Getty Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin is tackled during a play.
The Dallas Cowboys have been linked to moves for new receivers, but one of the team’s current members wants to force the front office’s hand into utilizing him more.
After a 2022 regular season that involved an entire free agency saga with Odell Beckham Jr. and the addition of T.Y. Hilton, the Cowboys seem destined for more reinforcements in the wide receiver group.
However, KaVontae Turpin has other ideas. The punt returner and receiver completed his first season with the Cowboys in 2022 but didn’t see much time with the offense. He wants that to change in 2023.
“We had a talk during my exit meeting, basically saying like they already know what I did with the special teams this year and all that, but they are going to try and get me on the offense and try to make guys respect me more on both sides of the ball,” Turpin said, per the Blogging The Boys podcast. “I’m going into this training camp, I’m basically trying to show them that they have no choice but to use me on offense, that’s my mindset.”
It’s a bold statement from Turpin, who showed flashes of what he can do when he gets into space in 2022.
Turpin’s First NFL Season
Turpin has made it clear that he wants an opportunity on offense, and it’s fair to say he made his case in the 2022 season. As the Cowboys’ lead punt and kick returner, Turpin made a name for himself and reached the Pro Bowl in his first NFL season.
According to Pro Football Reference, Turpin totaled 303 return yards, good enough for ninth-best in the NFL. He averaged 10.4 yards per punt return, which was the fifth-best among all eligible players per Football Database.
His kick return numbers are solid as well, averaging 24.2 yards per return, which was the sixth-best average among all eligible players.
Essentially, it’s clear that Turpin has the overall speed and lateral quickness to be an offensive weapon and a matchup problem at times. The key is getting him to the level that he can contribute to head coach Mike McCarthy’s offense.
There were reasons why Turpin didn’t play on offense last year despite issues at wide receiver, and addressing those this offseason will be how he contributes offensively.
Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb Vouches for Fellow WR
While Turpin is making his own case, star receiver CeeDee Lamb is defending his Cowboys teammate and fellow WR Michael Gallup. Gallup has had a tough go of it since receiving a sizable contract after the 2020 season, playing just 23 games over 2021 and 2022 due to injuries.
As the Cowboys pursued OBJ and others, Gallup has taken a smaller role as he attempts to get healthy. But for Lamb, that’s not any reason to doubt his ability.
“Understand, my man was playing through a lot of hurt, injuries, granted yeah he was prepared to play,” Lamb said to Yahoo Sports’ Matt Harmon. “You’ll still get a couple of MG plays… But you never know what anyone’s going through until you really just ask them.”
Gallup was a force for the Cowboys in 2019, totaling 1107 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Getting him back to that level and Turpin stepping up on offense would do a lot to address the current issues at wide receiver.