Tag: KaVontae Turpin

Cowboys-Chargers Injury Report Update: Bosa sits again, illness hits Dallas as Turpin returns

A bug looks like it’s starting to work through Dallas’ locker room while the two teams had a combined nine players miss Friday’s practice. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Things improved on the injury front for the Dallas Cowboys on Friday, but only just a bit. Following Sunday’s game, Dallas not only was licking their emotional wounds, but they suffered a string of injuries in the defeat that threatens to derail their competitiveness in Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Thursday, the first day of practice thanks to the adjusted schedule, saw them put 17 players on the injury report.

That list was trimmed to 15 on Friday, but it included a new name as well as a change from a rest absence to a full one. Sickness appears to be making it’s way through the locker room as Dallas had two linemen miss Friday’s work due to illness. Chuma Edoga, Dallas’ backup left-side offensive lineman, and starting NT Johnathan Hankins were both out.

Meanwhile, a handful of players who were out or limited on Thursday were full participants. Most notable was WR Kavontae Turpin. It was originally feared he suffered a high-ankle sprain, the lone TD scorer from Week 5 was a full participant, as were RB Tony Pollard and DT Neville Gallimore, who were limited initially.

On the opposite sideline, the Chargers’ top defender Joey Bosa is still sitting out practice with a toe injury. Here’s a look at the full rundown of Friday’s report.

Cowboys WR Kavontae Turpin ruled out of game with ankle injury

The Cowboys WR will miss the rest of the game after scoring the club’s first TD.

The lone wideout to have an impact in the first half will not be available for the Dallas Cowboys in the second half. Second-year pro Kavontae Turpin scored Dallas’ lone points in the first half, catching a pass from Dak Prescott for 26 yards to close the gap. However later in the second quarter, Turpin had his ankle landed on out of bounds.

Melissa Stark of NBC Sports reported on the broadcast that he would not return. This is a double blow for Dallas as Turpin is the team’s returner on both punts and kickoffs. Also reported was that special teams ace CJ Goodwin suffered a shoulder injury and his return is questionable.

Cowboys admit KaVontae Turpin has a new role in 2023

Turpin’s role on the Cowboys has expanded and it’s by design as a new layer to the Cowboys attack. | From: @ReidDHanson

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.

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.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Building blocks among 3 things to watch for in Cowboys-Seahawks

What can fans look for the Cowboys to expand on in Game 2 of the preseason? | From @cdpiglet

Winning and losing take on different meanings in the preseason as compared to the regular season. In the regular season, the point total is what determines a successful outing, but exhibition-game success is measured differently. The Dallas Cowboys “lost” to the Jacksonville Jaguars in their first preseason game of 2023, but in reality, Dallas left that game feeling like they won overall.

The Cowboys’ second-team defense handled the Jaguars’ first-team offense with a forced turnover and a three-and-out, and had a bunch of guys on the bubble show up and look like potential contributors. Most importantly, they left the game with no serious injury concerns.

Now the team turns to a road game against the Seattle Seahawks and looks to continue to improve on the work they have done all training camp, but especially what they saw in real game reps last week. Here are some things fans should keep an eye on in this game that could help tell the story about the 53-man rosters and the success of the team going forward.

3 Cowboys to watch closely in preseason opener vs Jaguars

To make the team they’ll need to be valuable on special teams, but these three players want much more out of the 2023 season. | From @cdpiglet

Preseason action hasn’t been the place for the Cowboys to prepare their starters for the regular season since Mike McCarthy arrived, Rather it’s used to evaluate the bottom of the roster to find the 53 guys they want on it. Dallas is unlikely to play stars like Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs, or Micah Parsons much across the three-game slate, but especially on Saturday against Jacksonville.

Instead, Cowboys coaches are trying to figure out are who are going to be the running backs behind Tony Pollard, the fifth and sixth receivers, the fifth linebacker, and the defensive backs spots from eight on up.

A key to those battles could come down to compromises between special teams coach John Fassel and the coordinators. Here are some key players looking to go from special teams contributors to impact players on offense and defense.

Cowboys may need to slow down idea of Vaughn replacing Turpin on returns

Speed kills, so @ReidDHanson wonders that while Vaughn may have a future as a return man, doing so at the expense of Turpin in 2023 is questionable thinking. | From @ReidDHanson

When the Cowboys selected Deuce Vaughn with the No. 212 pick in the 2023 draft, Cowboys Nation went abuzz. Not only was the Kansas State running back the son of longtime Dallas scout, Chris Vaughn, he was also one of the most electric players in college football over the past two years.

