Cowboys move RB Deuce Vaughn to IR, activate DE Junior Fehoko for Week 18

From @ToddBrock24f7: Vaughn’s regular season is over; he logged just 40 rushing yards total and added 40 receiving. Fehoko could make his season debut Sunday.

A bit of January roster churn is giving one promising Cowboys rookie a last shot at making his regular-season debut while bringing another’s first pro campaign to an early close.

The team is moving running back Deuce Vaughn to injured reserve and activating defensive end Junior Fehoko to that roster spot for Week 18. The move will require Vaughn to sit out for at least four weeks, meaning he wouldn’t be available again for Dallas until the Super Bowl, should the team get that far.

Fehoko was a fourth-round pick by the Cowboys in the 2023 draft. As the Mountain West’s Defensive Player of the Year and among the top five collegiate defenders in the county in tackles for loss, the 6-foot-3-inch Fehoko was predicted to come in and compete immediately for a spot within the Dallas defensive line rotation.

But the San Jose State product was inactive for the first nine games of the season and then moved to IR with a knee injury on Nov. 18.

Vaughn, of course, came into his rookie year with very high hopes resting on his shoulders. The darling of the 2023 draft was a heartwarming sixth-round pick and showed flashes in training camp, but the elusive back has had a tough time making his impressive Kansas State stats translate to the pro game.

He’s carried the ball just 23 times for 40 yards this season and added seven receptions for another 40 yards.

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Vaughn’s move to IR- listed with an ankle injury- raises questions about the team’s depth at running back behind starter Tony Pollard heading into the postseason. Rico Dowdle had been getting the majority of the backup work but had to miss Week 17’s game versus Detroit with an ankle injury. Fullback Hunter Leupke has been used only sparingly as a ballcarrier, and Malik Davis has yet to see a rushing attempt this season.

The Vaughn development could mean that Dowdle is ready to return to action. But other observers have already wondered if the move is somehow a sign that the team will pursue Dalvin Cook, the four-time Pro Bowler just released by the Jets, to provide experience and depth for the coming playoff run.

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