Could Deuce Vaughn Steal KaVontae Turpin's Cowboys Roster Spot?

The start of one Dallas Cowboys summer hero's journey, that of Deuce Vaughn's, could lead to the end of another's, the 2022 USFL MVP KaVontae Turpin.

Fame's a fickle friend and it's particularly mercurial in the modern NFL.

Such capriciousness only heightens with the Dallas Cowboys, where yesterday's gridiron heroes have an equal chance of reprising their roles or sticking around. Our Mike Fisher of CowboysSI.com has examined the idea that special-teams standout KaVontae Turpin could pushed for his roster spot - a spot that has gained scrutiny - with the arrival of running back Deuce Vaughn.

Turpin was last year's summer sensation in Dallas, going from USFL MVP to NFL Pro Bowler in the span of just over six months. The former New Jersey Generals star did so by making an impact on the Dallas return game, earning averages of 24.2 and 10.4 on kick and punt runbacks respectively. 

For an encore, Dallas management has made their desire to see Turpin contribute more in his listed position of receiver. To his credit, Turpin has fully embraced such expectations, citing an "All-Pro" goal at receiver early this month.

This time around, the undersized (5-5) Vaughn has gained fame in the Dallas backfield. Defying the vertical odds and his emotional draft selection (as it was his father and Cowboys scout Chris who made the official phone call to inform him of his sixth-round draft fate) has already garnered a significant cult following, one that only grew when he put up 50 yards on eight carries, including one score, in his unofficial AT&T Stadium debut, a 28-23 preseason loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday.

Game 1 in Year 2 was a mixed bag for Turpin: a late 15-yard second quarter reception on fourth down kept Dallas' first touchdown drive alive but that only served as redemption for defying an order to fair catch ... which led to a punt-return fumble and Jacksonville's own first end zone visit. 

“There are some things he can learn from just like anything,” McCarthy said of Turpin. “There are details at every position, especially in the passing game. He had a big catch on that fourth down but he just has details work, that’s why he’s in there.”

“He just got a good little swipe on the ball and I fumbled it,” Turpin said of the play. “I got to hold onto it but at the same time they told me to fair catch it, but it looked too good. But I wanted to do something with my chances. But I have to have ball security.”

If the Cowboys (0-1) start to use their final two preseason games to experiment with Vaughn as a returner, things could really get interesting. At Kansas State, Vaughn returned seven kicks for 145 yards as a freshman in 2020 but his potential and speed could cause Dallas to at least take a gander. ... even though he hasn't really been a punt returner.

Meanwhile, Dallas is occasionally trying the 5-9 Turpin from the backfield at this point in time, so experimentation is still in play for both.

Vaughn could also have an edge in making the roster considering the respective states of the Cowboys' positional rooms: Ronald Jones' suspension more or less opens one of the assured spots for Week 1 while Turpin has little chance of advancing past the Cowboys' fifth receiver spot no matter what he does over the rest of the summer.

Long forced to make adjustments and improvise throughout his football career, Turpin is taking the apparent heat in stride. 

“It’s a new year, I’m not worried about it too much,” Turpin said. “Vaughn's going to come out here and do his thing and I’m going to lean on his shoulders, whatever he's got to do, I’m going to be a team player whatever it is, it is. But yeah, they’re giving me more opportunities, more reps on offense, and I’m just trying to take advantage of my opportunities.”

Turpin and Vaughn's next chances to impress come on Saturday night when Dallas heads to the Pacific Northwest to do battle with the Seattle Seahawks (9 p.m. CT, KTVT/NFL Network).

---

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

COWBOYS FISH REPORT … now a podcast! Join us inside The Star, ANY TIME!

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Dallas Cowboys?Follow FishSports on Twitter

Follow Cowboys / Fish on Facebook

Subscribe to the Cowboys Fish Report on YouTube for constant daily Cowboys live reports!