Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn (left) with special teams coach John Fassel.
Last August, the Cowboys and their fans witnessed a 30-yard kick return against the Jaguars during the preseason opener.
From there, it was eight terrific runs for 50 yards, with an average of 6.3 per carry.
This included a spectacular, jitterbugging 26-yard run to help set up a touchdown early in the second half, which he also scored.
Following that touchdown, spectators chanted “Deeeeuuuuucceeee,” indicating that Deuce Vaughn had become a fan favorite.
The reasons were evident. Vaughn, who stands 5 feet 5 inches tall, adds a David-and-Goliath flavor to each play.
And, in the 2023 draft, when the Cowboys selected Vaughn in the sixth round, it was his father, Chris—the Cowboys’ chief of scouting—who got to phone his son and tell him he had been drafted.
It brought tears to my eyes. Vaughn’s season, however, peaked in preseason Week 1.
He had five runs for 14 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys’ second preseason game but no carries in the finale.
During the season, he carried 23 times for 40 yards and caught seven passes for an additional 40 yards. Vaughn also had four punt returns totaling 19 yards.
According to a team insider, Deuce Vaughn may not make the Cowboys’ 53-man roster, perhaps ending his fan-favorite story with the team.
Deuce Vaughn:
Not ‘Better Than the Next Guy’ Mike Fisher, a long-time Dallas media figure, recently outlined a potential 53-man Cowboys roster for SI.com/Athlon Sports.
Fisher selected just four running backs for the Cowboys this season, a very weak bunch that did not include Vaughn.
It won’t help that the Cowboys may not be finished adding to the running back room, especially if their subpar crop proves even more dismal once camp begins.
Here’s how Fisher summarized the group. “Running back (4): Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Malik Davis, Hunter Luepke.
“If this doesn’t work out at some point during camp, Dallas may look at some veteran names. Maybe Dowdle outperforms Zeke…
And maybe Deuce Vaughn finds a position, though we can’t figure out how he’s better than the next player, save from special teams.”
Indeed, a player’s popularity among fans can only get him so far. Elliott and Dowdle are guaranteed to make the roster, so Vaughn’s challenge would be to beat out Davis and/or Hunter—or a late-camp veteran addition.
Cowboys Running Backs Ranked Worst in the NFL.
Vaughn may, of course, stay with the Cowboys as a member of the practice squad, but he could be picked up by another team if he is released this summer.
If he is given the opportunity, his mix of speed and shiftiness might make him an effective third-down back for a team.
However, being cut from what is usually regarded as the NFL’s weakest running back group would be detrimental to one’s resume.
Pro Football Focus has ranked the Cowboys as the league’s weakest running back corps, at No. 32.
The Cowboys have re-signed Ezekiel Elliott as their premier rusher after losing out on top backs in the 2023 NFL Draft and having Tony Pollard leave in free agency.
