Tag: Deuce Vaughn

Cowboys dead last in NFC spending at this position, just $3 million before free agency, draft

A review of what the Cowboys have at RB, what they’ll do once the league year starts with free agency and the draft.

The Cowboys have completed the mission. After heavily investing in the running back position in both draft and financial capital, things have bottomed out. In 2016, Dallas invested the No. 4 overall pick on the position, drafting Ezekiel Elliott. Three years later they invested financially making him the highest paid player in the history of the position.

Four years after that, while still carrying $just under $6 million in dead money after releasing Elliott, they slapped a $10 million franchise tag on Tony Pollard. Still, even in 2024, they still had $6.4 million in space being used by Elliott’s old contract. So it is just now that they’ve landed on the less invested side of things in that regard.

And landed their with authority, it might be added. The Cowboys churned out another 1,000 yard rusher, but he is a free agent, leaving just three players with under 100 total carries amongst them remaining on the roster.

So what comes next?

Rostered: $3.09 million in cap space

The Cowboys have three players under contract for 2025, Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis and Hunter Luepke, who count for only $3.09 million in cap space. That’s the lowest total among all NFC teams and 30th overall.

None of the three backs have proven much, with only Luepke feeling like he has a great chance to stick.

Pending Free Agents

Rico Dowdle, the team’s starter the majority of the season and bell cow the last half of it, hits free agency for the first time. Undrafted in 2020, an injury stole his 2021 season and it took him until this year to become a consistent contributor. He’s seen as the fourth or fifth-best back available in free agency after averaging 4.6 yards a carry on his way to 1.079 rushing yards with another 249 through the air.

Dowdle’s average is a true representation of what to expect on any given carry, as his longest run was just 27 yards and he rarely broke off big gains.

The Cowboys are likely looking for someone with more juice to lead the way in their new play-action based system.

Prediction: Dowdle signs elsewhere.

External Free Agents

The Cowboys are likely going to want to meet all types of runners on their offseason roster before making their way to the draft. Luepke is the short-yardage guy, and he’s expected to make the 2025 roster regardless. Davis has the all-around label and Vaughn… well Vaughn has a touching story.

The Cowboys will likely be looking for a speed merchant style of back, but more than likely at a discount.

Prediction: Jordan Mason could see free agency this year. He’s a restricted free agent but was undrafted and it would be a big ask for the 49ers to offer him a second-round tender while also paying Christian McCaffrey big money. If he comes free, he’s the guy that would make a ton of sense to spend the NFL version of the mid-level exception on. A two year, $7 million deal with two void yearsbmay get him in the fold.

2025 NFL Draft

The Cowboys are expected to be players in the market for a top running back in a deep class. Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty may slide down to No. 12 and make the decision very hard on Will McClay and company.

If not, Omarion Hampton (UNC) and Treyveon Henderson (OSU) could be second and third-round targets who offer breakaway speed at any given moment.

Prediction: The Cowboys go elsewhere with their top pick, Hampton is snatched before they hit the clock in Round 2 and Henderson is the pick in Round 3.

Cowboys RB room forecasts to look significantly different in 2025

The Cowboys may embark on a complete rebuild at the RB position in 2025. From @ReidDHanson

Roster churn is nothing new in the NFL. Even before free agency came into existence back in 1993, rosters would change significantly every offseason. Changes were inevitable then just as they are today.

This unavoidable shakeup is especially true for the Dallas Cowboys’ running back room in 2025.

The Cowboys prefer phases for personnel turnover rather than sudden, drastic changes. Too many shakeups at one position group can cause quite the ruckus if done in a single offseason. Unfortunately, this offseason there may be no way of avoiding it at the RB position.

With Ezekiel Elliott already released, and Rico Dowdle set to hit free agency this March, the Cowboys could be looking at wholesale changes at the top of their RB depth chart.

Despite being the Cowboys’ unofficial breakout player of the year, Dowdle is a tough appraisal heading into free agency. For as impressive as Dowdle has been in 2024, he comes with a concerning injury history that stretches all the way back to his college days. It’s those injuries at South Carolina that led him to go undrafted in the first place and those injuries that cause hesitation over a large multiyear extension today.

