Who Should I Start? KaVontae Turpin or Jalen Coker

Tuesday, August 5, 9:00 PM

Now entering his fourth year in the NFL, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin has mostly made his mark as a return man. However, the 29-year-old will "be more involved in the offense this year than at any other time over the last three seasons," according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. New head coach Brian Schottenheimer, previously the team's offensive coordinator, is looking to utilize Turpin more as both a receiver and a runner. The 5-foot-9, 153-pounder set career highs in catches (31), targets (52), and yards (420) last season. He also added two receiving touchdowns and carried the ball 16 times for 92 yards. Those aren't exciting numbers, but the Cowboys believe the speedster has the explosiveness to take on a bigger role.

Tuesday, June 17, 2:43 PM

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker enjoyed a relatively productive rookie campaign in 2024, securing 32 of his 46 targets for 478 yards and two touchdowns. That's a solid season of productivity for an undrafted rookie out of Holy Cross, and he could be a contributor in 2025. However, Joe Person of The Athletic did not include Coker as a roster lock at wideout. He listed Adam Thielen, Tetairoa McMillan, and Xavier Legette as safely making the 53-man roster and mentioned rookie Jimmy Horn is likely to make the team thanks to his skills as a returner. The team only carried five wide receivers last season to begin the year, so that leaves Coker, Hunter Renfrow, Dan Chisena, David Moore, and Jacolby George potentially fighting for the last spot. "Special teams is going to be such a huge piece of that puzzle. How can these guys help us in the coverage units? Can they help us as a returner?" Head coach Dave Canales said. "That's the part where we get to challenge our guys to find a role, take this thing seriously. 'You're not here just to catch passes. We only get so many helmets on game day, so we need all of you guys to contribute in different ways." Coker is likely the "favorite" to win a roster spot, but this situation should be monitored. Should Coker not make the team, there should be plenty of interest in his services.