I don’t know what’s going to happen to Deuce Vaughn in Dallas.
But I do know this — you can’t tell me the kid who led the entire country in all-purpose yards at Kansas State can’t play in the NFL. ...
Especially not when his only reps came under a coaching staff that’s no longer in the building — largely because of their own inability to build a creative, functional run game.
And here’s something else worth factoring in.
During the Cowboys' post-draft press conference prior to Vaughn's second year, Mike McCarthy openly acknowledged that they overhauled the entire pass protection scheme for their running backs. And for someone like Deuce Vaughn — a rookie running back already undersized and fighting uphill in pass pro — that “revamp” likely felt like a foreign language.
Think about that.
You’re asking a rookie to learn a brand-new protection system, adjust to NFL speed, and compete for a role in a backfield that didn’t yet know what it wanted to be. That’s not just a challenge — that’s a structural disadvantage.
The Cowboys weren’t just installing a new playbook. They were overhauling everything. Which means Deuce Vaughn probably didn’t get the development plan, the tailored packages, or the situational usage he deserved. And that’s not a reflection of his ability. It’s a reflection of timing and circumstance.
Because as we’ve said before: It’s not about who’s in the backfield. It’s about how you use them.
And in 2023, Dallas didn’t have that answer.
We just wrote about this last week in the Playoff Dak article: the Cowboys’ postseason failures have gone far beyond the quarterback position. The run game has consistently vanished. The scheme lacked nuance. The offense didn’t marry the run to the pass. And for a player like Deuce— that environment gave him no chance.
Deuce is still 5-6 and 176. That's not changing. But otherwise? Now, some things are different.
New coach Brian Schottenheimer and his staff aren’t just emphasizing the run — they’re emphasizing physicality and functionality. Running the ball with purpose, not just to check a box or meet a minimum requirement. And one of the new key voices in that room just so happens to be Connor Riley, Vaughn’s former offensive line coach at Kansas State.
If anyone knows how to unlock Deuce, it’s him.
Yes, the Cowboys added two veterans in free agency. Yes, they drafted two rookies. But let’s not act like anyone outside of Jaydon Blue is untouchable. They’re all playing for jobs this summer. And I say - speaking for fans of the players - that Deuce Vaughn belongs in that mix.
I will argue that he can absolutely play in this league. He just needs a real shot — in a real offense — with real vision for how to use him. And maybe, for the first time since arriving in Dallas, it looks like he might actually get one.