Brian Schottenheimer does not have much roster clarity to work with as he enters his first year as Dallas Cowboys head coach. Training camp is always exciting, but there seemingly will be no shortage of roster battles taking place once Dallas touches down in Oxnard.
The running back competition is one that will have everyone's attention. It is anyone's guess how the depth chart will look come September, but Jon Machota of The Athletic took a stab in his latest Cowboys' 53-man roster projection.
Machota expects the team to keep five running backs, but fan favorite Deuce Vaughn was not one of them.
" ... Fullback Hunter Luepke is also a good bet because of what he brings as a runner, blocker and potential pass catcher as an extra tight end," Machota wrote. "That leaves Phil Mafah and Deuce Vaughn competing for the final running back spot. The edge goes to the recent seventh-round pick."
Cowboys RB Deuce Vaughn is on thin ice entering training camp
Machota believes that vets Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, as well as rookie Jaydon Blue, are "pretty locked in" to make the team. Luepke is simply too versatile to leave off the roster, which could leave Vaughn and Mafah slugging it out for the final spot.
Vaughn's journey to the NFL is nothing short of inspiring, but does he really deserve to be on an NFL roster? That is open for debate. He would provide more value to an offense that has a more dependable RB1 where he can specialize as a scatback and receiving threat.
It is hard to envision a role for Vaughn on the Cowboys. Blue is more shifty and explosive and offers more upside as a pass-catcher. Heck, KaVontae Turpin might offer more upside than Vaughn as a gadget weapon.
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The Cowboys' backfield is one of the worst in football, but it is deeper than last year's group and Vaughn hardly sniffed the field then. He was active for just seven games and saw 17 carries. How much work can Vaughn realistically expect behind Williams, Sanders, Blue and Luepke?
Not to mention, Mafah might be the most physical back on the roster. What Mafah lacks in elusiveness and speed he more than makes up for in strength and sheer willpower. He averaged 5.1 yards per carry on over 500 carries in his college career. That is not easy to do at a school like Clemson that regularly faces the best teams in the country.
The Cowboys hired Vaughn's former offensive coordinator at Kansas State, Conor Riley, to preside over the offensive line. He has that working for him, but he faces his steepest climb yet to make the 53-man.