Jaydon Blue was a sleeper for much of the preseason.
The Dallas Cowboys' rookie running back seemed like a darkhorse to earn early work in his debut NFL season, but that idea was crushed on Thursday night.
Blue wasn't even active for the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a healthy scratch.
The Cowboys only kept two RBs up: Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders.
But there's good news for Blue. Sanders, in making a big mistake, may have done the fifth-round rookie a solid.
Sanders got a carry in the red zone midway through the third quarter, and he had the ball knocked loose, and the Eagles recovered.
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The fumble was the final play before the game went to a lightning delay, and it would've been returned for a touchdown by Quinyon Mitchell if not for a saving tackle by Dak Prescott.
The Cowboys went nearly all Williams the rest of the way after the turnover.
The costly fumble could prompt Dallas to give Blue a chance as the RB2 in Week 2.
That may not be a fruitful role immediately. The Cowboys relied heavily on Williams in Week 1 even before Sanders fumbled.
Blue would, at best, be a change-of-pace in Week 2 hoping to hit a home run.
But for the rookie from Texas to break through, he has to be on the field. And maybe the first step to that happening will be the fact that Sanders couldn't hold onto the football.
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