Dallas Cowboys 2022 NFL preseason round-up: Training camp day 2, Dak Prescott, KaVontae Turpin…
Dak Prescott has high Super Bowl hopes this year, Cowboys sign KaVontae Turpin, the battle for WR2 heats up on day two of training camp.
“The golden year” - Prescott hopes for Super Bowl
Cowboys fans, players, coaching staff - we say it every year. “This is our year!” The problem is, it hasn’t been true in 26 years. That doesn’t stop us from believing though, and that goes for quarterback Dak Prescott, too. Today (Friday, July 29) is Dak’s “golden birthday” (happy birthday, Dak!), and he “plans for this to be the golden year” for the Cowboys, too.
Prescott feels the pressure of making it to a Super Bowl, as 1) it hasn’t been done since 1995, and 2) he’s trying to fill the shoes of legends like Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach. Those are big shoes to fill, but Prescott is up to the challenge in his seventh season as the Cowboys’ starting quarterback. So far, Prescott has only had one playoff win in six seasons. At this point in their careers, Aikman and Staubach had accomplished quite a bit more. Staubach had four Super Bowl appearances and two wins, and Aikman had three Super Bowl wins. That puts the pressure on for Dak, who has put up huge numbers, but like Danny White and Tony Romo before him, has very little to show for it.
Training camp day 2: Wide receiver competition heating up
Behind CeeDee Lamb, and before Michael Gallup returns, the WR2 position is anyone’s to claim. Third-round draft pick Jalen Tolbert has been looking great both days of practice and looks in the best position to start alongside Lamb in week 1 so far.
Veteran and former Steelers receiver James Washington had a rough first day at camp, landing wrong and with some concerns he was still dealing with previous injury woes, but on day two, he looked to have improved. Even some of the deeper receivers on the roster showed out on day two, with Dennis Houston and T.J. Vasher making some grabs in practice.
Cowboys sign free agent KaVontae Turpin
Speaking of receivers, the Cowboys officially signed free agent KaVontae Turpin, USFL MVP, to a three-year contract. The former TCU standout went on to play in the Spring League and European League before joining the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League. There, Turpin caught 44 passes for 540 yards and four touchdowns, plus 129 yards rushing and one rushing touchdown, earning him the league MVP title. He led the USFL in punt return average, and it seems that’s where the Cowboys will utilize him most, as the primary kick and punt returner. Head coach Mike McCarthy commented that he won’t be used much as a receiver, but if he ever does see that role, he’s got the skills to make it work. To make room for Turpin on the 53-man roster, the Cowboys released fullback Nick Ralston.
Michael Gallup to miss week 1 (confirmed)
We already knew that Michael Gallup would miss some time in the regular season, but now he’s confirmed it himself. Last season, Gallup missed seven games with a calf injury, played in nine games, and then tore his ACL in week 17, quite late in the season. So it’s no surprise he’s not going to be ready to go for the week 1 season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the nine games he did play, Gallup had 33 receptions for 445 yards and two touchdowns, and then landed a five-year, $62.5 million contract with Dallas. For now, the Cowboys will rely on Lamb, Tolbert, Washington, and Turpin to pick up the slack while Gallup recovers. He could miss anywhere from one to four weeks.
Why are the Cowboys wearing strange helmets?
If you’ve seen any of the Cowboys’ practices at Oxnard, you may have noticed that the helmets look a little different. Called “Guardian Caps”, the helmets look like padded space helmets.
They were designed for safety, and several other NFL teams are using them in practice camps, too. It’s actually just a cap for the helmet, which is why they are called Guardian Caps - because that’s exactly what they are and do. The cap goes over the helmet and reduces the impact of a hit by up to 20 percent if both players wear one. Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch said the cap feels awkward, but acknowledged it’s important for safety. “I can feel the weight in it,” said Vander Esch. “I feel like it makes me a little bit more bobbleheady.’’
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