Brian Schottenheimer faces a tough roster decision that will say a lot about him as the Dallas Cowboys head coach
This will be Brian Schottenheimer’s first year making roster cuts.
Brian Schottenheimer will face one of the most daunting challenges an NFL head coach has to take on every year. Next Tuesday, the Dallas Cowboys will have to trim their roster from 91 players to 53. He’s been a part of cuts for over a decade but this time, the final decision will be his for the first time in his career.
There are many choices that won’t be easy but there’s one in particular I’m intrigued about. It’s one that will say a lot about how much of a risk taker Schottenheimer is. It’s also one that could have a large impact on the Cowboys offense in 2025.
I’m talking about who’s the last running back that survives roster cuts: Veteran Miles Sanders or seventh-round rookie Phil Mafah.
Let’s take a look at the state of the Cowboys RB room. So far, we know Javonte Williams is set to start at the position—he has taken most of the first-team snaps in practice and hasn’t played in the preseason despite being healthy. We also know fifth-round rookie Jaydon Blue has been a winner out of training camp and it’s safe to assume he’ll make the cut. The same goes for Hunter Luepke, whose versatility and ability to play fullback will keep him safe.
That gives us three virtual roster locks. Usually, NFL teams carry four running backs at most (including the fullback). So who takes the last one?
We’ll leave out Malik Davis considering he was a late camp addition the Cowboys made when dealing with multiple injuries at the position. As for Deuce Vaughn, I project him to be a cut based on what we’ve seen so far and how Dallas has used him. An injury that kept him out multiple weeks earlier in training camp didn’t help his case.
Thus, that leaves the Cowboys with Sanders or Mafah. So far, the latter has shown a well-rounded game with balance and vision that could make him a contributor. As a seventh-round rookie, the upside is obvious. His career with Clemson speaks for itself and there’s no question his last year in college was affected because of a shoulder injury. But Mafah can play. And yet, he’s inexperienced.
On the other hand, Sanders has the experience advantage but he wasn’t impressive in Week 2 of the preseason and hasn’t averaged over four yards per attempt since 2022.
Here’s the dilemma Schottenheimer faces: Is he okay with carrying just one experienced running back on the roster to keep Mafah’s upside? Waiving Mafah would probably mean losing him based on how well he’s played in August. Securing him is the best decision but it carries some risk—the entire RB room except for Williams being a question mark in terms of experience.
It might be a small decision in the grand scheme of things—we’re talking about the RB3 after all—but I believe it will say a lot about Schottenheimer’s willingness to take some swings when building his roster.
Dallas Cowboys News
‘The coaches know’ – Cowboys rookie everyone has been waiting to watch play shows his confidence ahead of preseason finale
He knows what he’s got.