It’s very possible the Cowboys lose Dowdle to a higher bidder in free agency and are therefore forced to rebuild the RB room completely in 2025. Even players further down the RB depth chart are cause for concern. Deuce Vaughn has struggled to prove he has the stature required to survive in a rotation. He doesn’t offer much in special teams and consequently could be done in Dallas as well. Hunter Luepke is a pretty safe bet to make the roster again in 2025, but his value lies in his ability to play fullback, tight end and H-back. With just 15 career rushing attempts in 32 games, how much of a running back is he really?

To make matters worse, practice squad RBs such as Dalvin Cook and Malik Davis have shown nothing to make anyone think they factor into Dallas’ 2025 plans at all. The way things look today, it could be a total rebuild at the RB position.

Normally this degree of churn would be cause for concern. Without veteran players carrying over from the previous year, there’s no one in the position room to help new additions digest the new offense they’ve walked into. But with the Cowboys coaching staff possibly churning themselves, that’s not really an issue because everyone could be learning a new offense regardless.

Normally this would be a concern heading into free agency as well. A team without a proven backstop on the depth chart could approach free agency desperately. The 2025 free agent class doesn’t appear particularly strong so RB-hungry teams like Dallas could find themselves in a bidding war. Then again, the Cowboys have seemingly devalued the position since amping up their analytics department over the past two years and may just see who slips through the cracks instead.

Normally this would put a truckload of pressure on the NFL draft since the Cowboys would no longer be able to take a best player available (BPA) approach and be forced to draft for need. But that draft philosophy really wouldn’t be much different than it’s been the last few years.

The Cowboys have been extremely transparent in their position targeting as of late. They leave massive holes heading into the draft and act aggressively to fill those holes with their picks. It may not be the wise thing to do but at least it’s familiar to this front office.

Hunting for a rookie RB capable of starting on Day 1 is well within their ability, especially since the 2025 NFL draft class is deep at the RB position. The Cowboys don’t have to panic and pick one with their first pick, they can wait a few rounds for value to come to them. Each round will inevitably signal a rise in panic levels across the fanbase but it’s not impossible to find starting RBs in the later rounds of the draft.

Everything is setting up for major changes at the RB position in Dallas but given the potential turnover in the coaching ranks and the depth in the draft, there’s reason to believe the Cowboys can handle it.

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Teams are eliminating this unique Cowboys weapon, so how will Dallas fix it?

Teams are avoiding KaVonate Turpin and it’s time the Cowboys figure out how to stop that. | From @ReidDHanson

Let’s run through a quick strategy session, shall we? Let’s say an opposing team is fielding two kick returners. One of those returners is a reserve safety with average speed and below average return ability. The other returner is an actual kick return specialist with elite speed and Pro Bowl return ability. How would you handle this situation as the kicking team?

If you answered, “kick it to the reserve safety” you’re not alone. Each of the Cowboys opponents this season has opted to target the safety, Juanyeh Thomas, rather than the professional return man, KaVonate Turpin. It’s not hard to see why either. Turpin is one of the most feared return men in the game today. If given the choice between the two, no one in their right mind would target Turpin. It’s why the former TCU star only has two returns on the season while Thomas has six.

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This strategy has rendered Turpin nothing more than a lead blocker on the kick return unit. At 5-foot-9, 153-pounds, he’s not exactly the ideal blocker, but if teams are kicking away from him what else is he supposed to do?

It seems there’s a Turpin avoidance problem at the moment in Dallas and it’s incumbent on the Cowboys to figure out a solution.

One possible solution is upgrading the return spot next to Turpin. Thomas is averaging just 24 yards per return this season, well below league average and significantly below Turpin’s 34.5. Thomas also has the fourth most return attempts in the NFL, indicating it’s not a product of sample size.

It stands to reason a more explosive player could produce better results in the role. Possible solutions are Deuce Vaughn, Rico Dowdle, Jalen Tolbert and Ryan Flournoy. Given Donovan Wilson’s volativity at safety, Thomas could really stand to get more snaps at safety anyway.

Another possible solution is to fight the opponent’s predictability with unpredictability. Opponents are predictably targeting the player opposite Turpin so what if the Cowboys disguise which side of the field Turpin is on?

