The Dallas Cowboys are seemingly working around the clock to extend Osa Odighizuwa before Tuesday's franchise-tag deadline. If they don't reach a deal by then the expectation is they will tag Odighizuwa to bide themselves more time to negotiate with their star defender.
Free agency is suddenly just a week away now that the NFL Combine has wrapped up. Getting Odighizuwa's deal done by then - and extending Micah Parsons - will give the front office a good idea of how much money it can throw around during the signing frenzy.
What we do know is that once the first domino falls the rest will crash in rapid succession. The Cowboys have numerous players whom teams will circle as a high priority, including DeMarcus Lawrence, Jourdan Lewis, Rico Dowdle and Chauncey Golston.
So much of the offseason centers on those players' futures. While it might take time for those questions to get answered, the Cowboys have all but guaranteed the return of one of their biggest playmakers on offense.
New report all but guarantees restricted free agent Kavotae Turpin will be back with the Cowboys
Per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News, the Cowboys plan to place a second-round tender on KaVontae Turpin. The second-round tender will cost $5.34 million.
Hearing restricted free agent KaVontae Turpin will get a 2 round tender ($5.34 mil) from Cowboys, unrestricted free agents Carl Lawson and Chauncey Golston might walk. Team wants to retain Bryan Anger and Trent Sieg who are also UFA.
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) March 3, 2025
A second-round tender does not guarantee Turpin's return. Any team that wants to steal Turpin, though, would have to forfeit a second-round pick.
While Turpin is arguably the best return specialist in the NFL and an ascending contributor on offense, a second-round pick is a steep price to pay considering most free agency transactions involve money almost exclusively. Recent history suggests other teams won't meet the second-round price to poach Turpin from the Cowboys.
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This shows how much the team values Turpin.
On top of leading the league with 904 kickoff return yards and 33.1 yards per kickoff return, Turpin emerged as a playmaker for the offense, catching a career-high 31 passes for 420 yards and two touchdowns. He also carried 16 times for 92 yards as a gadget player. He averaged an impressive 10.9 yards per touch.
Desperate for a secondary playmaker to support CeeDee Lamb, Turpin arguably should have been more involved in the offense. It was a point of contention every Sunday when Turpin did not see adequate touches.
The former UFL star is one of the fastest players in the NFL with the ball in his hands. He has the potential to turn any game on its head. Short of extending Parsons, bringing Turpin back is the easiest decision this front office will make all offseason.