Who Should I Start? Trayveon Williams or Phil Mafah

Wednesday, May 14, 7:53 PM

Per the team, the New England Patriots have signed running back Trayveon Williams to an undisclosed contract. New England also released defensive lineman Eric Johnson II. The veteran back spent the first six seasons of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals after linking up with the team in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The 27-year-old will join a running back room consisting of Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson, and second-round rookie TreVeyon Henderson. Williams is likely to have little impact regarding the ground game, considering he has 62 career carries in 69 games. However, he did appear in all 17 contests last season for Cincinnati on special teams, so he could occupy a role there for New England.

Wednesday, May 7, 8:14 PM

The Dallas Cowboys have signed seventh-round rookie running back Phil Mafah to a four-year, $4.31 million deal, per the team's transaction log. Mafah spent his entire college career at Clemson, garnering seven starts over his first three seasons before starting in all 14 games in 2024. He broke out last year, rushing for 1,115 yards and eight touchdowns across 216 carries (5.2 YPC). The 22-year-old wasn't much of a receiver over his first two campaigns, but he caught 21 balls in each of his junior and senior seasons, though he did not score any TDs there. Like his fellow rookie rusher Jaydon Blue, Mafah will have the opportunity to crack Dallas' backfield due to the lack of competition in front of him. This RB room will be one to watch throughout the months leading up to the NFL season.