Imaginations raced as to how the Cowboys would use the 5–foot-6, 170-pound human pinball. Speculation ranged from third-down back, to slot receiver, to gadget man. Many even suggested as role as a return man on special teams.

While it remains to be seen what roles Vaughn will practice and play on offense, special teams coach John Fassel appears to be giving his rookie everything he can handle on special teams; up to and including kick and punt return duties.

Finding more ways to get the ball into the hands of Dallas’ shiniest new weapon seems like a winning strategy. The only problem is a couple things stand in the way:

  1. The Cowboys already have a Pro Bowl returner in KaVontae Turpin
  2. Vaughn has very limited experience returning kicks/punts in college

NFLPA’s first-ever Players’ All-Pro Team includes 2 Cowboys, 1 glaring omission

Zack Martin and KaVontae Turpin were voted by their peers. Micah Parsons was passed over; he took to social media to respond to the snub. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Game recognize game. That’s at least the premise behind the first-ever Players’ All-Pro Team, a list of the league’s all-stars as voted on by the players themselves.

The NFL Players Association announced the inaugural team on Wednesday, and while it does feature two superstar Cowboys players, one who was left off the list may come as a shock.

It definitely caught the player himself off-guard.

Guard Zack Martin and punt returner KaVontae Turpin were selected for the honor for the 2022 season, but linebacker Micah Parsons was not.

The Players’ All-Pro Team was created to be a list that features the best of the best at each position, as voted on solely by the players who line up against them week after week. Unlike the Pro Bowl, which is open to fan voting, and the AP All-Pro Team, which is selected by media members, the Players’ All-Pro Team is touted as “the only team voted on exclusively by players, in a way that makes the most sense to the game of football,” according to the NFLPA website.

Martin would seem to have been a shoo-in for recognition by his peers. And Turpin obviously made a strong impression in his first NFL season.

Parsons, last year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year and a frontrunner to win this season’s Defensive Player of the Year Award, was snubbed, however, in favor of linebackers Fred Warner of the 49ers and Roquan Smith of the Ravens. (San Francisco’s Nick Bosa and Cleveland’s Myles Garrett were voted in as the team’s edge rushers.)

The Cowboys linebacker took to social media just after the Players’ All-Pro Team was announced to colorfully point out that he has bigger goals in mind at the moment, with the team’s postseason about to get underway on Monday.

As per the NFLPA, only active players were allowed to vote for the Players’ All-Pro Team, and players were not permitted to vote for themselves or their teammates. They voted only for their own position group as well as players in positions they lined up across the ball from. Players who had missed five or more games of the season (as of Week 15) were ineligible.

The regular All-Pro Team, as voted on by the Associated Press, will be announced in a few weeks.

[mm-video type=video id=01gpemzcq57x19c176xp playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gpemzcq57x19c176xp/01gpemzcq57x19c176xp-d6704060a180c6ed69745af2285009ad.jpg]

[listicle id=708544]

[listicle id=708534]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Cowboys return ace KaVontae Turpin questionable for Week 18; who is Plan B?

Turpin did not practice Friday with an illness; Peyton Hendershot is the only other Cowboy who’s returned either a punt or a kick this year. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The seasonal virus that has worked its way through the Cowboys locker room for nearly two months running could make things interesting right up to and including the final game of the regular season.

KaVontae Turpin popped up on Friday’s practice report, sitting out the day’s walkthrough with an illness. He is officially listed as questionable for the team’s Week 18 contest in Washington.

The rookie was voted to the Pro Bowl Games as the NFC’s return specialist, but if Turpin is still under the weather come Sunday, the Cowboys may have to go Plan B.

Problem is, who that would actually be isn’t immediately obvious.

Turpin is the only player to have returned a punt for Dallas this season, recording 290 yards on 25 returns. Of the team’s 20 kick returns, Turpin has 19 of them. Rookie tight end Peyton Hendershot ran one back for 18 yards in Week 10 against Green Bay.

Running back Tony Pollard is listed on the team’s official depth chart as the second-string return man behind Turpin, but with the almost-1,000-yard rusher playing such a vital role in the Cowboys offense and just returning from a thigh bruise, it’s difficult to imagine the team putting him in such a high-risk situation, especially with with the playoffs looming.

