Nepo baby or late bloomer? Former 6th rounder has front office, Cowboys coaching connect
The Cowboys are a family owned and operated franchise, so nepotism is hardly looked at as a negative experience. But following that emotional moment that was shared far and wide across the football universe, things haven't gone that well for Vaughn. He didn't mesh well with the run game that head coach Mike McCarthy was running. He appeared in just seven games as a rookie, with a woeful 1.7 yards per carry. Appearing in seven games again his second year, his average blossomed to a respectable 4.1 yards a carry, but his impact was still minimal.
With Brian Schottenheimer moving up to the head coach role, he brought in changes to the staff. Klayton Adams was brought in from Arizona to be the new OC, and Vaughn's former college OC Conor Riley was hired as the new OL coach. The changes seem to have suited Vaughn, as he was the teams most impressive back through the first few days of training camp. A hamstring injury halted that though, and potentially threatens Vaughn's chances to make the 53-man roster.
Rundown
Position: Running Back
Age: 24
Height: 5-foot-5
Weight: 179 pounds
Hometown: Fayetteville, AR
High School: Cedar Ridge (TX)
College: Kansas State (College Highlights)
Draft: 2023 Sixth Round (No. 212 Overall)
Acquired: 2023 draft
Contract: Four-year contract (2023), $4 million
2025 Base Salary: $1 million, no guarantees
Career Earnings: $1.8 million (per Over The Cap)
Profile
Vaughn backed up several players last year and though Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle are no longer in town, the team signed Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, as well as drafted Jaydon Blue in the fifth round. Along with an apparent renewed commitment to fullback Hunter Luepke, it makes for a difficult proposition for Vaughn to remain with the team on the 53-man roster. He'd need an extraordinary training camp, and that's what he was having until the injury sidelined him.
His void was filled by Blue, who began to excel as the pads came on, leaving Vaughn's role a question mark, made more murky by the staff's usage of WR Kavontae Turpin out of the backfield. Vaughn will really need to impress in the preseason to keep his dream of being a meaningful contributor to the Cowboys alive.
Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rookie tight end Mason Taylor, son of Hall of Fame pass rusher, shining at Jets camp
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Mason Taylor remembers running around the fields as a wide-eyed kid at New York Jets training camp, visiting his famous father and rooting him on at games. He's back, 15 years later. And now, it's his turn. The rookie tight end, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, has been one of the standout performers through the Jets' first nine camp practices. Taylor, a second-round pick out of LSU, is making plays and impressing his coaches and teammates. 'Mason, he doesn't talk a lot, he does work a lot, though,' quarterback Justin Fields said. 'From the moment he got here, he's been working, his head down working. He doesn't make really any mental mistakes, at least from what I've seen. He's a great route runner, he's smooth, has natural hands, so he's been great so far.' The 21-year-old Taylor, whose uncle is Hall of Famer Zach Thomas, received a text from his father the night before camp opened, offering him some sound advice. 'Really just stay where your feet are,' Taylor recalled. 'I mean, we always say that in our family — day by day, you know, attack the day, get better every single day and really just be where your feet are. Don't look into the future, don't look into the past and just take advantage of every moment you get.' Jason Taylor would certainly know all about that. Recognized as one of the NFL's greatest pass rushers with 139 1/2 sacks, the elder Taylor made a name for himself during 11 outstanding seasons playing for Miami and then one in Washington before joining Rex Ryan's Jets in 2010. New York was one of the league's best teams that season, reaching the AFC championship game — one win away from the Super Bowl. The Jets' kicker was Nick Folk, who just re-signed with the team — and now has the distinction of having been teammates with both Jason and Mason Taylor. 'It's a crazy, crazy world,' Mason Taylor said with a big smile. 'I mean, it's crazy to think about and now that he's on my team, it's a blessing, for sure.' Taylor is in position to have a major role on the Jets' offense as a rookie. He was listed Sunday on the team's first unofficial depth chart as a backup to Jeremy Ruckert, but the 6-foot-5, 251-pound Taylor is expected to see his fair share of snaps — especially if he continues with his impressive summer. 'The receiving skills, listen, that doesn't surprise me, I know he can do that,' coach Aaron Glenn said. "His blocking, I know he can block, but I didn't think it was going to be this good. So, I'm excited to see how he matures when it comes to camp on how we want to do things as far as that is concerned.' In three seasons at LSU, Taylor had 129 catches for 1,308 yards and six TDs, establishing himself as the most productive tight end in school history and one of the top players at his position in the country. The Jets parted ways this winter with Tyler Conklin, their top pass-catching tight end, by allowing him to leave in free agency. So, New York was in need of a complement to wide receiver Garrett Wilson and provide Fields another reliable outlet in the passing game. New general manager Darren Mougey jumped on the chance to bring in Taylor, who has made that selection look smart. 'I think it's been pretty good,' Taylor said of his progress. 'Things have been flying around in the installs and everything like that, but I think I've kind of grasped onto it pretty quickly. And with the help of my teammates and coaches, I've been getting on the playbook pretty fast." Taylor acknowledged that the little details of the offense — how many steps to take in a route, where you're supposed to be in position on a given play — have been the biggest things to which he has had to adapt. He has also put extra emphasis on his blocking, working on his hand placement and pad level as he aims to be an all-around tight end in the NFL. 'I see growth and development out of Mason,' offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand said. 'He's on the path to becoming what we expected and hoped he could be. And he's done a really nice job this camp in the pass game and in the run game as well. So, again, daily improvement by him, and we're excited to see where that continues to go.' ___ AP NFL:
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Detroit Lions CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. leaves practice with another injury
Detroit Lions cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr.'s first NFL season was riddled with injury and his second training camp is starting the same way. Rakestraw left Sunday's practice with a shoulder injury that happened on the first play of a one-on-one tackling drill. Rakestraw was matched against receiver Tom Kennedy on the play and appeared to overextend his right arm while attempting a tackle. A second-round pick out of Missouri last season, Rakestraw was limited to eight games as a rookie after he sprained an ankle in training camp that cost him reps early in the season then pulled a hamstring that eventually sent him to injured reserve. Rakestraw missed time this summer with a chest injury, but he returned for last week's preseason loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and took first-team reps early in Sunday's practice with Terrion Arnold out with a hamstring injury. With Arnold and Rakestraw both out, Amik Robertson and Dicaprio Bootle split first-team reps at cornerback opposite DJ Reed. Safety Dan Jackson, a seventh-round pick out of Georgia, also left practice early Sunday to be evaluated for a leg injury. Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@ Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions CB Ennis Rakestraw leaves practice with another injury
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Colts backup running back Salvon Ahmed carted off the field with right leg injury
WESTFIELD, Ind. (AP) — Indianapolis Colts backup running back Salvon Ahmed was carted off the field near the end of Sunday's practice with a severe injury to his right leg. Coach Shane Steichen said his thoughts and prayers were with Ahmed. He was injured on a tackle by Trey Washington in the end zone. Ahmed screamed as each Colts player took a knee. They later gathered around Ahmed as he was being placed on a stretcher. Ahmed is a five-year veteran who spent last season on Indy's practice squad. Indy briefly stopped practice to huddle before finishing its final practice period of the day. The injury occurred on the second day linebacker Zaire Franklin, last season's NFL tackles leader, was on the field. Franklin is recovering from offseason ankle surgery. ___ AP NFL:
