The Dallas Cowboys had a lot of running back controversy to open the season. Not long after budding rookie Jaydon Blue was made a healthy scratch in Week 1, vet Miles Sanders lost a fumble in the red zone that proved to be the turning point against the Eagles.
It remains to be seen if Blue will play this Sunday, but the hemming and hawing proves that Deuce Vaughn never had a shot to crack the RB rotation. The Cowboys put rookie Phil Mafah on injured reserve seemingly to avoid subjecting him to the waiver wire.
Vaughn, meanwhile, was outright waived during roster cuts. It took some time for the former sixth-round pick to find a new home, but that finally happened on Tuesday when he signed to the Broncos practice squad, per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
Former Cowboys RB Deuce Vaughn signs to the Broncos practice squad
Of course it was Sean Payton that took a flier on Vaughn. You might remember Payton unleashing former speed demon Darren Sproles on the NFL during their time with the Saints.
While Sproles made three Pro Bowls with the Eagles, he had his best season under Payton in 2011 when he racked up 1,313 scrimmage yards and nine total touchdowns. He averaged a career high 6.9 yards per carry that year and caught a whopping 86 passes from Drew Brees.
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If there is any play-caller that could accentuate Vaughn's unique skill set, it's probably Payton. Like Vaughn, Sproles was undersized for the position at 5'6", 190 pounds. Vaughn is 5'6" and 176 pounds.
While Sproles had a lot more raw athleticism, the Cowboys didn't exactly use Vaughn correctly under Mike McCarthy. He had success as a runner at Kansas State, but there is no comparing Big 12 defenses to the NFL. He can absolutely help an offense as a scat back, and yet he mustered just 10 12 targets in 14 games.
Vaughn will have to earn a promotion to Denver’s active roster, but his quickness and elusiveness could be a valuable asset behind lead backs J.K. Dobbins and R.J. Harvey. Neither is known for pass-catching, which might give Vaughn a path to carve out a role.
Time will tell, but Cowboys fans will be rooting for him to stick.