Latest news with #JavonteWilliams
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
NFL Analyst Compares Cowboys RB to Lakers' Bronny James
NFL Analyst Compares Cowboys RB to Lakers' Bronny James originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Heading into the offseason, running back was arguably the biggest position of need for the Dallas Cowboys. The team finished 27th in rushing (100.3 yards per game) and lost top back and 1,000-yard rusher Rico Dowdle to the Carolina Panthers in free agency. Advertisement Dallas addressed the position by signing former Denver Broncos second-round pick Javonte Williams and former 1,200-yard back Miles Sanders in free agency, and the team took ex-Texas star Jaydon Blue in the fifth round of the 2025 draft in April. And while the Cowboys' running back room is now crowded with the likes of Hunter Luepke, Phil Mafah, and Deuce Vaughn, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News believes one of those four backs is in a similar situation as one high-profile NBA star. Dallas Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn (42) runs with the ball against the New York Giants during the second half at MetLife Mulholland-Imagn Images 'Vaughn is fighting to get on the field,' Watkins wrote. 'Vaughn, if you remember, was the feel-good story of the 2023 draft when picked in the sixth round out of Kansas State. He's played in 14 games since. His father is Chris Vaughn, the Cowboys' assistant director of college scouting. Advertisement 'You can debate whether the Cowboys did this as a favor to Chris, but Deuce hasn't been given an easy road to earn roster spots. He's also understanding of the critiques of that. In some ways you can compare it to Bronny James, LeBron James' son whom the Lakers drafted in the second round last year.' Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) warms up prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images On the surface, the Bronny comparison seems like a bit of a reach. While the Lakers very well may have drafted him as a favor to LeBron, he also played some significant minutes for them last year as a rookie second-round pick, and he clearly factors into the team's long-term plans for the future. Conversely, Vaughn was a sixth-round pick who's seemingly been a fringe roster player every year since he was drafted, and many analysts believe he'll be nothing more than a depth piece on an NFL roster. Advertisement However, the point of nepotism leading to each being drafted where they were is certainly worth pointing out. Travis Kelce Drops Major Hint About Expanding Family With Taylor Swift Related: Travis Kelce Drops Major Hint About Expanding Family With Taylor Swift Related: Chiefs TE Travis Kelce Turns Heads With Dramatic Physical Transformation This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys QB Dak Promises One Position Group Will 'Make Some Noise' In 2025
Cowboys QB Dak Promises One Position Group Will 'Make Some Noise' In 2025 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott didn't have a lot of things work in his favor in 2024, and one of them was the run game. Advertisement Prior to Dak's season-ending injury against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9, Dallas rushed for over 100 yards just twice (102 and 109) with Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle struggling to get anything going. But now, with a new group headlined by Miles Sanders, Javonte Williams, Deuce Vaughn, and speed merchant Jaydon Blue, there is a little buzz of excitement regarding what the run game could develop into. And Dak's excited for what's to come. 'Great group,' Dak said. 'Starts with their coach, Fozy's [Derrick Foster] done a great job with those guys, Deuce [Vaughn], Hunter [Luepke], all of those guys making sure they're prepared and they've come in and attacked. They're professionals, you're talking about guys who have had pretty good careers and looking to take it to the next level. So those are two guys just excited for their opportunity and some young guys who are going to make some noise.' by Mike Fisher Sanders and Williams loom as the top two on the depth chart, with Deuce and Blue as the change-ups. Advertisement After a 2024 season where the Cowboys rushed for just 100.3 yards per game (ranked 27th), with a new group, and Klayton Adams and Conor Riley, both experienced coaches with the ability to develop good run games, Dallas feels to be in a good spot with the rushing attack. Something that couldn't be said a year ago. Of course, once training camp begins, the pads come on, and defenders can hit, we will see this "great group" in action, but for now, we have to take Prescott's word for it. And we'll see who makes some noise in Oxnard. Related: Schotty Makes Bold Cowboys Coaching Staff Declaration Related: Cowboys Credited With 'Near Perfect' Offseason For One Major Reason This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys Trade Rumors Swirl As Coach Scouts Two Young Newcomers
Cowboys Trade Rumors Swirl As Coach Scouts Two Young Newcomers originally appeared on Athlon Sports. As we turn for training camp, the Dallas Cowboys' running back room remains a fascinating watch. Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams currently loom as the top two on the depth chart, but as we know, at this time of year, that depth chart is fluid. Advertisement Plus, we add in Deuce Vaughn, who appears to be fighting for his NFL career, and rookies Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah, who make up the room. After the draft, head coach Brian Schottenheimer stated both could be starters; otherwise, they wouldn't have drafted them. And now Schotty's words on Blue and Mafah reflect that. "Those two young guys, they have a lot to learn in a good way," Schottenheimer said. "They're used to, most college guys are, they get to line scrimmage really fast, and they look over and they look for signs, there's guys holding up boards and signals. Now they're in a huddle and doing things like that, so a lot of it is you got to learn how to break down these lengthy calls and okay what matters to me and what doesn't, and I think those guys have done great." by Mike Fisher Should we also list all of the "name'' free agent running backs who have slowly moved off the shelf and onto teams? Amid a continuation of swirling rumors and criticisms - "Why didn't they sign Nick Chubb? Or J.K. Dobbins? Now should they trade for Dameon Pierce or Kenneth Walker?'' - the plan is for training camp to give Blue and Mafah the opportunity to continue impressing the coaching staff while competing with the two vets. Advertisement Sanders has been flashing this offseason, so too Williams, and now the two rookies are starting to make a little noise. Now, we aren't proclaiming the pair to be anything yet, and they will have to take their game up a level in Oxnard, which seems well within their wheelhouse. But at the moment? The run game is in a vastly different position than it was a year ago, and it might be propped up by two rookies who will have everything to prove. Related: Cowboys a Top Landing Spot for James Cook? Related: Cowboys' Dak Prescott Guarantees New Micah Parsons Contract Will Get Done This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
