Dallas Cowboys DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Dallas Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn (hamstring) is dealing with a hamstring issue that has kept him off the practice field for the last two days. For however much time Vaughn may miss at training camp with the issue, the speedy Rico Dowdle and veteran Royce Freeman will jockey for positioning as Dallas' No. 2 back behind incumbent starter Ezekiel Elliott. Vaughn made seven appearances for the Cowboys in his rookie season in 2023, rushing for a mere 40 yards on 23 carries with seven receptions for 40 yards. The pint-sized 22-year-old former Kansas State standout is battling to keep his roster spot in Arlington this summer, and he's not guaranteed to still be with the team when the regular season begins in September.

New England Patriots quarterback Joe Milton III was selected in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft following a six-year college career. The six-foot-five gun-slinger spent his final three seasons at Tennessee and started in 16 games. Last year, he completed 64.5% of his passes for 2,769 yards, 20 touchdowns, and five interceptions and added six touchdowns as a runner. He's been recognized for his rocket arm, but accuracy has been a concern throughout his career. However, according to Evan Lazar of Patriots.com, he has had a promising start to training camp. "With most of the attention on Brissett and Maye, Milton has put together a solid start to camp," Lazar wrote. "He has the liveliest arm I've ever seen in person, and that's not hyperbole. Milton's arm strength shrinks the field, and his drive throws are more impressive than his deep ball." While this is a positive report, the Patriots also added veteran Jacoby Brissett this offseason and drafted North Carolina's Drake Maye in the first round of April's draft, so he has almost no opportunity for playing time.

Carolina Panthers running back Miles Sanders kept his balance on a hard hit at training camp and finished out his run. Sanders proceeded to point to the media members and said, "All y'all been talking on me, I got something for you!". Sanders is coming off a season in which he, indeed, did not have anything for us. Quarterback Bryce Young added that Sanders has a game mentality in training camp. After a breakout campaign with the Eagles in 2022, Sanders finished 2023 with 432 rushing yards and one touchdown. To make matters worse, Sanders signed a four-year $25 million contract with the Panthers ahead of the 2023 season. By season's end, he had ceded his job to Chuba Hubbard. The Panthers drafted Jonathon Brooks (knee) in the second round of April's draft. Unless Sanders can play much better in 2023, this backfield projects to belong to Brooks by season's end. Even so, keep an eye on Sanders through the camp to see if extra motivation can squeeze some production out of him, especially with Brooks on the active/Non-Football injury list as he is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in college.

Wide receiver Jonathan Mingo continues to impress for the Carolina Panthers during practice at training camp. Mingo's first year in the league was a flop with the Panthers, seeing him collect just 41 of his 85 passes for 418 scoreless yards despite playing plenty of snaps in 15 games, but the second-year man out of Ole Miss is looking to bounce back in his sophomore season. The 23-year-old wideout was a second-round pick in the NFL draft in 2023, and he's currently battling with Terrace Marshall Jr. for No. 4 receiver duties behind rookie first-round Xavier Legette in Carolina's offense. Barring a trade involving Diontae Johnson's expiring contract later this year or Adam Thielen being phased out of the offense, Mingo still looks hard-pressed for a consistent role in three-receiver sets as a WR6/7 in fantasy leagues to begin the campaign.

According to Dallas Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was sent a new contract offer on Friday. It appears things are moving in a promising direction, with Jones acknowledging that conversations between both parties have been positive. Lamb is entering the final year of his rookie deal and hasn't reported to training camp. But with Lamb coming off a 135-catch, 1,749-yard, 12-touchdown season, it is in the Cowboys' best interest to get him to sign on the dotted line as soon as possible. With that said, the wideout's fantasy value won't take a hit unless this situation extends for at least a few more weeks.