Cowboys ‘Value’ Duo if FA Javonte Williams Leaves

Certainly, hopes around how the Dallas Cowboys might approach this 2026 offseason have been raised, with the notion spreading that perhaps the team could take a different tack than we’ve seen in recent years, where the Cowboys so often bungled winter decisions that bit them in the fall.

The fact that Cowboys VP Stephen Jones said early this month that the team had already begun talking with representatives of star running back Javonte Williams after the bargain free-agent pickup had a career year was encouraging. That follows back-to-back winters in which Dallas let Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle walk away in free agency.

Maybe things will be different with Williams, who is coming off a year in which he amassed 1,201 yards on the ground, making him one of only six running backs in the history of the franchise to eclipse the 1,200-yard mark.  The fact that Dallas is talking with Williams about a new deal is encouraging–but it is by no means a real contract offer, and doesn’t mean the Cowboys will give Williams fair-market value.

Javonte Williams Out … Phil Mafah and Jaydon Blue In?

On the “DLLS Sports” podcast, which features former Cowboys receiver Jesse Holley, the notion of losing Williams was raised. If it happens, Holley said, the Cowboys might not be all that worried about it. They’ve got Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah, after all.

Said Holley: “They’re going to give Javonte Williams a deal. Now, will the deal be worth Javonte taking it? I don’t know it. Historically, outside of Zeke, they usually lowball offer their running backs. We saw that the last couple of times. So Javonte may find a better offer somewhere out there on the market.

“I do think the Cowboys view and value the 1-2 punch of Blue and Mafah coming back next year. I think that gives them kind of the—their version of “thunder and lightning” or “Sonic and Knuckles” or whatever name you want to use for a dual backfield. Malik Davis may add himself into that mix. I do think they want to bring back Javonte but at a certain price. If that doesn’t happen, I think you can go full speed ahead and see … what that looks like with Phil Mafah and Jaydon Blue as your 1-2 punch.”

Cowboys Should Bring Back Williams

That might, indeed, be the way the Cowboys approach the running back position this year, and it fits with what they’ve done recently when it comes to RBs. But it would come down as a massive disappointment if Williams leaves and the Cowboys merely stick with what’s on the roster.

There are very few who would trust that Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah are ready for a thunder-and-lightning scenario. Blue, a fifth-rounder in 2025, had high hopes when he was picked out of Texas because of his speed, but problems with discipline and work ethic held him back as a rookie and he appears in just five games, with 35 carries and 129 yards.

Mafah was dealing with a shoulder injury at the end of training camp and went onto IR, not appearing in a game until Week 18, when he went for 18 yards on five carries with a touchdown.

The Cowboys gambled on signing Williams last offseason, and it paid off. If they gamble by losing him and going with Mafah and Blue, it’s hard to see that paying off very quickly.

Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney