The Dallas Cowboys are making changes to the 53-man roster as they prepare for their final regular season game of the season. The final game against the Washington Commanders is an all-important one, but they will be without running back Deuce Vaughn.
Vaughn is a rookie who joined the team in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft. However, his impact has been minimal. Now, he is being put on injured reserve and will be sidelined until, at best, the Super Bowl.
“The @dallascowboys activated DL Viliami Fehoko from Reserve/Injured on Wednesday,” the team’s official PR account wrote on X. “The club also placed RB Deuce Vaughn on Reserve/Injured.”
Cowboys official writer Patrik Walker then clarified Vaughn’s window in a follow-up tweet.
“The two swap roster spots and Vaughn is out a minimum of four weeks, meaning he wouldn’t be available again until/unless Super Bowl,” Walker wrote on January 3.
Essentially, the Cowboys will have to make the Super Bowl just to potentially have Vaughn available. Even then, they may not decide to even activate him then as Dallas has used Vaughn sparingly this year. Meanwhile, Fehoko is a rookie still looking for his first appearance in an NFL regular season.
Vaughn’s First NFL Season
There was a lot to like about Vaughn coming into the 2023 season. Besides the feel-good story about playing for his dad and Cowboys scout Chris Vaughn, Vaughn was a star at Kansas State who totaled 2962 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns over his final two seasons in Manhattan, KS.
But it has not translated to immediate NFL success. According to Pro Football Reference, Vaughn has taken 23 handoffs for just 40 yards. He has a rushing success rate of 8.7%, while Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle are both in the 40s percentage-wise.
That being said, he’s been a bit more useful as a receiver. Vaughn has seven catches on seven targets for 40 yards.
It’s far from ideal, and there’s a reason why the Cowboys have only activated him for seven games. It will be interesting to see if the team rolls with him in 2024 or releases him after a discouraging rookie season.
Could Cowboys Pursue Dalvin Cook?
While the team is putting Vaughn on the shelf, the New York Jets recently made waves by releasing Dalvin Cook. Cook is a four-time Pro Bowler, but has found it difficult to make the move from the Minnesota Vikings to the Jets.
Dallas has been speculated as a potential landing spot, but official team writer Nick Harris doesn’t think it will happen.
“Just my opinion…don’t think there is a fit for him in Dallas both schematically and roster-wise,” Harris said on January 2. “Cowboys kicked the tires when he was released by the Vikings and didn’t pursue. I don’t expect anything different this time around, nor do I think they should do anything different.”
Cook appears like a far different player from his dominant years with the Vikings, but maybe he just needs a change of scenery. Either way, Dallas has the opportunity to reinforce their RB room right before the playoffs.
Like Heavy.com’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy.com
The post Cowboys’ New Roster Move Will Likely End Young RB’s Season appeared first on Heavy.com.