Latest news with #MartyBall
Miami Herald
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Cowboys New ‘Marion The Barbarian' Comp Has Fans Fired Up
FRISCO - Phil Mafah showed up to The Star for rookie minicamp last week brimming with confidence, much of it born from a running style that puts on display his belief that he can "out-physical'' his opponent. And yes, that style reminds Dallas Cowboys fans of an all-time favorite. Can the former Clemson star Mafah really live up to the comparison to former Cowboys fan favorite Marion Barber? During his final year at Clemson, Mafah plowed his way to 1,115 yards and eight touchdowns. And over the course of his four-year career with the Tigers, the bruising back totaled 2,887 yards, averaging 5.1 yards per carry, with 28 total TDs. The 6-1, 230-pound Mafah seems slightly resentful at the suggestion that he's "only'' a power back, and that's fair. Maybe, like Barber, he's more than that. NFL scouting "comps'' are never fully fair. But they do provide some shorthand - and not just for fans and media, but for the real scouts and coaches, too - as to a player's skill set and style. Do some people look at Mafah and see Marion Barber? That works. Barber, who sadly passed away in 2022 at the age of 38, wasn't just a physical back. He was a punishing one. Barber - who came to Dallas as a fourth-round pick and played here from 2005 to 2010 - was 5-11 and 218 and he initiated contact, pushed downhill ... and seemed to savor it. Can a seventh-round rookie mimic that? "It's a mentality," Mafah said. "My approach to the game is I got to be the toughest dude on the field, that's how you got to play the game, especially at the running back position. So I put it on the line for my teammates, and I expect them to do the same. So that's all you see out there for me." Mafah checks in at a sturdy 6-1, 230. ... and for all of the talk, he's got a steep hill to scale right now. Dallas didn't stand pat this offseason as the Cowboys signed Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders in free agency, then doubled down by drafting explosive rookie Jaydon Blue in Round 5 and Mafah after that If for Cowboys fans, the "Marion the Barbarian'' comp fits? Then new coach Brian Schottenheimer can play his "MartyBall'' (like his late father) and new offensive coordinator Klayton Adams (an offensive line coach at heart) can play ball-control and Cowboys Nation might just have itself a new fan favorite. Related: Cowboys Sign Dak Prescott Freakish New Quarterback Backup Related: Cowboys Amari Cooper Signing Rumor Is More 'Desperate' Than 'Dreamy' Copyright 2025 Athlon Sports. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys Build Perfect 'Thunder and Lightning' Backfield With Blue and Mafah
When you study Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah, the Dallas Cowboys' 2025 draft picks at running back, one thing becomes very clear: there's dynamic ability in the backfield again. Let's start with Blue. The electric Texas product was clocked at a blistering 22.3 MPH in college — putting him in rare company with NFL burners like KaVontae Turpin and Raheem Mostert as the only ball carriers to reach that speed last year, per NextGenStats. Advertisement His 10.7 second 100-meter dash in high school further backs up what you see on film: effortless acceleration, home-run threat ability, and natural hands that make him as dangerous from the slot as he is from the backfield. In fact, no running back lined up in the slot more often in 2024 than Blue. Yes, the fumble issue at Texas needs to be cleaned up. But that's the easy part. What you can't teach is the type of game-breaking speed that forces defenses to account for you every single snap. Now, the Thunder to Blue's Lightning: Phil Mafah. He might not have the lateral wiggle of some of the other backs we discussed in this range — but when Mafah hits people, they feel it. Advertisement At 6'1", 230 pounds, he's a north-and-south punisher with surprising juice despite battling through injury most of last season. His tape at Clemson shows contact balance, tackle-breaking power, and an angry running style that screams Power Football — which perfectly aligns with the Cowboys' transition back toward a more physical ground game. Mafah's frame and skillset closely resemble that of James Conner, a player new offensive line coach Klayton Adams knows extremely well. Tight-hipped? Sure. But he's reliable, physical, and built for bad-weather games and December football. And don't just take it from us — when asked about both backs having a chance to start, Brian Schottenheimer answered bluntly: Advertisement "I would hope so — otherwise we wouldn't have drafted them." Can this mirror was Detroit does with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery? Is it "MartyBall,'' like Schottenheimer's dad had back in the day in Cleveland with Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack? Anything near that will do. The Cowboys didn't just throw darts. They built a backfield with complementary skillsets. Blue's elite speed and space ability. Mafah's bulldozer physicality and short-yardage toughness. It's "Thunder and Lightning" on a rookie contract — and it's exactly what Schottenheimer's new offense needs. Related: Cowboys 'Impact' Trade Moves Hinted At As Dallas Fans Hope Related: Cowboys Reveal Their 'NFL Draft Puzzle' And Most-Valued Trait
