Your Sunday morning Cowboys news.
How will KaVontae Turpin fit into the 2025 Cowboys offense – Mark Heaney, Inside the Star
How will Dallas utilize their speedy offensive weapon?
In one of the most covered Cowboys offseasons in recent memory, one major contract is flying far under the radar. KaVontae Turpin, Dallas’ special-teams ace and emerging offensive weapon, signed a three-year, $18M extension in March.nIf you’re thinking that’s a lot for a special teamer, you would be right. That deal made him the highest-paid special-teams player in NFL history.
That description may be selling Turpin short, considering he set career highs in targets, receptions, and yards in 2024. With that in mind, it seems like a stretch to say Dallas is only paying him $18M to return kicks. In one of the most covered Cowboys offseasons in recent memory, one major contract is flying far under the radar. KaVontae Turpin, Dallas’ special-teams ace and emerging offensive weapon, signed a three-year, $18M extension in March.
If you’re thinking that’s a lot for a special teamer, you would be right. That deal made him the highest-paid special-teams player in NFL history. That description may be selling Turpin short, considering he set career highs in targets, receptions, and yards in 2024. With that in mind, it seems like a stretch to say Dallas is only paying him $18M to return kicks.
So, if the Cowboys do have bigger plans for him, as the 2024 statistics would suggest, where does he fit in? After all, the offense is loaded up with the recently-acquired George Pickens, superstar CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert, and a strong tight end room.
With all of that in mind, let’s talk about Turpin’s role and why it could rise or deflate in 2025.
Moving On Up: KaVontae Turpin’s Next Step
Nobody is expecting KaVontae Turpin to outshine Lamb or Pickens, but he doesn’t need to. Right now, he is listed as the fourth wide receiver on the depth chart behind Dallas’ two Pro Bowlers and Tolbert at WR3. We can’t ignore the emergence Tolbert had in 2024, but it is safe to say Turpin is not far off from jumping him. As a more traditional wide receiver, Tolbert reached career highs in all the major categories, but that was helped out by an injury to Lamb.
Just as we saw some positives from Tolbert, he came with his downsides as well, including three drops, zero broken tackles, and just 3.4 yards after catch per reception. In short, he wasn’t explosive in the Cowboys’ offense. He was really just a solid target. In one of the most covered Cowboys offseasons in recent memory, one major contract is flying far under the radar. KaVontae Turpin, Dallas’ special-teams ace and emerging offensive weapon, signed a three-year, $18M extension in March.
If you’re thinking that’s a lot for a special teamer, you would be right. That deal made him the highest-paid special-teams player in NFL history. That description may be selling Turpin short, considering he set career highs in targets, receptions, and yards in 2024. With that in mind, it seems like a stretch to say Dallas is only paying him $18M to return kicks.
Cowboys boast ‘seat belt’ in secondary to guard against crash out due to injuries – Reid Hanson, Cowboys Wire
Second-year cornerback ready to put the “straps” on opposing receivers.
When the Dallas Cowboys selected Caelen Carson with the 174th pick in the 2024 NFL draft, it was hailed as a certified steal by many draft evaluators. Carson’s 6-foot, 195-pound frame and 76-inch wingspan made him an ideal cornerback prospect in the NFL. Rated as CB13 on Dane Brugler’s draft guide, he garnered a grade somewhere between the third and fourth round in last year’s draft.
With 36 games of experience under his belt and significant snaps in both man and zone coverages, Carson brought with him top-three corner capabilities in just about any NFL system. Oddly enough, the Wake Forest product came to Dallas with a significant degree of hype rather abnormal for a fifth-round pick. Overall, the Cowboys 2025 draft class addressed needs without offering much in the razzle dazzle department. Being just short of boring as a whole, the situation made this particular CB prospect a popular selection within the fanbase.
The hype eventually came to an end when injuries and developmental hiccups made. Carson’s rookie season a season to forget. Comfort should be found in the fact hiccups are nothing new for rookie prospects. The leap from college to the pros is significant and not all players successfully clear that hurdle on their first attempt.
Fans shouldn’t forget Carson has all the tools to make him successful. He has the versatility to play multiple positions at CB and to do so in a variety of schemes. His ability to do it all while locking down opposing receivers is what ultimately led to Carson’s nickname in college, “Seat Belt.”
“It was my freshman year in college, “Carson said of his nickname. “I started as a true freshman, my teammate and roommate told me, ‘Damn, you’re always locking somebody up. You’re like a seat belt.’”
Carson doesn’t have the same elite traits as other Cowboys’ CBs such as Trevon Diggs, Kaiir Elam and Shavel Revel bring to the table, but then again, neither does fellow fifth rounder DaRon Bland and all he’s done is set NFL records enroute to an All-Pro season.
Cowboys insider pumps brakes on exciting trade rumor for All-Pro CB – Josh Sanchez, SI.com
Not so fast Cowboys nation.
The Dallas Cowboys have made several trades to improve the roster throughout the NFL offseason, but none made a bigger splash than the move to land star wide receiver George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Entering the weekend, the Cowboys were once again named to a big name who could be available, this time on the defensive side of the ball.
Dallas was named as a potential suitor for three-time All-Pro and Super Bowl champion Jalen Ramsey by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, but it looks like he may have been jumping the gun. Fowler named the Cowboys as a team to watch as the Miami Dolphins engage in trade talks with multiple teams, but team insider Ed Werder doesn’t believe that is a move currently on Dallas’ radar.
“I do not believe this has even been a topic of discussion within the Cowboys at this time,” Werder wrote on X. Last season in Miami, Ramsey played in all 17 games while recording 60 tackles, 11 passes defensed, and two interceptions.
While he has been linked to the Cowboys on several occassions over the past month, it’s best for Cowboys Nation to avoid getting their hopes up. Ramsey would undeniably improve the Cowboys’ secondary, which has serious depth concerns, but the team appears to have other plans. Perhaps Dallas believes third-round pick Shavon Revel will be fully recovered in time for the season.
Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue predicts he will win Offensive Rookie of the Year – Matthew Lenix Jr., Blogging the Boys
Cowboys rookie makes a bold prediction.
The Dallas Cowboys needed more playmakers on their offense heading into the 2025 season. They got one in the fifth round of the draft by taking running back Jaydon Blue out of Texas. Instantly, the Cowboys get electrifying speed and explosiveness with him on the roster.
Blue wasn’t one of the premier backs coming out of college. However, the 21-year-old isn’t lacking any confidence in his ability as he enters his inaugural NFL campaign. In fact, he predicted that he would win Offensive Rookie of the Year honors earlier this week.
Blue showed his promise in 2023 for the Longhorns with nearly 400 yards on just 65 carries (averaged 6.1 yards per carry). Last season was a breakout year for Blue with nearly 1,100 yards of total offense (730 rushing, 368 receiving) and 14 touchdowns. With 176 touches last season, Blue scored a touchdown around every 12 or 13 touches for Texas. So, that means that he doesn’t need a lot of opportunities to be effective.
There’s no telling at the moment who will be the Cowboys No. 1 running back when the season starts. At this point of the offseason, a best guess says it will be veteran Javonte Williams. If that is the case, Blue’s explosive ability complements Williams and his physical, downhill running style perfectly. The versatility of Blue as a pass catcher is something that can see him increase his impact in third-down situations by getting one-on-one chances with linebackers, which is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.
