopher Crawford
BUF
Wide Receiver
#8
Player Stats
Bills signed WR Greg Dortch to their practice squad. Dortch was unable to make the Lions and was a relatively-surprising cut Sunday. The former Arizona wideout was a productive — albeit flawed — receiving option with the Cardinals, and it’s not hard to imagine him being someone who helps Josh Allen and the passing attack in Buffalo this fall. Fantasy managers should take a wait-and-see approach, but it’s at least someone to monitor.
– Christopher Crawford
PHI
Running Back
#23
Player Stats
Eagles signed RB Jaydon Blue to their practice squad. Blue was waived by the Cowboys and went unclaimed, and the 2025 fifth-round pick will remain in the NFC East. He’ll begin the campaign behind Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley as backups to Saquon Barkley, but some strong performances in practice could give the 22-year-old a chance to receive touches in 2026. – Christopher Crawford
TB
Quarterback
#4
Player Stats
Buccaneers signed QB Easton Stick to their practice squad.
Stick was released by the Colts at the end of the preseason. He’ll be third on the depth chart to begin the year behind Baker Mayfield and Jalon Daniels. – Christopher Crawford
LV
Wide Receiver
#10
Player Stats
Raiders placed WR Dont’e Thornton Jr. on the reserved/injured list. Thornton has been dealing with an undisclosed injury that has prevented the wideout from practicing over the last month. The 23-year-old can return in four weeks, but there’s no timeline as to when the 2025 fourth-round pick will return to the Vegas lineup. – Christopher Crawford
LAC
Tight End
#88
Player Stats
Chargers signed TE Patrick Herbert to their practice squad.
Herbert had initially chose to join the Jaguars squad after being a late cut by Jacksonville, but instead he’ll join his big brother Justin Herbert in Los Angeles. Nepotism doesn’t always have to be a bad thing.
– Christopher Crawford
CHI
Running Back
#36
Player Stats
Bears signed RB Salvon Ahmed to their practice squad. Ahmed was one of the final cuts of camp, but the 27-year-old will provide an extra body for the Bears and could be active on gamedays depending on the health of the tailbacks ahead of the other Chicago options. – Christopher Crawford
LA
Defensive End
#95
Player Stats
Myles Garrett (knee) did not participate in Monday’s practice. Garrett continues to not practice while experiencing swelling in his knee. It sounds like this is more maintenance than anything else, as the Rams want the start pass-rusher to be ready to roll and at his best for the opener against the 49ers next week in Australia. Still, it’s something to keep an eye on.
– Christopher Crawford
LAC
Running Back
#34
Player Stats
Chargers RB Keaton Mitchell (undisclosed) did not practice Monday. Mitchell has been out of action for more than a week after experiencing a “minor setback” for an undisclosed injury. This could be a situation where we’re all left in the dark until the team is required to disclose injuries in the week leading up to Week 1, leaving fantasy managers to plan for contingencies.
Any missed time from Mitchell would be a measurable boost to the weekly expectations of Omarion Hampton. ARI
Running Back
#4
Player Stats
Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur said RB Jeremiyah Love is “progressing really well toward playing in Week 1.”
Speaking to media Monday, Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur said running back Jeremiyah Love “took another step yesterday and he’ll take another step today,” with the goal of being ready for Week 1, when the Cardinals visit the Chargers to kick off the regular season. The high ankle sprain suffered in the team’s first preseason game has the potential to cost Love regular season games considering the timing, but it sounds as if there is at least a sliver of hope that Love will not miss any regular season time.
That said, there is also the possibility that Love is active come Week 1 but not at full strength, something that could realistically influence his workload early in the season. Fantasy managers will want to monitor the situation closely as the regular season approaches.
