Ever since the Cowboys promised a ton of touches for Tavon Austin back in 2018, Cowboys fans have been thirsty for an extra layer of offense in Dallas. They’ve longed for ways to utilize their special playmakers who might not have fit neatly into traditional positional roles.
With players like Dwayne Harris, Lucky Whitehead, and Austin over the years, the Cowboys dabbled in the gadget play now and again. But they never made any of their nontraditional playmakers regular parts of the offense.
They never expanded the role beyond “gadget.” They certainly never approached the 12-24 range they sold fans when they added Austin.
To borrow a turn of phrase from Bob Dylan, times may be a-changin.
Second year pro, KaVontae Turpin, saw his role expand on Sunday. The Pro Bowl return man posted three runs and three passing targets in Week 1, delivering 25 combined yards and a touchdown.
Making plays is nothing new for the former USFL MVP. Turpin came to the NFL as a standout return man, pass-catcher, and rusher. He did it all in the USFL and showed on Sunday, he can do it all in the NFL as well.
Turpin Touchdown ✅
📺: #DALvsNYG on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/DITLbvj034 pic.twitter.com/usqlh2le0X— NFL (@NFL) September 11, 2023
While Week 1 could always just be a blip on the radar and not necessarily indicative of things to come, Mike McCarthy didn’t mince words in regard to his intentions for Turpin in 2023.
“It was very important, going into the offseason, to make sure (Turpin) was given the opportunity to be an offensive football player, McCarthy said. “I didn’t want him to be a gadget guy. That’s what he was last year.”
Turpin’s three targets through the air already exceed his season totals from last season. And his three carries, match his totals in 2022.
It’s important to point out, it’s not out of need Turpin was getting the ball. The Cowboys reloaded at the WR position over the offseason and appear to have four viable pass catchers on the roster fighting for snaps (CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup and Jalen Tolbert). They aren’t turning to Turpin out of desperation, they simply appreciate what he has to offer and are finding ways to get this nontraditional player the ball more.
“He was put in a number of different positions and he had some production, score a touchdown,” McCarthy said of Turpin’s day. “That’s what we’re looking for. It’s a long year. When you’re in there as an offensive staff, it’s about getting the playmakers the ball, that’s our job and that’s the way we design it. Get the ball spread around. It makes everybody better.”
Turpin’s ability to make plays with the ball in his hands isn’t new, but the Cowboys commitment to getting the ball to a player like him is.
When Dallas promised over a dozen touches per game for Austin, they never remotely came close to backing it up. Words are nothing new, but the actions show Turpin is more than the occasional gadget guy, he’s an extra undefinable layer of the Cowboys’ offensive attack in 2023.
Week 1 didn’t require the Cowboy to dig very deep into their bag of tricks and as Brian Schottenheimer admitted, he saved some of the plays and personnel packages for Week 2 simply because he could.
Based on recent words and actions, Turpin isn’t an occasional gadget play or fun wrinkle for the Cowboys to entertain fans with. He’s a real part of this offense and could be something to take this offense to the next level.
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