If both return men begin the process positioned in the middle of the field, making a break to their respective sides only when the kicking motion has begun, they will remove the kicking team’s ability to target specific players. It would give Turpin a 50-50 shot at returning the ball which would be a marked improvement over what he’s getting today.

What the Cowboys can’t do is keep allowing teams to dictate the terms of a return because they’re just going to keep targeting the man not named “Turpin” every time. In that case the Cowboys might as well just take Turpin off the field altogether and replace him with an actual lead blocker since that’s all he’s been doing anyway.

It’s innovation time in Dallas. John Fassel and crew are facing a very predictable situation right now and they need to find ways to work around it.

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Cowboys working out 4x-Pro Bowl RB coming off down season

Report: Cowboys to fly running back Calvin Cook to Dallas for a workout.

After signing wideout CeeDee Lamb to a massive extension, it appears as if Dallas has now shifted focus to the running back position. Sources tell NFL insider Tom Pelissero that the Cowboys will be flying free-agent running back and four-time Pro Bowler Dalvin Cook to Dallas for a workout.

Flirtations with Cook are nothing new but the team is extending their dance to a face-to-face meeting.

The Vikings selected Cook in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Florida State. He failed to reach 1,000 combined rushing yards in his first two seasons, but broke out in his third year en route to four consecutive millenium campaigns.

He was named to the Pro Bowl four times, each season between 2019 and 2022.

After his release from Minnesota in 2023, Cook signed with the New York Jets in the middle of August but failed to find his footing and was released by the team in early January. The veteran back tallied 214 yards on 67 carries averaging 3.2 yards per rush.

Less than a week later, Baltimore signed Cook to their practice squad to help with their playoff push.

Cook dealt with a shoulder injury in 2023 but looks to be healed from the injury that may have impacted him last season. Something must give in the running back room if Dallas signs the veteran.

Ezekiel Elliott was brought back to Dallas after a one-year hiatus in New England. The team also employs RB Rico Dowdle, who figures to be the back who shoulders the heaviest of the load in the rotation. Second-year backs Hunter Luepke and Deuce Vaughn are among the favorites to land a roster spot but the addition of Cook could complicate his situation.

Dallas could also choose to add Cook after the season begins to avoid guaranteeing his salary for the entire 2024 season.

After sitting out free agency, Dallas has been very active adding players in the last few weeks. Cook would be another big name added to owner Jerry Jones’ “All In” offseason.

Fact or fluke: RB Deuce Vaughn to plead his case for Cowboys roster spot

Can Deuce Vaughn repeat his preseason performance and win a Cowboys roster spot? | From @ReidDHanson

To anyone who forgot Deuce Vaughn was on the Cowboys roster, the second-year running back offered up a friendly reminder in Las Vegas last week. The 5-foot-6 dynamo from Kansas State has been a fan favorite since joining Dallas as a sixth-round pick. Not only did his drafting make for elite must-see TV, Vaughn came with a college highlight reel that could rival anyone’s.

Unfortunately, his hype never matched his production in the NFL, and his rookie year only produced 40 yards on 23 attempts. His 1.7 yards-per-attempt made a compelling case that Vaughn’s size, or lack thereof, had finally caught up with him.

Concern grew over the offseason regarding Vaughn’s trustworthiness in pass protection, effectiveness between the tackles and general ability to avoid negative runs. In many roster predictions, Vaughn found himself on the outside looking in. Last season’s feel-good story quickly turned to this season’s afterthought. Apparently, no one told Vaughn that.

After missing a portion of training camp nursing injury, Vaughn reminded everyone he still belongs in the conversation. Vaughn put together a series of runs highlighting his elusiveness and ability to pick up positive gains in tough situations.

With one more preseason game left on the schedule, Vaughn has one more chance to prove his value and show he belongs on the Cowboys final 53-man roster.

Working in Vaughn’s favor is the unimpressive nature of the Cowboys RB room. In the post Tony Pollard era, the Cowboys are fairly pedestrian at the RB position. A reunion with Ezekiel Elliott is more about setting a floor than elevating the ceiling. Veteran Royce Freeman is similarly safe, albeit unspectacular, in his fit. Aside from 26-year-old Rico Dowdle, there doesn’t appear to be any game breakers on the depth chart. If Vaughn can prove his performance last week wasn’t a fluke, he could claim a spot on the Cowboys roster after all.

