Dallas envisions a potent "Thunder and Lightning" backfield with Javonte Williams and Jaydon Blue, aiming to retain their star despite rising costs.
FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys got themselves a bargain with the 2025 free agency signing of running back Javonte Williams. And they hope they did the same in the 2025 NFL Draft with the fifth-round selection of University of Texas speedster Jaydon Blue.
And now the Cowboys have a vision for 2026.
A team source tells me that not only would Dallas like to re-sign Javonte - that's become a rather "open secret'' - but that there is increasing faith that his "caddy'' can be Blue, as much as the rookie struggled over the course of his first team.
"Thunder and Lightning'' is the term used by my source.
Playing on a cheap one-year, $3 million contract, Williams in 2025 served as a surprise centerpiece of arguably the NFL’s best offense.
After sitting out Sunday at New York, Williams ended up 2026 ny rushing for career highs of 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging a career high 4.8 yards per carry.
Meanwhile, Williams' shoulder/neck problem cleared the way for Blue to get out of the doghouse he'd been in for months since his early-season fumble ... and he looked rather electric, with 11 carries for 63 yards and a TD.
The issue now? Williams may have performed his way right out of Dallas.
The Cowboys can create $110 million in salary cap room in the spring, so don't be scared off by "the nationals and the casuals'' who claim Dallas "can't sign him.''
That's completely bogus, and it leads to misinformation like what's being spewed by outlets like Bleacher Report, which writes, "Dallas won’t have the flexibility to issue a large contract to Williams.''
The Cowboys want to keep Williams; listen to owner Jerry Jones, who clearly came straight out of a coaching/scouting meeting when he used a certain phrase to describe the running back.
"I love way he brings the wood, so to speak, when he runs," Jones said. "So looking forward to hopefully him being a Cowboy for a time to come."
And COO Stephen Jones recently labed Javonte a "top priority.''
All of this leads to the question, "How large is 'large' when it comes to Javonte's post-prove-it deal?
I wonder if some other team views him as a $7 million APY. ... and I have my doubts Dallas - as much as Javonte is an "RKG'' (right kind of guy) with a tough running style and locker-room smarts and class to match - would match that.
But again, not because it can't.
Williams was a budding star in Denver before he got hurt. He's now established himself as a gutsy north-south runner who also has some wiggle. He's a fine pass-catcher, he's excellent in pass-protection blocking, and he's a very bright guy who brings quality leadership to the locker room.
Maybe he recognizes that he has a special setup at The Star and takes a bit less in a re-signing. If not, the Cowboys - who believe that their system doesn't require them to break the bank at the position - can enter a Game of Musical Chairs that in recent seasons has seen successful backs like Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle to come and go.
Meanwhile, even though Blue's learning curve was steep - I'm told that in many practices he tried to turn every run into a sprint, showing a lack of patience, and that he still needs to learn to keep his pads low on carries - there is developing trust here.
So, entering this offseason, while much can change, Dallas has a vision. Javonte Williams is "Thunder.'' Jaydon Blue is "lightning.''