Getting more snaps in the slot from a Cowboys RB is a familiar cry in Dallas. Just three seasons ago fans were clamoring for Tony Pollard to see more action as an inside receiver. At the time Ezekiel Elliott was getting most of the opportunities as a ball carrier while Pollard was stuck playing second fiddle. Pollard was Dallas’ most explosive RB and he had experience as a slot WR in college. The idea made sense.

Vaughn doesn’t have the same WR background as Pollard did in college, but he does have a similar skillset and a similar problem to overcome. Dowdle and Elliott are likely to land ahead of him on the depth chart, rendering his place no better than No. 3. And given his size limitations, he’ll have to split those No. 3 duties with someone of a larger stature (Hunter Luepke, for instance).

As Kyle Shanahan has taught the NFL time and time again – versatility breeds deception and mismatches. The 49ers architect has built an offense around players who can dominate in multiple roles and in multiple positions.

Kyle Juszczyk is a fullback by trade but someone who can also line up on the line as a blocker or even as a pass-catcher. Deebo Samuel is a WR in name but just as deadly rushing the ball out of the backfield. George Kittle is undoubtedly an elite inline tight end but can line up in any of the WR positions to effectively run routes or take a spot in the backfield and be a lead blocker.

When they are in the huddle defenses build their personnel to account for their real positions. But defenses get thrown a curveball when they line up in their less common secondary roles. If defenses are bulked up in base, the 49ers can spread out and make them play in space. If defenses go light, San Francisco can reduce inside and win with power. It’s a model the Cowboys could follow with their more versatile players because it’s a model that targets weaknesses.

The Cowboys don’t have the players of San Francisco’s caliber but that doesn’t mean they’re incapable of following the same model. Jake Ferguson can do Kittle things, CeeDee Lamb can do Samuel things, and Luepke can do Juszczyk things. Someone like Vaughn could even theoretically do Christian McCaffrey things.

When defenses see Vaughn in the huddle, they see a RB and bring in personnel accordingly. If the Cowboys showed 12 personnel (2 TE) it would encourage defenses to go to base defense which entails three LBs and two CBs. Dallas could create a mismatch by lining up both TEs split wide and an empty backfield with Vaughn and Lamb playing in the slot on their respective sides.

It wouldn’t just create opportunities for Vaughn, but it would create possible mismatches for everyone. The key is to target the LBs in space and having a RB who can play in the slot makes that possible.

The premise is obviously based on the assumption Vaughn can run routes from the slot effectively enough to exploit mismatches. This may sound easy-peasy, but history shows it’s not the clear mismatch in actual application as it seems it is in theory.

In fact, if anyone’s shifting roles it’s the WRs taking more RB snaps and not RBs taking more WR snaps. The numbers are clear.

It’s not as if RBs playing in the slot doesn’t work, it’s just WRs playing in the slot work much better. The gains made in trickery tend to wash out, making it a less efficient solution in the passing game. Pro Football Focus found even the best pass-catching RBs are more efficient catching the ball out of the backfield than they are in the slot.

With that said, on an individual play basis, Vaughn could be a killer from the slot position. If the right matchup is achieved, he could produce big plays in space. Vaughn doesn’t have the biggest catch radius, but he has reliable hands and plenty of shimmy to go with his shake. He doesn’t have to run deep routes to create separation against LBs, he just has to be crisp.

Since the day he arrived in Dallas, Vaughn has garnered Darren Sproles comparisons for obvious size similarities. Per PFF, Sproles is one of only two RBs who’s gained more than 700 yards playing out of a WR position. The other RB was Reggie Bush. This tells us how rare it is for a RB to make an impact playing WR, but it also tells us if anyone can do it it’s someone of a smaller stature.

As the numbers show, using WRs in WR roles is the most effective way to pass the ball. Routinely motioning a RB out to the slot doesn’t appear to be a recipe for regular success. That’s not to say it can’t be used once or twice a game just to feel out the defense.

If the Cowboys sneak Vaughn into the slot and the matchup looks advantageous, then by all means, throw him the ball. The beauty of it is the Cowboys are under no obligation to target him. It’s not a trick play designed to go one direction, it’s a simple wrinkle to test the defense. It’s a layer of unpredictability that could potentially cause confusion for the opposition and that should always be embraced.

Barring an injury to the top of the depth chart, it’s going to be difficult to get many extra opportunities for Vaughn. Creating mismatches with an occasional slot snap could be a good way to increase his opportunities and increase defensive confusion in the process.