In the Cowboys last preseason game Saturday against the Chargers, Vaughn gets one more opportunity to show he has the juice this 2024 roster needs. It’s not about rushing totals or even yards/carry. It’s about adding value to the running game. Can Vaughn elude tacklers? Can he survive contact in the backfield and avoid negative plays? Can he be a factor in the passing game either in pass protection or as a receiving target?

These are the questions Vaughn still needs to answer. He got himself back in the conversation last week, the challenge now is to prove it was no fluke and he can be a vital piece to this talent-hungry RB room.

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Deuce Vaughn wanted to ‘showcase what I can do’ vs Raiders; was it enough to make Cowboys roster?

From @ToddBrock24f7: After a disappointing rookie season and a training camp hamstring injury, the shifty RB showed surprising power in his preseason debut.

Deuce Vaughn’s hamstring cost him two weeks of training camp and the preseason opener. Not ideal for a 22-year-old who can’t be at all sure he’s going to make the Cowboys’ 53-man regular-season roster.

Healed in time to take the field in Las Vegas, Vaughn sought to make the most of whatever hand he was dealt. He ended the night with just 34 yards on five carries, but he certainly showed enough to boost his stock heading into the final week and a half before cut day.

“I wanted to come out here and show what I could do,” Vaughn told reporters Saturday night following the team’s 27-12 exhibition win over the Raiders.

It was an obvious improvement over Vaughn’s showing as a rookie. Expected to be an electrifying change-of-pace backfield option in 2023, Vaughn struggled to put up numbers. He logged 20 carries over the Cowboys’ first five games but totaled only 40 yards. Over the next 13 games (playoffs included), he got just three more handoffs, netting zero yards. He was inactive for nine full contests and didn’t get on the field in two others.

Doubters immediately wrote him off as a bust, too small to be anything more than a novelty in the NFL. But his production Saturday, in his first preseason action, suggested otherwise.

Even more encouraging than his 6.8 yards-per-carry average was that they didn’t all come on some shifty splash play that depended on the 5-foot-5 Vaughn getting lost behind the offensive line and then turning on the afterburners.

In addition to displaying the speed and elusiveness that made him a camp darling last year, the 22-year-old also got to introduce some power to his game, something he says he’s put serious effort into developing.

“Kind of a testament to all the work I’ve out in over this offseason,” Vaughn explained, “because one of the biggest things I wanted to do was get a little bit bigger, get a little bit stronger in between the tackles, because in this league, that’s where the hay is made- those four-yard runs, those five-yard runs that are a little bit powerful- and be able to put your offense in a better situation on second and third down.”

His head coach noticed.

“I thought Deuce had some nice touches,” Mike McCarthy said from the podium at Allegiant Stadium after the Cowboys win. “Really, him, Royce, and Malik: you know, I was trying to get those guys all a certain number of carries tonight; it was a focus. I thought he ran well, broke tackles, bounced the ball [outside], made some nice runs.”

Those other backs McCarthy named are Vaughn’s top competition for a 2024 roster spot. Ezekiel Elliott and Rice Dowdle are locks; neither played at all on Saturday. But Royce Freeman led all Dallas backs with seven carries, while Malik Davis matched Vaughn’s five attempts. And while any of them could conceivably be RB3, it’s unlikely that the team keeps all of them.

So Vaughn knows that every rep he gets is a statement- not only for the Dallas coaching staff, but maybe also for the other 31 teams in the league.

“The good thing is we don’t have to make any decisions now,”McCarthy said. “I mean, we do have another full week left. We knew this coming in with our roster, that we’ve got some tough decisions when we get down to the end.”

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To his credit, Vaughn sounded like someone who is well aware that the sentimentality that came with his emotional draft-day phone call last year in no way guarantees his spot in the locker room this year. And while he chooses not think of it as a camp battle, Vaughn- perhaps thanks to growing up with his father Chris serving as a Cowboys scout- understands that today’s teammates can become ex-teammates in the blink of an eye.

So it’s about being his best self, not beating out the guy next to him.