Looking back at last season doesn’t provide an obvious answer, either. In 2021, CeeDee Lamb led the team with 14 punt returns and Trevon Diggs had two; both also have to be considered too valuable to suddenly expose to that kind of risk for the first time all year. Cedrick Wilson (11 punt returns) is gone; Nahshon Wright returned one punt for zero yards last season.

Pollard was still handling kick returns in 2021, with the now-jettisoned Corey Clement and JaQuan Hardy spelling him.

So who on the current roster could get the call if Turpin can’t go?

C.J. Goodwin is already a special teams ace. So is Luke Gifford. Would John Fassel turn to a current ball-carrier with collegiate return experience? Like Malik Davis? He returned a handful of kicks at Florida. Noah Brown returned one, too, at Ohio State… back in 2014.

Or is there someone else on the practice squad that the coaching staff has that kind of trust in? Wide receiver Antonio Callaway has seven punt returns and eight kick returns on his pro resumé. Cornerback Kendall Sheffield handled six kick returns for Atlanta in 2019.

Heck, Micah Parsons has probably already put in his request.

Only time will tell if Turpin can be ready for Sunday’s kickoff. But the 26-year-old rookie can’t really be blamed for being a bit run down; between his spring season as MVP of the USFL and his electrifying full first season in the NFL, Turpin played an incredible 30 professional football games in the calendar year 2022.

The Cowboys are hoping to get just about five more out of him before a well-deserved break.

[vertical-gallery id=708331]

[listicle id=708312]

[listicle id=708316]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Led by Zack Martin, 7 Cowboys named to 2023 Pro Bowl Games

The honor remains the same. Though the game is actually now the games, the Cowboys are tied for the second-most number of players nominated. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The format may have changed, but one constant remains the same. Offensive guard Zack Martin is headed to his eighth Pro Bowl in his nine-year career, as one of the Dallas Cowboys’ six representatives.

Martin has been nominated in every year he’s appeared in more than 10 games, the lone absence on his ledger coming in an injury-plagued 2020 campaign. Drafted in the first round of 2014 out of Notre Dame, Martin immediately acquitted himself as one of the league’s best. That rookie campaign he earned the first of five First-Team All-Pro honors, and he’s a leading candidate to make that six off of his performance this season. Joining Martin are four other Cowboys’ making repeat appearances and two first timers including a rookie. Dallas had three offensive players, three defenders and one special teamer earn the honor.

Players are selected by a combination of fan, player and coach voting. Martin and linebacker Micah Parsons led their respective positions in fan votes. There will no longer be an actual Pro Bowl game, instead the players are going to be a part of a weeklong series of events that culminates with a flag-football contest.

The 2023 Games will be held in Las Vegas, and the flag football game at Allegiant Stadium is Feb. 5. The events will be televised on ESPN and ABC.

Special teams coordinator Frank Ross wary of Cowboys receiver KaVontae Turpin in return game

To hear Ross tell it, Turpin could break Sunday’s matchup between the #Texans and #Cowboys wide-open with his skills in the return game

Among the threats posed to the Houston Texans in their Week 14 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys will be the special teams unit hosted by their intrastate rivals. With a solid roster all around, the Cowboys host a plethora of talent on special teams, including their returner KaVontae Turpin, who is able to bust plays for huge gains if given any opportunity.

Frank Ross, Houston’s special teams coordinator, addressed the challenge of containing Turpin at the team’s Thursday press conference and pointed out all of the qualities that make him a dangerous return man. To hear Ross tell it, Turpin might be the biggest threat faced by Houston this week.

“Returners that you see that are most successful for return after return after return, you see the dynamic speed,” Ross said. “That is always there with him. You’re right. He does have an aggressive mentality, doesn’t want to fair catch. He wants to return the ball when given any chance, and then his ability to stretch and cut. When you’re in space, he’s not a big guy, so those jittery guys that can move and cut at full speed, that makes it difficult for singular tacklers in space. You have to make him slow and stop feet, that way the rest of coverage can rally and really shut down that space and close lanes.”

The Texans won’t be able to concede too many points in any phase of the game against Dallas, as they will be completely outmatched on paper on both sides of the ball. Their defense has proven that they can hold up their end of the bargain against talented opponents, but any scores that the special teams unit might concede could doom Houston’s efforts to secure their second win of the 2022 season with just five games remaining on their schedule.