The Dallas Cowboys' running back room has been one of the most-watched groups in Oxnard, and with training camp now two weeks in, there still hasn't been anyone who has taken the starting mantle.
Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders loom as the top two on the depth chart, but Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah, Deuce Vaughn, and Hunter Luepke have all shown glimpses on the practice field.
Plus, the group has also received multiple glowing endorsements from head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
And for Williams, each player has given the offense something different.
“Blue, he's explosive,” Williams said. “You can see it on the field. Probably one of the fastest guys on the team. I feel like Phil is picking it up, he's coming along, physical, get down hill real fast. Miles, he going to do what he do. It's a great competitive room and everybody just getting better every day.”
"Getting better every day''? Good. But is that good enough?
With Schottenheimer wanting the offense to be a run-first unit, we get the sense that a running back by committee approach (yes, that again) will be the way forward, not a bellcow back system.
Given that Schottenheimer has specific traits he wants in his backs, individually, they don't have them all, but as a collective, they do.
Wanting bruising power backs who can break tackles (Mafah, Williams), someone who can use their vision to find holes (Sanders, Deuce), pure speed (Blue), and backs who possess good receiving skills (Williams, Sanders, Blue), everything the head coach wants, this group has.
Now it is all about finding when and where to utilize each because there's no doubt that the Cowboys will run a handful of players through the position in the preseason.
But as for who will be the leading guy come Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles?
That title is still up for grabs.
