With KaVonte Turpin's performance against the Chargers, is there only one slot left open at receiver? Seems right now CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, Noah Brown and James Washington are locks. Would Turpin take up a fifth receiver slot or would they find another way to sneak him onto the roster? If he's a receiver, who among the young guys do you predict will be No. 6? — JEFF PARSONS / AMARILLO, TX
Kyle: I'd throw Jalen Tolbert into the "locks" conversation as well because a top 100 pick will make the roster no matter how the preseason goes. That being said, that leaves us with six total receivers that will make the roster if they were all healthy and the season started today. There's a possibility to fit Turpin onto the roster without taking up a wide receiver spot, but James Washington and Michael Gallup's injuries will be the easy way to make a roster move for young receivers. If one or both make their way to the PUP list or injured reserve, that would open the door for Dennis Houston and Simi Fehoko who appear to be the next receivers up on the depth chart. I believe Houston would be the first choice out of those two receivers based off what we've seen in practice, but Fehoko has draft capital invested in him. There's a good chance both are on the roster to begin the season though.
Patrik: I'd start by wondering if Washington is the lock many believe he is. He's a very talented receiver, and one I was admittedly high on ahead of the 2018 NFL Draft and had high hopes for when he signed with the Cowboys, but his pre-injury camp reps were a mixed bag that often saw him leave plays on the field. I believe Turpin becomes an offensive option in 2022 and the rest will be figuring out who else gets the nod behind Lamb and [eventually] Gallup. You could make the very real argument that, with Jalen Tolbert being a third-round pick and with both Simi Fehoko and Dennis Houston challenging heavily for a spot on the 53-man roster, Washington might find his injury put him in a position to potentially not have a seat to return to when he's healthy – his contract also being easily absorbed into the cap if the young guns push him out.
