Cowboys' Deuce Vaughn is getting first-team reps in training camp
After an electrifying performance in his NFL debut, Dallas Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn is forcing fans, media members, and perhaps even front offices to second-guess themselves. Vaughn looks like… well, Vaughn. The same guy we witnessed tear it up in college football is looking pro-ready just one game into his career. And it so happens […]
After an electrifying performance in his NFL debut, Dallas Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn is forcing fans, media members, and perhaps even front offices to second-guess themselves.
Vaughn looks like… well, Vaughn. The same guy we witnessed tear it up in college football is looking pro-ready just one game into his career. And it so happens that the one thing that made us question whether or not he'd be good in the league – his size – is becoming a perceived strength.
On his preseason debut, Vaughn rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown in eight carries and had three catches, including a nine-yard grab he leaped in the air to make. He did just about everything right and now the coaches seem to be rewarding him for such a debut.
According to DallasCowboys.com's Kyle Youmans, the rookie "saw extra reps with starters" on Tuesday and that seems to have remained the case on Wednesday as well. Below are two clips from the latest Cowboys practice where Vaughn is seen working with the first-team offense.
The shift could prove meaningful as last weekend, Vaughn might've legitimately shaken up the team's depth chart. During the preseason opener, the rookie running back was RB4 behind Tony Pollard (who didn't play), Malik Davis, and Rico Dowdle. At least, that's what the rotation suggested.
But after his impressive debut, he's put himself in the running to be Pollard's primary backup. He still has a long way to go and a second half of preseason football doesn't tell the whole story. And yet, the coaching staff appears to agree he deserves the shot based on the additional first-team reps he's been getting in camp.
Seeing when he comes out to the field on Saturday night versus the Seattle Seahawks will be very intriguing and revealing. Davis and Dowdle could've been considered losers out of the preseason opener and their place on the roster is far from guaranteed, especially if Deuce earns the coaches' trust to have a big role on offense.
And while we can't allow the hype to get out of control, the thing about Deuce is that his size was the one concern about him as a prospect. No one second-guesses his elusiveness, burst, and vision. The guy can do it all. He just happens to be small. If he can overcome being undersized, the ceiling is high for the Day 3 draft pick.
Featured image via Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
