Blue has had to work his way back into calculations, and as training camp rolls on, he's beginning to build trust with his teammates.
Dallas Cowboys running back Jaydon Blue is making all the right moves in Oxnard as padded practices have seen him jump to another level.
Blue was a standout early in camp without pads, but as we know, once they come on, the "real" football starts ... and Blue excelled.
He popped several big runs plus was seen making moves as a pass-catcher with the first-team offense. That is a far cry from the inconsistent player we saw a year ago.
Blue has stated that he used last season's criticism as motivation, which made him look in the mirror and realize that if he wanted to be part of this team, things had to change.
And while it is only early in camp, it looks like things have.
However, after a poor rookie season, he can't just jump into the first-team offense; he has to earn the trust of those around him.
But how does he do that?
"Just making sure I know what I'm doing," Blue said. "Making sure that I'm not making mental errors, making sure I know my assignment and performing on the field. I think that's the main thing. But the first thing is making sure that I know my assignment so that I can gain the trust of Dak, the coaching staff, and my teammates."
Because of the work Blue has put in this offseason, working on parts of his game that weren't up to standard, plus taking on board what the coaching staff wanted him to work on, he's emerged as a different player.
Now running with confidence, and not in his head as much, it looks like Blue is playing far more freely on the practice field.
But have things slowed down for him?
"Yeah, absolutely," he added. "The game slowed down a lot to me. It's coming easy to me now. I probably know the playbook like the back of my hand. So, once I know the playbook like that, I can play fast."
And fast is the name of Blue's game.
His home-run speed has already been on show in Oxnard, and it looms as a key piece of weaponry that Brian Schottenheimer wants to utilize in 2026.
But to do that, Blue has got to prove he's deserving of getting enough snaps for us to see that speed.
And early doors in Oxnard, he's proving he's up to the task.
