Miles Sanders was expected to fill the gaping void left by Christian McCaffrey in the running back room. He never met expectations, and there weren't many gasps of disbelief among the fan base when the Carolina Panthers released the player this offseason with one year remaining on his deal.
One of Sanders' biggest problems in Carolina was his failure to stay healthy. And it seems like history is repeating itself in a different environment.
Sanders penned a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys this offseason. He made a decent-enough start to the team's offseason program, drawing praise for his work ethic and explosiveness. However, it didn't take long for this momentum to come screeching to an abrupt halt.
Miles Sanders didn't leave his injury problems with the Carolina Panthers
And once again, it was an injury concern that's causing the complication.
The Cowboys have kept Sanders out of practice over the last few days. He's reportedly dealing with a bone bruise, and the recovery timeline depends on the severity. Dallas doesn't believe the complication is too serious, but the former second-round pick's absence is opening the door for others to stake a claim.
Jaydon Blue is bouncing back after being criticized for his work ethic over early workouts. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer also hyped up seventh-round rookie Phil Mafah for his ability to maximize opportunities when they arise.
"Again, the guy I probably haven't talked about enough that shows up every day now is Phil (Mafah). Phil is a guy that when he moves, it's very smooth. Very fluid. His vision is excellent, and so he's a guy that I didn't really have much of a feel for in the spring because I didn't see him much."Brian Schottenheimer
It's unlikely that Sanders' roser spot is in jeopardy. The Cowboys need to improve this season, so having a strong veteran presence in the running back group is only going to help. At the same time, these two rookies are turning up the heat considerably.
Schottenheimer admitted that he wasn't sure how the running back dynamic would eventually shake out. Much will depend on how Blue and Mafah perform in the preseason, but Sanders would be wise to get back quickly to keep the fledgling stars at arm's length.
As for the Panthers? They are moving forward with Chuba Hubbard, Rico Dowdle, and rookie Trevor Etienne as their running back trio, at least until Jonathon Brooks recovers from another torn ACL. This represents an upgraded, balanced ground attack, and they don't have Sanders causing an unnecessary distraction.
Sanders' urgency is high. But there's nothing he can do until he gets the all-clear to resume football activities.