Dallas, TX
Cowboys mailbag: Questions on rookies, the bye week and KaVontae Turpin
Every week, we take questions on X (Twitter) and Facebook about Dallas Cowboys players and other issues surrounding the team. So let’s get right into it.
“Which of the rookies do you think have the biggest chance of make the final 53? And do any of the vets have to be worried about being replaced by the rookies?”
(@Rich Gillet on Facebook)
Mike: It wouldn’t be surprising if all the rookies make it on the team this year. The only one who might not is Nathan Thomas, depending on how the other offensive tackles develop. People were wondering if Brock Hoffman would start at center, but now Cooper Beebe poses a big challenge and might end up taking his spot before the season starts.
Ryan Flournoy poses a significant challenge to some of the veterans at the wide receiver position. During mini-camp, he left a lasting impression and even caught the attention of his fellow players. His emergence as a strong contender jeopardizes some of the bottom of the roster wide receivers who have hung around for a few years.
Justin Rogers serves more as a replacement for Johnathan Hankins. His presence, however, does pose a potential challenge for Chauncey Golston, as it may limit his playing time. Of course, this assumes that Golston can establish his role within the defense before the cuts are made.
Dana: The first three draft picks of 2024 should find themselves on the final 53: Tyler Guyton, Marshawn Kneeland, and Cooper Beebe. Guyton and Beebe have a good chance to take over the starting roles for left tackle and center at some point this season, even if they aren’t quite ready for that responsibility Week 1. If Beebe does become the starting center, expect Brock Hoffman to remain on the roster for depth. The same might not be said for Chuma Edoga at the tackle position if Guyton solidifies his starting role, as there are a few younger tackles the team might want to develop instead. For example, the seventh-round pick Nathan Thomas.
The majority of defensive end snaps will obviously belong to DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons with an increase of snaps for Sam Williams from last year, but look for Kneeland to share a piece of that pie. Depending on how he is able to take advantage of his reps at training camp, that may not leave much room for Chauncey Golston when it comes time to set the 53-man roster.
As for the other draft picks, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see all of them make it to the 53-man roster. There were a lot of holes in the team before the draft and the Cowboys haven’t necessarily been shy about how much they are going to depend on their young guys this season. Marist Liufau (LB), Caelen Carson (CB), and Ryan Flournoy (WR) all have a really good chance to see in-game snaps this season. Justin Rogers (DT) could be grouped in there as well based on the lack of depth at DT.
“In your opinion, is the Week 7 Bye too early, too late or just right?”
(@MrEd315 on Twitter)
Mike: It’s definitely a bit too soon for an 18-week season. Going 11 weeks without a break, especially with the Thanksgiving portion where they have to play three games in 11 days, is a demanding stretch that impacts the players’ stamina.
There is an optimistic view, however, for where the Cowboys take this year’s bye week. The Week 7 bye allows the team to rest, recover, and gear up for a crucial match against their fierce rivals, the San Francisco 49ers. Historically, the Cowboys have a strong record of 4-1 in the last five years after returning from a bye week, which bodes well for their chances of defeating the 49ers on their home turf. This early bye week could be just what Dallas needs to secure a major victory.
Dana: It’s always a bit difficult to judge the best time for a bye during the season as there are so many factors that could affect when a team needs the relief. Things like durability, injuries and opponents all play a role. Outside factors aside, the ideal bye would be smack dab in the middle of the season, Week 8 – Week 10. However, when you look at who the Cowboys play after their bye in Week 7, it might do them well to get the extra prep. The Cowboys will face the 49ers in Week 8. The 49ers have been dubbed as the Cowboys’ boogey man as of late, so the extra rest and prep might be the remedy needed to relieve that years-long headache.
The Cowboys also have a little bit of a mini-bye between Week 13 (Thanksgiving) and Week 14 (Monday Night). Hopefully that bit of a break later in the season will be enough to help the team finish the season strong.
“How much playing time will KaVontae Turpin get his year and will he get more snaps at WR this year?”
(@Glen Stevens on Facebook)
Mike: It seems likely that he will have an increased workload this year based on the signs we’ve seen so far. His name has been mentioned frequently during the install period, indicating that the coaches are exploring new ways to utilize his skills. Once the team arrives in Oxnard and we observe how the players perform and are utilized, we will have a better understanding of what to expect from Turpin this season.
Don’t sleep on Kavontae Turpin being a possible WR3 this year. He has a great day at OTAs, especially when taking reps with the ones. pic.twitter.com/ktVVAuGlKC
— Jess Nevarez (@JessNevarez_) May 22, 2024
Utilizing Turpin from the backfield or on jet sweeps and screen passes could greatly benefit the offense and force defenses to cover more ground horizontally. This, in turn, could create more opportunities for players like Brandin Cooks, who has shown to be more comfortable on this offense during the offseason.
Dana: KaVontae Turpin had a pretty big jump in snaps since Mike McCarthy took over play calling for this offense. In his first season he had only one reception, whereas in year two, that number jumped to 12. With those 12 receptions last year, Turpin had 127 yards and three touchdowns. This year, the trust McCarthy has in Turpin should be even stronger. It also works in Turpin’s favor that there isn’t really a set WR3. The previous WR3 for the Cowboys had 57 targets last year. It should be expected that a portion of those should be reserved for Turpin.
The Cowboys are also testing out Deuce Vaughn for kick returns this season. Depending on how that goes, it may give the Cowboys more confidence in expanding Turpin’s role in the receiving game.
Poll
Will KaVontae Turpin be this year’s WR3 for Dallas?
Be sure to check Blogging The Boys as well as @kenfigkowboy and @day_nuh_bee on X and also Facebook for the weekly post, asking for your questions to include in the weekly mailbag. Many thanks to everyone who send in your questions and votes.
