Cowboys RB Deuce Vaughn proved he belongs in NFL debut
When you're the shortest player to be measured in the NFL Scouting Combine since 2003, it's undeniable: You don't look the part. But Dallas Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn, a sixth-round rookie, showed on his NFL debut why his height won't keep him from a place in the league while raising questions about two positions […]
When you're the shortest player to be measured in the NFL Scouting Combine since 2003, it's undeniable: You don't look the part.
But Dallas Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn, a sixth-round rookie, showed on his NFL debut why his height won't keep him from a place in the league while raising questions about two positions on the depth chart. At the end of the night, he led his team with 50 rushing yards in eight carries (6.3 average), three catches, and a touchdown.
"(Prove) that I belong, that's the biggest thing for myself," Vaughn told reporters following the stellar performance that made him one of the biggest winners out of the preseason opener.
With Vaughn, that's always been the question. Does he belong in a hard-hitting, punishing league in which he's the smallest there is? Can insane production at the college level translate to Sundays where it's significantly harder to hide physical shortcomings?
As the excitement of an impressive debut dies down, it's only fair to say that Vaughn has a long way to go before he proves that he can carve out a big role on the Cowboys offense. After all, there's only so much you can take away from the second half of an NFL preseason game.
And yet, in the span of one day, he went from being RB4 to sparking a conversation about whether or not he should be Tony Pollard's primary backup. He did so by doing what he did best at Kansas State: Dealing damage at the second level.
His highlight of the day came when he earned 26 yards at the end of the third quarter after making a lethal cut right at the feet of a crashing safety, causing the latter and a Jaguars cornerback to cartoonishly clash with each other.
That play-making shiftiness was apparent in other moments of the game like when he pulled off two spin moves to earn short yardage but still managed to break some ankles. Or running that angle route out of the backfield before jumping in the air to make a 9-yard grab.
Can Deuce Vaughn ascend to RB2?
You might wonder, fairly, if doing that against backups' backups diminish his chances of jumping his colleagues on the depth chart. Only time will tell. However, McCarthy isn't taking anything away from the rookie due to the level of competition.
"I don't put a whole lot of salt in that because, at the end of the day, you have to go play," the Cowboys head coach told reporters. "He rolled in there and ran, conceptually, everything that the other guys ran, too. I think that speaks volumes about him."
The door is open for Vaughn to earn a bigger role as Malik Davis and Rico Dowdle did little to separate themselves.
Is Turpin vs Vaughn a thing?
I'm saying yes.
One preseason game in, it's tough to say if KaVontae Turpin has done enough to prove he can do more on offense for the Cowboys, a requirement McCarthy asked of him earlier in the year. He did score a touchdown against the Jaguars but that was his lone catch in just two targets.
The biggest thing Turpin has got going for him is his skills as a returner. A fumble in the preseason opener certainly isn't what he needed to temper questions about his roster status. Even with a Pro Bowl in his resume, it's hard to act as if Turpin is a lock to make the 53-man roster. Even less so if Vaughn proves a capable returner. Although we saw little from him, he did have a kickoff return of 30 yards on Saturday night.
There's a battle indeed.
Deuce Vaughn’s stellar performance headlines Cowboys’ 5 biggest winners
Their stock is on the rise.
Featured image via Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
