Who Should I Start? Braelon Allen or Jaydon Blue

Wednesday, July 23, 10:58 AM

New York Jets beat reporter Nick Faria writes that running back Braelon Allen is a perfect fit for this type of offense and is expected to be a regular contributor in a committee approach. Breece Hall is the starter in the Jets offense in the backfield, but Allen and Isaiah Davis will be involved. Allen, a fourth-rounder (134th overall) in 2024 out of Wisconsin, had 92 carries in his rookie season and gained 334 yards on the ground with two touchdowns in 17 games (two starts). He added 19 receptions for 148 yards and another score. The 21-year-old is built as more of a power back with limited speed, but he also proved early last year that he's polished as a pass-catcher. He lost opportunities to Davis down the stretch in 2024, but it's good news for Allen that the Jets want to be a dominant run-first offense under the new coaching staff. Allen's best path to fantasy relevance will be as a goal-line back.

Friday, July 18, 12:52 PM

In a recent Locked on Cowboys podcast appearance, former Dallas Cowboys coach Glenn Smith said that coaches with the Cowboys have expressed that rookie fifth-round running back Jaydon Blue is "borderline lazy" and that the team isn't happy with his work habits. Blue is expected to have a big role on offense and is very explosive, but it's not a great sign for him heading into training camp. The 21-year-old is also under 200 pounds and comes with ball-security issues from his college days. The Cowboys like Blue's speed and explosiveness, but he didn't work at all with the first-team offense in spring workouts, suggesting Dallas could open the year with a backfield consisting mostly of Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. The Cowboys will be hoping that Blue can mature quickly, but he's also no lock to make the roster out of training camp.