Unexcused Absence For Ke’Shawn Vaughn

September 6th, 2023

Running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn led the Bucs in their last playoff victory — against the Eagles two seasons ago.

Early drama at One Buc Palace.

Head coach Todd Bowles said today that backup running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn, a guy expected to get chances in the Buccaneers’ still-forming backfield, missed practice today and was not excused.

Bowles cited “personal reasons” for Vaughn’s absence and said the team “will deal with it tomorrow.”

What horrible timing for Vaughn to have an issue. Keep in mind Vaughn surely would have been excused if a family was gravely ill or passed away.

Bowles stressed that Vaughn is healthy. Vaughn had only 17 carries last season and may have exited training camp this season as Tampa Bay’s No. 4 running back behind Rachaad White, free agent Chase Edmonds and undrafted rookie free agent Sean Tucker.

55 Responses to “Unexcused Absence For Ke’Shawn Vaughn”

  1. Marine Buc Says:

    Big surprise – the guy named “Sneak” didn’t show up to practice… LOL.

    They should change his nickname to “Below Mediocre running back #4″…

  2. Eric Says:

    sounds like someone can’t learn a playbook. looks like he runs hard… or he has a terrible attitude.

  3. Lukrazs Says:

    I’m going to assume it’s not a big issue.

    If for any reason he has qualms about his role as 4th string RB when he’s lucky to even be on the depth chart he can go take a hike.

  4. Winny Testaverde Says:

    Career limiting/ending move perhaps…

    He might have to rent a chair at Hot Rod Mulch’s Hair Salon/Saloon…providing high top fades and bowl cuts to would be customers.

  5. DoooshLaRue Says:

    ^^^^^^^
    Rod Mulch…… I like it!
    Mulch is similar to fertilizer and we know how old Fancy Man loves to spread that feces around.

  6. DS Says:

    Guys just don’t believe in Bowles man, can’t blame them seems like a rudderless ship

  7. Craig Says:

    I have never seen a good time for something to happen, they do it when they do.

    I hope it is nothing major that will give him some depression. I hope the Bucs Mgmt. has some compassion for the young man if he needs it, many personal things can be heart breaking.

  8. Fire Bowles Says:

    I hope for the Bucs sake, and the fans too, that the team starts winning and winning early this year.

    I just have a bad feeling that the wheels are gonna come off otherwise and things will get ugly and everyone will be turning on each other. No idea what’s up with Vaughn, but I hope it turns out to be nothing.

  9. Lord Cornelius Says:

    JAG imo. Never really saw any ‘wow’ play or anything with him. Based on my watch-from-home-scouting abilities at least lol.

    Edmonds has flashed playmaking ability in his career. He was a relevant fantasy commodity at times. Tucker flashed his burst in the preseason. I don’t see either being unseated by Vaughn other than due to injury.

  10. August 1976 Buc Says:

    For as long as he has been a Buc and to be #4 RB ouch!! The biggest play I can remember with him is in the Bear loss in 2020, when he was knocked into another world and laying on the ground for a while. FRUSTRATION most likley is how he is feeling, that after all the time as a player on the Bucs and he is 4th string. Not a happy camper.

  11. Knucknbuc Says:

    Yea def pissed he’s rb 4. (Which as a guy who thinks Vaughn has been given a unfair shake here since he’s been drafted) his depth chart status is about where he should be this year. Some run plays aren’t his fault but some the other guys just showed more pop. I’d bet he’s a cut before the weekend and laird is called up.

  12. Knucknbuc Says:

    Another weird off-season thing for Bowles here can’t bode well for team chemistry. Imo this season can definitely go off the rails mighty quickly. Starting with devin white (underserved contract request) mike evans (deserved contract request) Todd Bowles (weird captain call, which on most teams is a big nothing burger because it’s routine but he made into something bec…reasons?) Keyshawn Vaughn (deserved rb 4 status) let this team start off 1-4 2-5 and they’re all but reaching lovie smith/dirk koetter last season territory

  13. Cobraboy Says:

    Prolly doesn’t like the depth chart.

