Early look at the Cowboys training camp battles for 2023

1. Deuce Vaughn vs Malik Davis for RB2

For the past four seasons, there's been no real battle at running back. Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard had the No. 1 and No. 2 spots locked down but that's changing in 2023. Pollard was scheduled for free agency but the Cowboys hit him with the franchise tag. They then went and released Ezekiel Elliott, freeing up a lot of space in the process.

So far, their only additions have been Ronald Jones and rookie Deuce Vaughn. Jones might have put up some solid numbers with Tampa Bay back in 2020 (978 yards and seven touchdowns) but he hardly saw the field for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022. He finished with just 70 yards in 17 carries and isn't a lock to make the team with Vaughn and Malik Davis ahead of him.

Davis and Vaughn will also likely be fighting for the primary spot behind Pollard. The good news is, whoever doesn't win the battle should still have a role considering their differing styles.

Vaughn is a 5-foot-5, 176 pound back who can be described as lightning in a bottle. He can run between the tackles but in the NFL, he's likely to have more success on the outside and catching the ball out of the backfield — he is simply dangerous when in the open field.

As for Davis, he was more of traditional back as a rookie. He had 38 attempts for 161 yards and a touchdown and showed a lot of grit during their late-season win over Tennessee. In the end, the coaching staff might find a way to utilize both players but they could still do themselves a lot of favors in camp.