The preseason is a officially a wrap for the Dallas Cowboys, and while fans were concerned with what the first two games producer, they finally liked what they saw in Week 3. The Cowboys picked up a 31-13 win against the Atlanta Falcons in a game where they clicked on most cylinders.
Part of that included some continued strong play from preseason favorites, including James Houston, Shemar James and Phil Mafah. With that said, it looks like one former sixth-round draft pick is about to say kudos.
Deuce Vaughn has not made the most of his minutes this preseason while Mafah and Jaydon Blue are already fitting the part. Even though Friday was statistically Vaughn's best game running the ball, the former Kansas State Wildcat has had a rough go this entire preseason.
Deuce Vaughn's Cowboys days might be over after the preseason
In totality, Vaughn rushed for 64 yards and caught two balls for nine yards. The coaching staff gave him every opportunity to show why he belongs, but the magic never happened. He ran with efficiency against the Falcons, but it's doubtful that it was enough to get him on the 53.
Mafah had yet another impressive run in the second half when he trucked through defenders to help insert his team in the red zone, and it looks like the Cowboys have a red zone threat in Mafah. Jaydon Blue plowed in for a touchdown went he went one-on-one with a defender at the goal line.
Instead, the past few weeks have made it clear that Mafah needs to make the 53-man roster. This seemed to have been the Cowboys' plan all along when they drafted him in the seventh round by opening up a competition between Mafah and Vaughn. The RB is already crowded as is, and the answers at RB look more clear now.
Vaughn is a speedster who can still be a weapon out of the backfield, but Blue brings a similar and more dynamic skill set to the table. In two years, Vaughn has rushed the ball 40 times for 110 yards, equating to a lowly 2.8 yards per carry.
The former Wildcat was a superstar at the collegiate level, but those days are far from over, and the NFL competition is vastly different. There might be a spot for him somewhere, but going back as far as the 2025 NFL Draft should've made Cowboys fans realize that Vaughn was going to have difficulty making the roster.
Brian Schottenheimer and the Jones family have plenty of decisions to make, but this preseason has shown just how painful cutting Vaughn could be.
More Cowboys News and Analysis