The Dallas Cowboys added two veteran running backs in free agency. The assumption is that one of Javonte Williams or Miles Sanders will open the season as the starting RB.
But they also drafted two backs, and they might actually be set up for success in the early going.
The rookies, Jaydon Blue out of Texas (fifth round) and Phil Mafah out of Clemson (seventh round), have plenty of talent and experience.
Cowboys Wire put out smart analysis on Monday showing how the offensive lines that Blue and Mafah ran behind in college actually set them up to understand how to run behind the Cowboys' good but not great unit.
"Both rookies have their fair share of experience running behind less-than-optimal run blocking," writes Reid Hansen. "The Texas offensive line was certainly nothing to scoff at, but they didn’t roll out the red carpet for their rushers like programs such as Ohio State and Iowa often did for their rushers. It’s their experience succeeding in non-perfect situations that should soften the impact of the NFL for them and make the transition a little less startling than many of the top selections face."
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Blue is the burner of the two, a guy with 4.2 40 speed.
Mafah is a bruiser, capable of carrying tacklers for extra yardage.
Together, they're actually an incredibly intriguing combination despite their late-round status.
"Blue is going to have to carry his own weight and possibly even make up for other player's shortcomings along the way," Hansen writes. "Mafah doesn’t have the game breaking speed Blue has so he’s going to have to do what he does best and run with patience and determination if he wants to be a consistent producer."