It was clear from the jump that the Dallas Cowboys were going to aggressively reshape their defensive secondary this offseason. A lot of that came down to overhauling the safety room, but the Cowboys front office also made several key moves at cornerback. One of the earliest they made was signing former sixth-round pick and recent NFC West journeyman Derion Kendrick to a one-year deal in late March.
Kendrick, who spent his first two full seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, was waived by LA and then picked up by the Seattle Seahawks before being waived again. However, at just 25 years old, Kendrick still seemed like a worthwhile swing for the Cowboys to take — or at least that was the case when the signing was made. But now, Dallas looks much less in need of taking a gamble at cornerback, which makes Kendrick seem like he’s simply crowding the cornerback room.
Derion Kendrick looks like a waste of money for the Cowboys
Let’s be clear: there’s a chance the Kendrick, who has put forth average to slightly above coverage grades in his career, can be a useful player in this league. However, that’s not a certainty given some of his bouts with inconsistency, and now the Cowboys have what seem like surer bets on their roster.
Not only is the hope that DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel are healthy options for the Cowboys this season after dealing with injuries or recovery last season, but Dallas has also drafted Caleb Downs, who can move down and play frequently in the slot (which we’ve already seen in offseason minicamps), signed a simply better corner than Kendrick in Cobie Durant, and lucked into fourth-round pick Devin Moore, who could be one of the steals of the draft with his natural ability at the position.
That’s also before you mention someone like Caelon Carson, who has been a solid depth piece for Dallas’ defense, even amidst the struggles on that side of the ball. The point is, there really isn’t much of a spot in the cornerback rotation for Kendrick right now when you look at the roster.
Obviously, this doesn’t mean that the Cowboys should rush to cut ties with Kendrick. If anything, Dallas should’ve learned that depth going into training camp and throughout the preseason to get to Week 1 is direly important. Moreover, Kendrick has enough of a track record in the league to have the opportunity to go on the field and prove himself and potentially fight his way to earning a roster spot.
At the same time, the math and numbers game don’t appear to be on the veteran’s side right now, which makes signing him seem a bit suspect in hindsight. However, even if that is the case, there is a silver lining for the Cowboys, in addition to this simply being a good problem to have.
Dallas can easily remedy their unnecessary signing of Kendrick
While it’s not ideal for the Cowboys to make a signing and then immediately cut that player before Week 1, the fact of the matter is that it won’t hurt Dallas in any meaningful way. While Kendrick inked a one-year deal worth $1.295 million, not a penny of that is guaranteed for the 2026 season. Subsequently, if Kendrick doesn’t come out and perform like gangbusters, the Cowboys can cut him with no cap penalties.
Zooming out and taking the 10,000-foot view of the situation, though, the expendability of Kendrick whether you want to call him a waste of money or a signing or not, is a good thing for the Cowboys.
This was unequivocally one of the worst pass defenses in the league last season. Had they legitimately been just average on that side of the ball, Dak Prescott and the offense were more than good enough to take this team easily into the playoffs and perhaps make a run (though this is Dallas, so who knows once the postseason starts). That’s why we’ve seen them make such drastic changes on that side of the ball.
As such, the fact that the Cowboys have overhauled their secondary so substantially along with bringing in new defensive coordinator Christian Parker speaks to the good work that this front office has done. Of course, things can always look good on paper and then fall apart on the field, but it absolutely seems that Dallas is heading in a substantially better direction, and Kendrick’s lack of place on the roster is an obvious sign of that.
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The Dallas Cowboys have been linked with Denzel Mims since he was available during the 2020 NFL draft. Through his failed attempts to establish himself within the league, a Texas reunion has been hoped for by many. In for pre-draft visits, the Cowboys were stunned away from selecting him when CeeDee Lamb fell in their laps with the No. 17 overall selection. Later, after he was unable to find strong footing with the New York Jets, the Cowboys have been linked to him in trade attempts and free-agency inquiries, with nothing coming to fruition until 2026.
Now a member of their offseason roster, Mims’ career has gone nothing like planned. He hasn’t been on an active NFL roster since 2022, spending two seasons in the UFL with the St. Louis Battlehawks and the Dallas Renegades. Neither stint has been impressive. Now, the Cowboys are giving the local product a chance to prove it’s circumstance and opportunity, not a lack of pro talent.
Rundown
Position: Wide Receiver
Age: 28
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 209 pounds
Hometown: Daingerfield, TX
High School: Daingerfield High
College: Baylor (Film Video vs Oklahoma 2019)
Draft: 2020 second-round pick, No. 59
Contract: One-year contract (2026), $1.145 million
Career Earnings: $4.4 million (per Over The Cap)
Profile
Mims has 42 career catches in the NFL, for 676 yards. He’s yet to reach the end zone as a professional, in either the NFL or UFL. He’ll spend his training camp battling with the bottom of the 90-man offseason roster to try and secure a role with the Cowboys in 2026. Dallas has the first four spots locked up with CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy and Kavontae Turpin. From there, it’s a true camp battle situation between veterans and youngsters alike.
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ARLINGTON, Texas – A horde of Socceroo fans stormed an Arlington Walmart ahead of Australia’s World Cup match on Friday at Dallas Stadium.
A Socceroo Walmart takeover
Videos of Australian soccer fans taking over a Walmart in Arlington went viral on Monday.
The Walmart is located across the street from where the Socceroos played a World Cup match on Friday against Egypt.
Plenty of chants were heard in the videos, ranging from “We’re going to Walmart” as they entered the building to “We’re getting deported” while exiting.
The Arlington Police Department got involved to break up the impromptu rally.
Australia lost to Egypt on Friday afternoon, ending their run in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Source: Information in this story comes from social media videos.
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