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While Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer boasted about the way his team practices, star defender Micah Parsons got support from Myles Garrett. Also, here are three Cowboys in danger of getting cut after the team’s 2025 minicamp.
When the Cowboys spent a fifth-round pick on Jaydon Blue, it put pressure on the running back room. Because of Blue’s unique skills, he will likely make the 53-man roster. Also, the Cowboys took a flier on Phil Mafah in Round 7.
Those decisions mean guys like Miles Sanders and Deuce Vaughn could be in trouble.
Cowboys RB Miles Sanders must outlast the competition
Sanders can’t match the upside of Blue. And Mafah is a physical running back who could earn a spot.
Things didn’t go great for Sanders with the Panthers. After rushing for 1,200 yards and 11 scores with the Eagles in 2022, he never approached those figures in Carolina. In fact, he didn’t approach those numbers if you combined the two seasons with the Panthers.
Sanders said he’s trying to put the Panthers behind him and look forward with the Cowboys, according to dallascowboys.com.
“I guess I'd say I handled the situation as best I could,” Sanders said. “There was a lot of things out of my control that I would not like to speak on and just keep it in house. So I'll just keep it at that.
“Definitely a learning experience. You just have to control what you can control. I think I've made the best of this situation with the cards I've been dealt with. But I'm just blessed to still be in the situation I'm in and have another opportunity to ball out.”
If Sanders can find a way to make the 53-man roster, he’ll be facing Cowboys nemesis Philadelphia twice a season. Also, Sanders is a native of Pennsylvania.
“It is going to be a little strange…” Sanders said. “Dak (Prescott) hit me up. It was a funny little conversation. He congratulated me and welcomed me to the team. But I'm excited for the opportunity, honestly.”
Cowboys RB Deuce Vaughn needs to stand out
It’s not a matter of the way he approaches the game. Vaughn has that figured out, according to dallascowboys.com.
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“I think one of the things that makes him so special is he is truly a professional,” said Cowboys offensive line coach Conor Riley, who worked with Vaughn at Kansas State. “The way that he prepares and the way that he studies the game helped in how quickly he was able to be impactful for us at Kansas State. And that was in 2020, which was a challenge in and of itself, and it really makes him so, so dynamic.”
Vaughn has only logged 40 carries in his two-year NFL career. He’s still looking for his first touchdown. But he said he’s hopeful the reunion with Riley will give him a chance to shine.
“I feel like for myself,” Vaughn said. “I've been attacking it day by day. But also understanding that (Riley’s) run scheme — the things that he and (Klayton) Adams want to do as far as running the football in this upcoming year — are not necessarily new. A lot of things are kind of the same. The nuances are just a little bit different, but the terminology and being able to hear it from somebody you've heard it from for three or four years [in college] is really, really big.
“Just having that relationship that I can go to ask him questions about anything. up front, you know how big that is for a running back and a running game. So it's really big — that familiarity.”
CB Andrew Booth fighting for a chance
Booth also got caught in the draft crunch. The Cowboys picked Shavon Revel in Round 3. It’s true Revel is trying to come back from an injury, but his abilities when healthy put him in front of Booth.
The Cowboys also added three undrafted free agents at the cornerback position. There are plenty of signs they weren’t satisfied with the play of Booth in 2024. But the injury status of Revel and Trevon Diggs could give Booth a second chance to show what he’s got.
Of course, the secondary could be stronger if the Cowboys get the contract situation worked out with Parsons and he displays the type of production that again disrupts opposing offenses.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus said he’s going to move Parsons around, according to The Doomsday Podcast via yahoo.com.
“For him, you have to move this guy around,” Eberflus explained. “Now, what's great about our current roster is that we have other rushers now that can rush. So to pay attention to one particular rusher is going to be more difficult than if you just had one on one side. That's going to be a good thing, too.”
