Is there room for Juanyeh Thomas on the Cowboys roster?

Thomas has been one of the Cowboys best performers of the preseason but with a crowded position group, his future isn’t certain, says @ReidDHanson.

On August 29, NFL teams are required to cut their rosters down to 53. Like every other team in the league, the Cowboys have some tough decisions on their hands. Every position they go long requires they go short at another position. Since some positions require more personnel than others, it’s not about getting the best 53 players, but rather the right 53 players.

Special teams and overall versatility always play a role, making predictions a tough task for even the most plugged-in NFL minds. One player who stands firmly on the bubble is former Georgia Tech safety, Juanyeh Thomas.

Thomas was one of the first shinning stars of training camp for the Cowboys. After Donovan Wilson was lost to injury, Thomas stepped up into a more prominent role and quickly turned heads.

At 6-foot-3, 217 pounds, Thomas fits the Cowboys’ prototype. He’s big enough to play the run, fast enough to play the pass, long enough to stay with TEs and limber enough to cover RBs and WRs. He’s exactly what Dan Quinn loves in a safety.

Thomas continued his hot training camp with some standout performances in the preseason. He hasn’t been flawless but he’s made big plays and flashed the same traits he showed throughout training camp, essentially legitimizing his play this summer.

Not only has he been a capable safety option both deep and in the box, but he’s also been a weapon on special teams (a requirement for a down roster DB).

Thomas has been one of the biggest surprises of the summer and is doing everything he can to ensure he gets a roster spot in 2023, but is it enough?

Unfortunately, the numbers at the Cowboys safety position are working against him. Malik Hooker, Donovan Wilson and Jayron Kearse are locks and Markquese Bell is in the mix to replace the injured DaMarvion Overshown in many packages. There’s also Israel Mukuamu who is a versatile player capable of traditional safety roles as well as nickel CB.

With those five players, Thomas must either convince the Cowboys to keep six safeties or he must beat out Bell or Mukuamu (which is no small task because the Cowboys love them).

Six is more than Dallas traditionally keeps, but this is also more talent than they traditionally have.

Given Thomas’ play in the preseason, he’s probably going to be tough to sneak onto the practice squad. Then again, that’s something that’s said every year in Cowboys camp and more often than not, they find a way to get it done.

It’s going to be really tough to leave the 23-year-old Thomas off the Cowboys roster. He’s proven to be a valuable weapon on both defense and special teams and is one of the best success stories of training camp.

A case can be made he’s actually SAF4 and not the one fighting for the sixth spot. Either way, the Cowboys have tough decisions to make in their secondary and a very good player is going to find himself on the wrong side of the bubble as a result.

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