OXNARD, Calif. — One of the positions carrying the most questions heading into training camp is far from finding the answers to those questions and, if anything, has more to contend with to begin the month of August than it did to end the month of July — the injury bug now nibbling on Jaydon Blue.

Blue, the rookie fifth-round pick with home run ability with the ball in his hands, has begun shining in a major way as of late, in training camp, creating a lot of buzz as to what he might do in the preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams, but a bruised foot/ankle suffered in Thursday’s padded practice will likely sideline him on Aug. 9.

This adds to the growing list of issues in the room, as veteran running back Miles Sanders has yet to return to practice due to a knee issue and though Deuce Vaughn, who missed the last several practices due to a hamstring injury, did return to practice on Thursday, he’ll still need to be cleared for work on Saturday.

If not, the only running backs on the Cowboys’ roster will be JaVonte Williams and rookie seventh-round pick Phil Mafah, with fullback Hunter Luepke providing a plus-one option.

Williams stands to see a lot of reps to begin the regular season though, and now that he is again healthy, after dealing with injuries in recent seasons elsewhere, it’s unknown if the Cowboys will be willing to risk him to a preseason outing.

Which leaves only Mafah and Luepke, and maybe Vaughn, but with Mafah also needing a chance to play special teams to show value there, the bottom line is a very clear one:

A running back signing could be imminent, and here are some top options:

Malik Davis, 26: The likeliest option of all, Davis was an undrafted free agent signing by the Cowboys out of Florida who showed promise as a rookie but ultimately spent several stretches on the team’s practice squad before being released in late April 2025, following the NFL Draft. Still a free agent, there’s a lot of familiarity here between Davis and head coach Brian Schottenheimer, and the front office, and he could drop right in for preseason and camp work.

D’Onta Foreman, 29: A bit of an NFL journeyman to this point, Foreman’s career began as a third-round pick of the Texans in 2017. To this point, he has experience with seven different teams and used much of that experience to produce a career-best season in 2022 for the Panthers — rushing for 914 yards and five touchdowns. He still showed plenty of traction for the Browns in 2024, and logged 11 starts in Cleveland. He also spent the 2023 season with Matt Eberflus in Chicago, so that could give him an inside track.

Zack Moss, 27: Currently seeking a new NFL home, Moss is a former third-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2020, also a former superstar All-Pac 12 talent out of Utah. He’s got a lot of NFL skins on the wall from his time spent with the Bills, Colts and Bengals, and he’s only two years removed from a career-best season in 2023 — when he racked up 986 total yards from scrimmage in 14 starts. His 2024 season ended with a broken neck in November, however, and he’ll need to be assessed for availability by the Cowboys. The added reality is he’ll have to decide if he ever wants to play football again.

Jamaal Williams, 30: This would be an intriguing option that falls in the realm of “kick the tires” for the Cowboys. Williams was once an NFL Rushing Touchdowns Leader (2022) for the Lions, when he exploded for 17 rushing touchdowns to go along with 1,066 rushing yards. Far more of a bruiser than a receiving threat, Williams’ production has fallen mightily since that season, producing only one touchdown last season, and just two total over his last two seasons, both spent with the New Orleans Saints. But, at the age of 30, could be be a spell option at RB?

Gus Edwards, 30: Here’s one the Cowboys are familiar with, though not because he’s ever spent time with the organization. It’s because Edwards helped the Baltimore Ravens take down the Cowboys in Week 13 of the 2020 season, when he ran for 101 yards against Dallas’ defense. Most recently, he split duties with J.K. Dobbins for the Chargers in 2024, but an ankle injury stole games from him that helped elevate Dobbins to the top role. Edwards has been in free agency since March.