NFL Rumors: 3 Cowboys who should be traded before Week 1, one player to hold onto

NFL Rumors: Cowboys should trade PR/KR/WR KaVontae Turpin from the cut line

I’m not happy to have to say that the Cowboys would be best-served to trade KaVontae Turpin, but it’s the unfortunate reality of the situation.

Turpin has been a shot in the arm for the special teams units in Dallas as an electric return man who has made numerous plays for this club. Last season, he ranked fifth among qualifying players with an average of 10.4 yards per punt return. He also would’ve been sixth in average yards per kick return (24.2) if he’d qualified on his 21 returns from the 2022 season.

The truth about Turpin, though, is that he’s always been limited to being a special teams ace. He’s listed as a wide receiver on the roster but he’s not proven in any meaningful capacity that he could actually help out the offense.

That’s where things get tricky for him. Turpin and C.J. Goodwin, though in different ways, both contribute almost exclusively on special teams. But with a crowded roster that needs to be cut down to 53 players, keeping two core special teamers in this manner feels like poor roster construction.

More importantly, Turpin’s return ability, though great, isn’t unrepeatable. The Cowboys drafted Deuce Vaughn in the fifth round of this year’s draft. Not only can he contribute in the backfield, but he has plenty of experience and juice as a return man as well.

With that said, the resumé as a return man that Turpin has built in Dallas is undeniable. A team that has less cut-line questions could very well be interested in giving their special teams a jolt, which could net America’s Team a late-round pick, which would be better than having to cut him outright by a mile.