“I feel like for myself, it’s more important to just go out there and showcase what I can do. We have a great running back room. Every single one of those guys inside this room has a great skill set. I’ve learned a whole bunch from guys inside this locker room, the experience that we have. And for myself, it’s coming out here, it’s more like the foundation for myself to get back to … playing and getting ready for next week.”

One more week of camp, then a preseason game versus the Chargers. Vaughn hopes that doesn’t mark the end of the Cowboys chapter of his story. But he’s going to make sure that whatever happens, he’s improving every step of the way.

“Hoping to have some opportunity to show off some pass protection and stuff like that going into this next week, just showing up all the question marks that were given to me coming into this offseason,” said Vaughn. “The hard work that I put in to be able to showcase what I can do is what I want to shore up on going into this last week.”

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Do the Cowboys need to add a RB from the outside before season?

It’s likely the Cowboys will only keep three of their eight RBs on their final roster in 2024, do they need to search for another? | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys have come under fire for their handling of the running back position this year. Letting Tony Pollard sign a three-year, $21,750,000 deal with Tennessee wasn’t an issue. Handing big money to the RB position has long been regarded as questionable behavior. Re-signing the veteran Ezekiel Elliott to a one-year, $2 million deal wasn’t an issue either. An inexpensive safety net like Elliott made sense in a back-up capacity.

Letting the draft tick by 257 players without the Cowboys claiming a single RB? That baffled a few folks. After years of accusations of overpaying, over-drafting and just generally overinvesting, the Cowboys have made a wild adjustment in the way they handle the RB position.

This 180-degree heel turn of theirs set them on the path to enter the 2024 season with some combination of Rico Dowdle, Ezekiel Elliott, Royce Freeman, Maliek Davis, Hunter Luepke, Deuce Vaughn, Snoop Conner and Nathaniel Peat. It’s a group that some have called the worst unit in the NFL and one even the most fervent of Cowboys fans has been having a difficult time getting excited about.

In the Cowboys first preseason game, Dowdle offered glimmers of hope. The fifth-year back out of South Carolina ran the ball three times for 14 yards. His day understandably ended early since he’s expected by many to be the top ball carrier in Dallas in 2024. Held out of action were Elliott and Freeman. The former, a veteran in whom the Cowboys are already well acquainted and the latter, a veteran who’s already banged up.

The rest of the lot played fairly uninspiring ball after Dowdle left the field. Conner led the rest of the group with a paltry 3.3 yards/carry average while no one else surpassed the 2.5 yards/carry mark. Blocking obviously played a big role in that inefficiency, but the ball carriers struggled to add anything of added value to the runs.

It’s all reaffirmed what many feared entering the preseason and supported what was happening in training camp; the Cowboys are weak at the RB position.

In a not-so-bold roster prediction, the Cowboys will likely round out their RB ranks with a player who’s not currently on the roster.

It’s fair to say other NFL teams will release someone who’s good enough to be claimed by Dallas and the Cowboys are just bidding their time until cutdown day arrives on August 27. Of the eight players listed above, it’s likely only three will make the Cowboys final 53 in 2024. It’s a list that includes Luepke the fullback since he’s reportedly beloved by the coaching staff and cross-training at the tight end position to boost his usefulness.

As things stand today, it looks like Dowdle, Elliott and Luepke are the only RBs currently in camp who are in line for a roster spot. Vaughn and Peat would then be the favorites to join the practice squad with a veteran to be named later to round out the rotation on the 53.

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Report: Cowboys RB Deuce Vaughn dealing with hamstring injury

From @ToddBrock24f7: The diminutive running back has missed two practices with the issue, which could eventually impact his chances of making the 53-man roster.

The Cowboys’ running back platoon feels perilously thin, with an injury to any member of the rotation being the last thing the offense needs to deal with.

And yet here we are, with news emerging Friday that second-year man Deuce Vaughn has been sidelined the past two days with a hamstring injury. ESPN’s Todd Archer was the first to report the development out of Oxnard.

A sixth-round pick last spring, the 5-foot-5 Vaughn failed to live up to the hype that came with his emotional draft-day selection. The electrifying Kansas State product touched the ball just 30 times over seven game appearances, amassing a grand total of 80 combined rushing and receiving yards as a rookie.

