Dallas Cowboys second-year running back Malik Davis is one of a host of players looking to take the role on offense previously held by the now-departed Ezekiel Elliott this offseason.
With Tony Pollard still being eased back into practice following his nasty ankle/leg injury sustained in the Divisional Round loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Davis and his fellow backs have seen more action with the first team.
And at this stage of the offseason program, he knows how crucial that is.
"It's been really valuable, very important," Davis said. "Those reps, if Tony was here, would be cut back a little bit, so it's good that everyone's getting those reps now going into camp and before the season."
Pollard in fact did some work in OTAs, and in Thursday's minicamp finale, he was part of the walkthrough workout. But the point is made: Those reps could ultimately decide who does and doesn't make the Cowboys' 53-man roster in a few months. So for good reason, Davis is soaking up everything he can.
After a rookie season that saw him deputized for Pollard against the Tennessee Titans, Davis showed glimpses of his talent. In total, Davis played 12 games and rushed for 161 yards and a touchdown while averaging 4.2 yards a clip.
The Cowboys are being discussed as a team that might be interested in Dalvin Cook, just released by Minnesota. That's not a concern to the guys in the room, with Malik right now trying to compete with Ronald Jones, Rico Dowdle and rookies Deuce Vaughn and Hunter Luepke for a role.
So, what's the one thing Davis wants to improve on as he embarks on his second offseason with Dallas?
"I'll say, just 'understanding," Davis said. "When I'm going out, just knowing what's going to happen before the ball snaps, that's what I want to focus on this offseason."
And as far as his goals for training camp and beyond? Davis is keeping it simple.
"Just to do more than I did last year, help my team win more games," he said.
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