FRISCO, Texas – There is a rule that many coaches, including the likes of Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells have adopted in the past when it comes to evaluating players.
While it might take a year or two for a player to develop, by Year 3 he should be turning the corner and molding into the player he's going to be.
Plain and simple, if he's not developed by his third season, then it's probably not going to happen.
Now there are always exceptions to those rules. But by in large, the pressure starts to mount of the players when they enter that third season.
And that's exactly where we stand with running back Deuce Vaughn, who has been limited in his opportunities the first two seasons.
Vaughn has just 50 touches so far – including 40 carries for 110 yards and 10 receptions for 58 yards. That's a little more than 3 yards per touch, which is not what the Cowboys were hoping for when they drafted the dynamic playmaker from Kansas State. And when you factor in some of the flashes he showed in the preseason games, Vaughn has yet to carry that over into the games that count.
But if he's going to make a leap this year, this could be the perfect scenario, considering some of the changes that have occurred in the coaching.
Here's three reasons why Deuce Vaughn could have a breakout year:
Head start on the rest? While it'll be a long offseason and the Cowboys will likely add free agents and drafted running backs to the mix, Deuce Vaughn is at least one of the few guys already in the building. Rico Dowdle is a free agent and the Cowboys no longer have Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook. So if there are any early meetings with the coaches and players, Deuce Vaughn should get the bulk of face time. Now there is Hunter Luepke and Malik Davis still on the roster, but for now, Vaughn has a head-start on the rest in terms of picking up the scheme.
Foster's history: Whatever has held Deuce Vaughn back in the past, his new position coach is familiar with it. Derrick Foster, who isn't the tallest of running backs himself, was a standout in college at Southwest Baptist. He has moved up the coaching ranks in college and the NFL and along the way, has a history of working with backs that don't exactly look like Derrick Henry. In fact, Foster coached Austin Eckler with the Chargers and this past year, helped Alvin Kamara have one of his best statistical seasons as the RB coach of the Saints.
"For a running back, it's about up here (pointing to his head) and right here (pointing to his heart)," Foster said. "That's how you measure a good running back. It doesn't matter how tall he is or how big he is. Running backs have to be smart. They have to be tough. They have to understand how the blocks are set up and they have to have really good vision and quickness. Any runner that wants to be good in the NFL carries those types of traits."
KSU Reunion: When Vaughn was running through defenses at Kansas State, one of the guys leading the way was Conor Riley, the KSU offensive coordinator who is now the offensive line coach in Dallas. If there's anyone that knows how to put him in positions to succeed, it should be Riley. While he will be now directing the O-line, he should be working hand-in-hand with Klayton Adams, who is the OC. So Riley should be able to help get the ball to Vaughn in ways we haven't seen yet in the regular season.
And according to Riley, he knows Vaughn will put in the work.
"I think one of the things that makes him so special is he is truly a professional," said Riley. "The way that he prepares and the way that he studies the game helped in how quickly he was able to be impactful for us at Kansas State. And that was in 2020, which was a challenge in and of itself, and it really makes him so, so dynamic."
