Latest Cowboys injury update puts fan favorite in 'now or never' spotlight

It didn't take long for Dallas Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn to become a fan favorite last year when he was drafted in the sixth round. The story is perfect: A small-sized underdog with an electrifying play-making ability and high collegiate production playing for the team his dad works for as a scout.

To add to the love fans had for him since Day 1, Vaughn became a preseason hero in August, putting up several highlight-reel-worthy plays and working his way to the 53-man roster.

Now, as Vaughn enters his second year in the NFL, the outlook isn't nearly as bright, as the young running back is now in a "now or never" situation with the Cowboys.

Vaughn spend the majority of the second half of the 2023 season as a healthy scratch and away from the playing field, mostly due to concerns in pass protection paired with a lack of production in his limited time seeing the field. Ahead of this year's season, a hamstring injury kept Vaughn out for a good chunk of training camp and the preseason opener. In the meantime, head coach Mike McCarthy had big-time praise for one of Vaughn's top competitors for a 53-man roster spot: veteran Royce Freeman, who also missed time due to injury.

The good news is Vaughn is now back at practice for the second consecutive day on Thursday and Patrik Walker from DallasCowboys.com reported both Vaughn and Freeman are expected to play on Saturday night against the Las Vegas Raiders.

At this stage, Vaughn needs to leave no doubt about how much he can contribute to the team. The particular challenge he faces is that his potential contributions to special teams are fairly limited because of his size. Other than being a kick returner beside KaVontae Turpin, Vaughn wouldn't be likely to partake in other units. McCarthy said earlier in camp that Freeman had a chance to being one of the team's "primary" special teams players.

Part of what Vaughn can do to prove himself is making the most out of the wide receiver reps he's been getting in practice. That comes in various forms: 1) Making catches, duh but also 2) Helping in pass protection by chipping defenders with a low center of gravity. He did some of the latter on Wednesday when helping left tackle Tyler Guyton serve an epic pancake.

There's no question Vaughn's biggest chances at earning a spot on the roster will be when the lights come on, though. With his size, it's difficult for tacklers to get him to the ground and sometimes, to see him in the first place. Early whistles in practice might not be Deuce's best friends so the upcoming exhibition showdowns are his best shot at showing how electrifying he can be. Just look at the below clip from today's practice:

What is clear though is that Vaughn faces an uphill battle as he keeps fighting Freeman, Malik Davis, and others (including potential outside additions, even) and it'll be up to him to change the discourse to earn his place on the team. Cowboys Nation is rooting for him.