Dallas placed him on injured reserve in early January with an ankle injury.

But with Tony Pollard now in Tennessee, 2024 would provide a fresh opportunity to share snaps with Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Royce Freeman, and others. Vaughn had even reportedly been taking snaps as a slot receiver, working on his route-running and pass-catching skills in anticipation of perhaps being used creatively in Mike McCarthy’s offense.

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Some might also speculate that Vaughn’s receiver work is a signal that he’s showing minimal viability as a dedicated NFL running back, and the team is simply looking to see if he offers enough value at a second position to warrant a roster spot.

Neither the cause nor the severity of the injury is known, but hamstring maladies are notorious for lingering, and Vaughn’s inability to practice- especially as the Cowboys near their preseason games- likely won’t help his chances of making the team’s 53-man roster.

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Cowboys’ Deuce Vaughn may stand to gain under new NFL kickoff format

Kick returns may be the best way for the Cowboys to use Deuce Vaughn in 2024. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys have had a tough time finding a role for Deuce Vaughn after making him their sixth-round pick in 2023. The 5-foot-6, 176-pound running back from Kansas State has a size problem in the NFL. For as talented and elusive he is as a runner, his size will always be an issue to overcome.

Used sparingly as a rookie, Vaughn posted just 40 yards at 1.7 yards/attempt as a situational running back. His limitations in pass protection put the health and safety of Dak Prescott in jeopardy and his inability to absorb contact made his effectiveness between the tackles limited.

Few questioned Vaughns skillset and what it could do in space – the problem was getting him the ball in space.

Just like in nearly every Cowboys offseason since the Mesozoic era, suggestions of using a backfield player in the slot more became a topic of conversation as of late. Vaughn was of course the player linked to the role this year and despite this idea never truly coming to fruition in the past, it excited a Dallas fanbase thirsty for new wrinkles to their often-uncreative offense.

But maybe the best opportunity for Vaughn to get the ball in space isn’t on offense at all. Maybe it’s in the revamped kick return game where Vaughn can make his biggest impact in 2024.

Much has been said about the NFL’s new kickoff process already but until it’s seen in action for some time, there’s a cloud of mystery surrounding its implementation and maximization.  With the bulk of the kicking team and return team lining up within 10 yards from each other, kick returns will take on a fundamentally different image in 2024. Without the traditional wedge return to run through, players like Vaughn could find an environment in which to thrive.

Per the new return rules, teams can position up to two players in the return zone. Assuming KaVontae Turpin is Returner 1, Vaughn could be seen as the favorite to snag the Returner 2 role. Returner 2 would have to be a player willing to run ahead and lead block, competent enough to return the kick himself, and respected enough to be used as a decoy in plays of misdirection.

While Vaughn may be diminutive in stature, he’s versatile and eager to prove, making him a fairly ideal return counterpart to the Pro Bowl return man Turpin.

It’s possible Vaughn will legitimately see more opportunities in the slot this season. It’s not a recommended course of action or even a very likely course of action, but it can never be ruled out. But the return game is somewhere he could really make a splash in 2024.

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Is there hidden fantasy value among Dallas Cowboys running backs?

Is Zeke totally washed? Can Rico Dowdle emerge? Will Deuce Vaughn shine?

As the NFL’s top scoring offense last year, the Dallas Cowboys finished 14th in rushing (112.9 yards per game), led by running back Tony Pollard, who signed with the Tennessee Titans during the offseason. It was a swift fall from grace for the Memphis product after he was anointed RB1 following a tremendous 2022 campaign while splitting time with running back Ezekiel Elliott. Thrust into the primary role, he never recaptured that form.

Even with Pollard moving on, the Cowboys elected to invest zero draft capital at the position, instead handing out a pair of one-year deals in free agency, one to journeyman RB Royce Freeman and the other to Elliott, who returns after a season with the New England Patriots. They join last season’s No. 2 back, Rico Dowdle, and preseason darling Deuce Vaughn.

On paper, it’s a suspect unit, made doubly so by head coach Mike McCarthy’s well-established love of the passing game. Still, that doesn’t mean there won’t be fantasy value to be found. With that in mind, let’s look at Dallas’ backfield options for 2024.