Cowboys’ preseason work points to Malik Davis in the backfield, but the job beyond Javonte Williams isn’t settled

The Dallas Cowboys opened their preseason schedule at the Seattle Seahawks, and one unit offered immediate clarity while another kept its uncertainty. Yahoo Sports reported that Camden Brown, a wide receiver competing for more consistent targets, hauled in two acrobatic touchdowns. Those catches provided a clear highlight for the offense, but the backfield picture beyond the established starter remained murky.

Beyond the familiar rhythm of Javonte Williams as the veteran starter, the Cowboys’ running back battle is the part of camp that typically reveals itself slowly, through repeated touches and decision-making in live, game-like situations. According to Yahoo Sports, the question for Dallas is not whether the Cowboys will run, but how the carries will be distributed and which behind-Williams option is most trusted when the game opens up.

In that context, Malik Davis was positioned as the running back doing what he “always” does, per the Yahoo Sports write-up. The phrasing matters because it suggests Davis is not simply landing a one-off moment, but rather showing traits the Cowboys already value as they sort out depth and role clarity at a position where games tend to expose who can execute under varying looks.

The contrast with the wide receiver storyline is also instructive. Brown’s two-touchdown production came early and with flair, giving Dallas a snapshot of who can separate and finish plays in contested, high-stakes moments. For the backfield, however, Yahoo Sports’ emphasis landed on a lack of direction, not just performance. In other words, the Cowboys may have multiple capable options, but the decision-making appears not to be fully consolidated yet.

What is most likely to drive the backfield decision is the distribution of reps and how each running back responds when the game shifts from scripted drives into longer sequences where coaches vary protections and run looks. Davis’ apparent steadiness, as described by Yahoo Sports, points to a player who can stay involved even when the offensive flow changes.

At this stage, it is also fair to frame this as a depth question rather than an identity question. Javonte Williams is described as the returned veteran starter, which implies Dallas’ offense already has an anchor. The open competition, then, centers on who provides the most reliable follow-up when Williams needs a breather, and who can hold onto the role consistently once preseason touches start to thin out.

The Cowboys’ next look will matter because preseason often compresses role evaluation into a short window. If Davis continues to separate in whatever touches he receives, the running back hierarchy could become more obvious quickly. If not, the running back battle is likely to extend, with Dallas keeping more than one player in the mix as the team prepares for the regular season.

For now, the takeaway from Dallas’ Seahawks opener is twofold: Camden Brown offered a vivid, immediate statement in the passing game, while the backfield story centered on Javonte Williams as the clear baseline and Malik Davis as a key candidate in the competition beyond that starter. The Cowboys should gain more clarity with subsequent preseason snaps, where consistency and situational execution will carry more weight than single-game highlights.