Cowboys' Mike McCarthy inadvertently explains why Deuce Vaughn working at new position could be massive for him
The Dallas Cowboys are getting creative with their usage of second-year running back Deuce Vaughn after they recently tried the former college playmaking machine at a different position: Wide receiver.During OTAs, Vaughn described the experiment as an opportunity to bring more value to the table and contribute in different ways. Following a rookie season that […]
The Dallas Cowboys are getting creative with their usage of second-year running back Deuce Vaughn after they recently tried the former college playmaking machine at a different position: Wide receiver.
During OTAs, Vaughn described the experiment as an opportunity to bring more value to the table and contribute in different ways. Following a rookie season that didn't go quite as planned for him, being a healthy scratch for most of the season, Vaughn has to pull out all the stops to guarantee himself a spot on the 53-man roster.
On Tuesday, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy explained the team's decision to test him at wide receiver, particularly in the slot, and how it might be what Vaughn needs to make the final team.
"(Vaughn) looks good, he looks really good," McCarthy told reporters when asked about the offseason experiment. "We tried to cross train a number of guys this offseason, this is the time you do it, learning other positions."
It's important to point out that McCarthy alluded to other Cowboys players being tested at different positions and also the fact that it doesn't necessarily mean that we'll see such experiments translate to gameday.
Not that long ago, when Kellen Moore was still offensive coordinator, the Cowboys talked a big game about working Tony Pollard in the slot but that never showed in the regular season.
Why Deuce Vaughn might really need to show he can play in the slot
For Vaughn, playing wide receiver at a decent level could be bigger than first meets the eye as it could be the difference between making the team and not.
"We talk about this every week in here during the season," McCarthy added. "That 53-man roster, when you cut to 48 these are the things that we try to do for for these players that have dual-position potential, definitely Deuce is one of those guys."
Inadvertently, McCarthy explained why working at two positions could be massive for Vaughn: Any player that has position flex has a bigger chance of earning a roster spot but for Deuce it'd be an even bigger deal as he's unlikely to become a special teams ace.
After all, his size limits him as a blocker and/or tackler, so fans know he won't be seen as a gunner or anything like that. And the Cowboys happen to already have a returner specialist in KaVontae Turpin.
Per Pro Football Focus, in seven games played last season, Vaughn saw 31 special teams snaps, 28 of which happened in blowout wins versus the New England Patriots and New York Giants, and the team's blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers. In the other four games he played, he had three special teams snaps.
The new kickoff rules might help Vaughn's case for an increased special teams role if the Cowboys want to set him up in the landing zone alongside Turpin but Vaughn faces an uphill battle in terms of making the team based on special teams value, like many roster bubble guys do.
But if he starts looking like a legit weapon working the slot? Buckle up.