  14. go dawgs Says:

    sometimes you have to “sneak” out of the mons with a hangover…

  15. Jack Burton Mercer Says:

    The passing of Jimmy Buffett had a bigger effect on Vaughn than I would have expected.

  16. go dawgs Says:

    ive been lucky enough to “sneak” out of the mons with more than a hangover, back in the day..hahha

  17. Lt. Dan Says:

    First and foremost I hope everything in his personal life is good. If he went AWOL because of his #4 spot on the depth chart than he may need to be cut.

  18. Upstate NY BUC Says:

    Kareem Hunt please!!! Go Bucs

  19. Louis Friend Says:

    While nobody knows what’s going on with the guy – falling to 4th on the depth chart behind 2 guys who weren’t sought after before they got here says he should be thinking of life after football.

    I’m surprised they kept him over Ronnie Brown or Patrick Laird. If you know Vaughn isn’t good enough be better than 4th after being here this long – why’d you keep him?

  20. Scotty in Fat Antonio Says:

    Maybe he had borrowed Freeman’s alarm clock? Allegedly

  21. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    Sneak went to $hit and the hogs ate him.

  22. Ben Says:

    is it me or does there seem to be a lot of negativity surrounding this team this year. Holy crap Bucs, get your Sh$t together .

  23. Slacker Says:

    Big deal….cut him.

  24. Infomeplease Says:

    He probably found out that he wasn’t suiting up for Sunday’s game! So why show up to practice? Oh yah, there’s is that sweet pay check!! It’s still coming at least for now it is!

  25. Frank Pillow Says:

    Maybe he has been busy ghost writing press releases and story drops for ME13s agent? 😉

  26. Larrd Says:

    Fourth string in his third or fourth year? He’s pissed. Good! P lol

  27. Marine Buc Says:

    @ Upstate

    “Kareem Hunt please!!!”

    Been saying this all off season… The Bucs just need to free up a little bit of cap space.

    Hunt would be an upgrade over Vaughn for sure plus he has played with Baker Mayfield while in Cleveland…

  28. SlyPirate Says:

    NEGATIVE COGNITIVE DISSENENCE
    Vaughn came into the season with the expectation he was going to be RB1 or 2. The Bucs held up their end of that expectation. No big FA RB. No drafted RB. Vaughn ABSOLUTELY had it in the bag. All he had to do was run … but he flubbed. While he was sucking it up, the undrafted young gun Tucker showed up. Vaughn is dealing with missed expectations.

  29. gotbbucs Says:

    They gave him plenty of chances to perform in the preseason. He didnt answer the bell. He’s an afterthought now. Next.

  30. gotbbucs Says:

    They missed some big opportunities in this draft to really add to that RB room and they didn’t because they put faith in Vaughn. Hindsight is 20/20, but dumb move.

  31. Marine Buc Says:

    @ gotbbucs

    Our GM was too proud to accept reality and cut his precious 3rd round pick…

    Vaughn has officially been a bust. Three seasons and what? 90 yards? Now this.

    Time to move on.

  32. Joe in Michigan Says:

    gotbbucs: They put faith in Rachaad White, not Vaughn. If they thought Vaughn was anything, they wouldn’t have drafted White in the 3rd.

  33. Marine Buc Says:

    I had to look it up. I stand corrected…

    “Vaughn has rushed 79 times for 342 yards (4.3 avg.) with two touchdowns.”

    In three full seasons.

  34. Marine Buc Says:

    This preseason he rushed 17 times for 22 yards…

  35. No Mercy Says:

    The fact this guy still has a role here is the more confusing part

  36. adam from ny Says:

    he’s prolly pissed where he is on the chart…

    i think tucker as number 2 is actually the need to take a good hard look his way, because they quietly are not truly sold on white as the number 1…

    that depth chart doesn’t seem like an etched in stone one to me…it’s an early depth chart where dudes can bump themselves around depending on how they play…

    but yeah sneak might be pissed and blowing off steam at a motel 6 with bimbettes and brewskis…it happens to the best of ’em

  37. Statguy Says:

    Don’t even know how he sneaked on the roster

  38. Hodad Says:

    Some drama. The 4th string back who’s on the verge of being cut wasn’t at practice. What was his name again?