10-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
JK Dobbins signs with Broncos, bolstering running back position: Source
The Denver Broncos added to a reshaped backfield Tuesday by agreeing to a one-year deal with veteran running back JK Dobbins, a team source with knowledge of the agreement confirmed. The deal is worth as much as $5.25 million, the source said, and adds an experienced player to what is shaping up to be a competitive running backs room for the Broncos once training camp begins. The Broncos allowed last year's leading rusher, Javonte Williams, to leave in free agency and then used their second-round pick to select former Central Florida running back RJ Harvey. Advertisement Broncos coach Sean Payton said after Tuesday's minicamp practice that the Broncos were 'close' to an agreement with Dobbins, and the team source then confirmed the deal was being wrapped up just before the workout had concluded. Dobbins, who rushed for a career-high 905 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games during his lone season with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024, visited Denver's practice facility for two days last week. Before the Broncos signed Dobbins, 26, their most experienced running back was Jaleel McLaughlin, an undrafted player in 2023 who is entering his third season with the Broncos and was second on the team in touches in 2024. Audric Estimé, a fifth-round pick last year, and former undrafted players Tyler Badie and Blake Watson round out the current room. 'He's a good back, especially when healthy,' said Broncos safety Brandon Jones, who spoke to the media Tuesday shortly after the signing took place. 'We kind of go back a little bit in high school and college, so I'm very familiar with him as a person and his game on the field. He's a baller. He's one of the running backs who had one of the better games against us last year. I'm super excited for him to be here.' The game Dobbins had against the Broncos came in Week 6 last season. He rushed for 96 yards and one touchdown in a 23-16 victory for the Chargers. He missed the second game between the two teams in December as he dealt with a knee injury. Dobbins, a second-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2020, has been plagued by injuries throughout his career. After a promising rookie year (925 total yards, nine touchdowns), he missed all of the 2021 season and half of the 2022 campaign with a major knee injury. The multi-ligament injury was similar to the one suffered by Williams, the former Broncos running back, in 2022. Dobbins also missed all but one game during the 2023 season with an Achilles injury. He missed four games last season, but his production was enough to make him a finalist for the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award, which ultimately went to Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. JK DOBBINS. GO-AHEAD TD WITH 18 SECONDS LEFT. 📺: #CINvsLAC on NBC/Peacock📱: Stream on #NFLPlus — NFL (@NFL) November 18, 2024 Asked how the Broncos evaluated Dobbins' injury history, Payton said: 'Just like we evaluate everyone else's.' The Broncos have made it a major offseason priority to improve their rushing offense. Denver ranked 21st in the NFL in yards per rush (4.1) and 18th in TruMedia's rushing EPA (expected points added) metric. The team's running backs had only 35 rushing yards on 11 carries in a 31-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round of the playoffs. Advertisement When Dobbins visited the team during OTAs, Payton said the interest in the running back wasn't a reflection of how the team felt about its young depth at the position. 'It's another good football player that we've seen firsthand,' Payton said. 'I've seen him for a while. The importance of that position group, we really like the group we're working with, (but) it's just another opportunity to possibly bring in another good football player who can help us win.'
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys 'Fizzled-Out' Veteran Tipped To Have Make-Or-Break Season
Cowboys 'Fizzled-Out' Veteran Tipped To Have Make-Or-Break Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Dallas Cowboys' offseason has seen over 10 fresh faces walk through the doors of The Star, and one of them was running back Javonte Williams. Advertisement A four-year starter of the Denver Broncos, after a rookie season that saw him post 903 yards and four touchdowns in 2021, an ACL injury in 2022 set his trajectory back. He would return in 2023 to rush for 774 yards and three touchdowns, but last season, despite leading Denver in rushing attempts (139) and yards (513), he was moved on. The Broncos totaled 461 rushing attempts last season, ranking them 13th, and Williams (139) had to split carries with Jaleel McLaughlin (113 att, 496 yards, one touchdown) and Audric Estime (76 att, 310 yards, two touchdowns). Now he's in Dallas, and Nick Shook thinks it's make-or-break time for Javonte. Advertisement "Williams fizzled out in Denver and ended up accepting a one-year, $3 million deal to headline Dallas' underwhelming backfield," Shook writes. "The sizzle he once brought to the Broncos faded before 2024, but he has a rare opportunity to regain it for a Cowboys team that should boast some offensive firepower, with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens at receiver. If Williams is going to command a starting job anywhere in the NFL from here on out, it must begin in Dallas." Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams At AT&T StadiumTony Fisher Williams and fellow veteran Miles Sanders are seen as the top two candidates for the starting role, with Sanders, according to our own Mike Fisher, standing out at OTAs. So Javonte will have a battle on his hands to work his way past Sanders, but in truth, given how Schottenheimer wants his offense to work, a multiple-back rotation will likely take place. Advertisement As for Williams, he has shown that he can be the leading man, and he must prove that he's past his ACL injury and ready to shoulder the load once again. The running back room is one of the most fascinating to watch in Oxnard, and who will eventually take their spot atop the depth chart is anyone's guess. Related: Dallas Predicts 'Home Run' In Coming Change for Tyler Guyton Related: Brian Schottenheimer's Dallas Cowboys Methods Perfectly Fit His One Favorite Word This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
