4 Cowboys fan favorites who are in danger of being cut before Week 1
- Tough decisions will need to be made on the defensive line
- Competition in the return game could be a problem for KaVontae Turpin
- There is a lot of pressure on Deuce Vaughn to make the final roster
3. KaVontae Turpin, RS
KaVontae Turpin certainly won over some hearts last year in Dallas as he made it to the Pro Bowl as a return specialist, racking up 834 all-purpose yards and averaging more than 10 yards per punt return.
Turpin brought some electric abilities to the return game but barely contributed to the offense at all with just 26 yards from scrimmage. You can be a Pro Bowl player in the return game one year in the NFL and looking for a job in free agency the next. It's a brutal business.
The Cowboys made some changes to the wide receiver room in the 2023 offseason, enough to lead me to believe that KaVontae Turpin is probably starting all over again this offseason. Despite being a really good return man, he's not a "core four" special teams player. He doesn't contribute heavily to the offense. He's an additional specialist.
Some rosters are constructed to include guys like that, and that's okay, but there will be competition from elsewhere on the roster for Turpin's job, which could lead to a fan favorite getting released.
As the MVP of the USFL in 2022, Turpin's story was closely followed by many Dallas Cowboys fans, and his ascent to making the roster was one of the coolest storylines last year. But he's starting over again in 2023.