Cowboys Sources Respond To Jaydon Blue ‘Borderline Lazy’ Accusation From Ex Coach

FRISCO – The Dallas Cowboys would love to see rookie running back Jaydon Blue blossom into being a starter.

But first – according to the testimony of a former Dallas scout – Blue might beed to prove that he’s a worker.

The Cowboys have completely remodeled their running backs room, using free agency to bring in veterans Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams and then drafting speedster running back Jaydon Blue out of the University of Texas in the fifth round.

New head coach Brian Schottenheimer said Dallas wouldn’t have selected Blue unless it viewed him as a player worthy of winning the starting job.

Maybe that is something a coach says by rote. Or maybe it reflects a combination of faith that Blue will a) offer an impressive showing in training camp and b) fill a need for a team desperate for an upgrade.

In our visits with Dallas coaches, we have heard consistent praise for Blue. And in our personal observation of OTAs and minicamp? We’ve seen no sore-thumb issue.

But one former Cowboys staffer – and maybe somebody inside the building – isn’t buying the hype.

“I’m already hearing some rumblings out of the building about the running back that they drafted and him being, you know, kind of just borderline lazy, not in the building, doing his offseason workouts,” former Cowboys assistant Glenn ‘Stretch’ Smith said during an appearance on Locked On Cowboys. “So … get your ass in here and let’s get going a little bit. Because I think that that’s a firm message that needs to be sent.”

Blue, who recently signed his rookie deal – a four-year, $4.6 million contract with Dallas – of not meeting expectations by failing to conduct his offseason workouts within the team’s facility at The Star.

“I think when they don’t know you, when they don’t know what your work habits are… Well, now all of a sudden, you created doubt in the organization,” Smith said. “You created doubt with the coaching staff …  I’m concerned about this pick at the University of Texas, and I think he’s got to eliminate the doubt that’s in the room right now.”

We have collected three responses from inside The Star …

From Blue himself: “Production quiets all the noise … Lmao taking time out yo day to make a fake article about me for attention.”

From one Cowboys staff member: “He wasn’t required to be (at the Star) from June 18, just like the rest of the rookies.”

From another Cowboys staffer: “Most of the people in this building don’t likely know the kid well enough to make that judgment … so doing so is sort of unfair.”

Our take? We wonder if Smith (and/or whoever suggested this problem to him), who was on the Dave Campo staff of 25 years ago as a low-level assistant and who now does some media work – is guilty of zealotry. 

Blue allegedly has been imperfect in effort and/or attendance now he cant be trusted?

The Cowboys made the mistake of drafting a “lazy” running back?

We have another theory. In the respected Dane Brugler’s pre-Draft profile on Blue, he mentioned, “Needs to convince NFL teams he has desire and work ethic to maximize talent.”

No disrespect to Smith, but … it is possible he read Brugler’s remarks from April and extrapolated on that analysis all on his own?

Last season with the Longhorns, Blue excelled as an explosive weapon, catching 42 passes for 368 yards and six scores and rushing 134 times for 730 yards and eight touchdowns, including 14 carries for 146 yards and two touchdowns vs. Clemson in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals vs. Clemson.

And he did that in home-run fashion, as they two TDs came from 38 yards and 77 yards out.

If the old scout is right? There’s a red flag here? If he’s wrong, or even exaggerating? The color isn’t red, it’s Blue – with Jaydon’s very first experience with the often overzealous focus on “America’s Team.”