Despite clearing well over $50 million in cap room on the eve of free agency, the Dallas Cowboys have once again made a sluggish start to the NFL's yearly spending spree.
While not splashes, Javonte Williams and Solomon Thomas are quality additions to the backfield and defensive line, respectively. In a pleasant surprise, though, the Cowboys ended their splash drought on day two of the frenzy when they inked KaVontae Turpin to a multi-year extension.
Turpin has emerged as the game's best return specialist. He was one of a handful of returners who thrived under the league's new kickoff format in 2024, leading all players in kickoff return yards and yards averaged per kickoff return.
The Cowboys reportedly planned to use a second-rounder tender on Turpin to prevent losing him in free agency. That they hammered out a contract extension all but guarantees Dallas will boast one of the most deadly special teams units for years to come.
It may also be huge for the offense.
KaVontae Turpin's contract all but confirms Cowboys will use him more on offense
Multiple reports have confirmed it's a three-year, $18 million deal for Turpin. It makes Turpin the highest-paid special teams player in the NFL.
While Turpin absolutely deserves that title, his $6 million salary strongly hints Brian Schottenheimer and Co. plan to use him more on offense.
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Turpin's offensive workload has been a sensitive subject in Dallas. In 2023, he logged just 12 targets in the passing game and 11 carries. His involvement spiked last season to the tune of 52 targets, which he turned into 31 catches for 420 yards and two scores. He also carried 16 times for 92 yards.
While a notable increase, it wasn't anywhere near enough given nobody emerged as a dependable WR2 behind CeeDee Lamb. Brandin Cooks missed seven games with a knee infection and Jalen Tolbert's production fluctuated from week to week. Even Jake Ferguson took a step back.
Nobody's saying Turpin should have seen 10 targets a game, but 3.05? He also tallied fewer than one carry per game. That is hard to justify given the offense's desperation for a big-play element outside of Lamb.
Turpin is one of the fastest players in football with the ball in his hands. He's not a polished pass-catcher, but he can do damage in the intermediate game. There were some games where Turpin was targeted on passes downfield. Not only did McCarthy not use Turpin enough, but he did not cater to his skill set.
At $6 million per year, you can almost guarantee there will be a concerted effort to get Turpin a bigger role within the offense.
That is a huge cherry on top of his extension.
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