  39. Power Of Pewter Says:

    Not showing up to practice is a great way to go from #4 RB to the unemployment line.

  40. Dewey Selmon Says:

    Does anyone know what happened to Ronnie Brown? No practice squad.

  41. Eckwood Says:

    Cut , wasted 3 rounder …….. he’s a guy that needs carries and he’s just not going to get them . Free Agent beats out a third rounder not a Licht success story .

  42. ScottyMack Says:

    I keep seeing people say that Vaughn “fell to 4th” on the depth chart.

    He’s been 4th on the depth chart his entire short career.

    I was shocked Vaughn even made the team (I wanted to see Ronnie Brown get the 4th spot).

  43. Nybuccguy Says:

    He’s lucky he made the team in the first place. Cut him immediately.

  44. ScottyMack Says:

    Gotbucs said “They missed some big opportunities in this draft to really add to that RB room”.

    As usual when I read things like this, I have to ask, which running back would you have taken in the 6xth round that would have been a real difference maker?

    I say the 6th round because unless you are willing to get rid of one of the draft picks who did make the 53 man roster, the only draft pick that didn’t make the 53 man roster was Jose Ramirez (6th round pick).

  45. JimBobBuc Says:

    So I’ll be the lone supporter of Sneak. First, his absence is inexcusable and detrimental to his career. I think he was expecting to be RB2 and is now RB4. He’s likely upset because on his runs he had no effective OL blocking early in the preseason games with the 2nd string OL blocking DL2 letting the defense into the backfield. In contrast our OL3 blocked DL3 better. Hence Tucker wasn’t touched until the LOS. Sneak has really improved his pass catching and his pass pro is better than White. In punt coverage Sneak has been very good. I think Tucker should be RB1 in early downs but his pass pro is poor for 3rd down. I like Sneak on third down with his blitz pickups and improved hands.

  46. Canabuc Says:

    I say cut him and bring back Laird or Ronnie Brown.
    Guy is definition of a JAG and can easily be replaced.

  47. Crazyhorse54 Says:

    This is what happens on a low performing team…dissension, disagreements, division. My reaction…disgust. They don’t have the will to be a great team. Their behaviors in the off season and now= a 3-14 team.

  48. garro Says:

    Disturbing that so many players are doing so many self destructive and tuly unwise things these days.

    May be a product of years of being headman on campus and suddenly finding out they are no longer “special” I don’t know but so many seem to be living in LaLa Land.

    Expect to see Laird brought up from the PS soon, If not this week. He looked better to me than Vaughn anyway.

    Go Bucs

  49. BA’s Red Pen Says:

    Vaughan doesn’t seem like he is the sharpest tool in the shed.

  50. JD Still Says:

    I try not to prognosticate, about games or players , I just go with what has been demonstrated (or not), in the past , but if the young man ever expects to move up the depth chart , unexcused absences to practice in a game week is not career enhancing.

  51. Wild Bill Says:

    Trying to figure out how much he would be missed, haha. Close to zero?

  52. Fred McNeil Says:

    The guy was slated to make $1.2 million this year from what I’ve heard. Chump change by NFL standards, but more than most people make in a decade…repeat after me, Sneak…
    Do you want fries with that? If you can repeat those words a couple of hundred times a day you have a new job.

  53. Fred McNeil Says:

    The guy was slated to make $1.2 million this year from what I’ve heard. Chump change by NFL standards, but more than most people make in a decade…repeat after me, Sneak…
    Do you want fries with that? If you can repeat those words a couple of hundred times a day you have a new job.

  54. go dawgs Says:

    sneaking and stealing cash for 3 years!!

  55. Toad Bowels Says:

    Barber school waits for no one. Sneak was learning to cut hair for his next career.