Tag: Juanyeh Thomas

Cowboys need to give these 2 backups more snaps or risk peril in secondary

It’s time the Cowboys give Donovan Wilson a rest and Juanyeh Thomas and Markquese Bell a chance. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys have made it four games into their 2024 campaign and it is already clear certain adjustments are in order. The struggles of the defense combined with recent injuries to key personnel necessitate the urgency of change. Covering the injury losses of Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence are not easy changes with simple solutions. Altering roles and workloads in the secondary are a different story.

The Cowboys run defense rightfully garners most of the scrutiny in Dallas this season, but the secondary deserves its fair share of constructive criticism as well. Not only does the secondary play a key role in gap assignments in run support, but it’s also responsible for coverage downfield and open field playmaking. Injuries have spread the cornerback room thin, but the Cowboys safety corps remains intact and as deep as any position on the roster.

When reviewing the Cowboys struggles through the first portion of the season it’s almost impossible not to notice Donovan Wilson. Wilson, Dallas’ primary in-the-box safety has struggled immensely in 2024. His gap discipline has been lacking and instincts haven’t been doing his propensity to freelance any favors.

Wilson has always been a feast or famine player. He’s been known to disappear for extended periods of time only to explode on the scene for a monumental play out of the blue. Unfortunately, in 2024 it’s been mostly famine for Wilson, and at a time when the Dallas defense is struggling in discipline and understanding, it might be time to put the veteran safety on ice for a while.

Reserve safeties Juanyeh Thomas and Markquese Bell are seen by many as starting quality players stuck in backup roles in Dallas. Thomas has flashed the ability to play deep in both 2-deep looks as well as in single high safety schemes. And after a year of filling in at linebacker, Bell is more than capable of playing in the box in a thumper role but also matched up in man coverage against the likes of running backs, tight ends and slot receivers.

Depending on the gameplan, either player looks capable of taking over for Wilson, or even Malik Hooker, for portions of a game. If Mike Zimmer is planning more split safety looks that week, Thomas is the better option. If Zimmer wants an extra defender closer to the line of scrimmage, Bell is a great option. The point is he has options as his disposal.

Such a shakeup could get better production from the position, or it might just serve as a wakeup call for the starters. Either outcome would signal success.

There’s a saying, “money plays in the NFL” and that seems to carry extra weight on the Cowboys. Higher drafted players and/or players making big money typically get the benefit of the doubt in Dallas, even if they’re being outplayed by others. Wilson, playing on a fresh three-year, $21 million contract, has the seventh highest salary cap number on the team this season. It’s a status no one would guess by just watching the film this season and it’s a status that brings with it extra scrutiny when performance drops such as it has.

As things stand Thomas and Bell are chronically underused and, in some ways, misused. Thomas and Bell only have a combined 21 defensive snaps this season. That usage rate would be understandable if both starters were playing at All-Pro levels, but neither are. Of the 76 safeties Pro Football Focus has graded, Wilson ranks 48th and Hooker 64th this season. If Thomas and Bell are truly as good as many seem to think they are, they could certainly stand to steal some of the starter’s snaps on defense in coming weeks.

Such a move wouldn’t have to be absolute or permanent, but it would be tapping a resource and potentially fixing a problem.

Related articles

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Teams are eliminating this unique Cowboys weapon, so how will Dallas fix it?

Teams are avoiding KaVonate Turpin and it’s time the Cowboys figure out how to stop that. | From @ReidDHanson

Let’s run through a quick strategy session, shall we? Let’s say an opposing team is fielding two kick returners. One of those returners is a reserve safety with average speed and below average return ability. The other returner is an actual kick return specialist with elite speed and Pro Bowl return ability. How would you handle this situation as the kicking team?

If you answered, “kick it to the reserve safety” you’re not alone. Each of the Cowboys opponents this season has opted to target the safety, Juanyeh Thomas, rather than the professional return man, KaVonate Turpin. It’s not hard to see why either. Turpin is one of the most feared return men in the game today. If given the choice between the two, no one in their right mind would target Turpin. It’s why the former TCU star only has two returns on the season while Thomas has six.

https://twitter.com/GehlkenNFL/status/1561395165071380481

This strategy has rendered Turpin nothing more than a lead blocker on the kick return unit. At 5-foot-9, 153-pounds, he’s not exactly the ideal blocker, but if teams are kicking away from him what else is he supposed to do?

It seems there’s a Turpin avoidance problem at the moment in Dallas and it’s incumbent on the Cowboys to figure out a solution.

One possible solution is upgrading the return spot next to Turpin. Thomas is averaging just 24 yards per return this season, well below league average and significantly below Turpin’s 34.5. Thomas also has the fourth most return attempts in the NFL, indicating it’s not a product of sample size.

It stands to reason a more explosive player could produce better results in the role. Possible solutions are Deuce Vaughn, Rico Dowdle, Jalen Tolbert and Ryan Flournoy. Given Donovan Wilson’s volativity at safety, Thomas could really stand to get more snaps at safety anyway.

Another possible solution is to fight the opponent’s predictability with unpredictability. Opponents are predictably targeting the player opposite Turpin so what if the Cowboys disguise which side of the field Turpin is on?

If both return men begin the process positioned in the middle of the field, making a break to their respective sides only when the kicking motion has begun, they will remove the kicking team’s ability to target specific players. It would give Turpin a 50-50 shot at returning the ball which would be a marked improvement over what he’s getting today.

What the Cowboys can’t do is keep allowing teams to dictate the terms of a return because they’re just going to keep targeting the man not named “Turpin” every time. In that case the Cowboys might as well just take Turpin off the field altogether and replace him with an actual lead blocker since that’s all he’s been doing anyway.

It’s innovation time in Dallas. John Fassel and crew are facing a very predictable situation right now and they need to find ways to work around it.

Related articles

[affiliatewidget_smgtlocal]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

This is Juanyeh Thomas’s pathway to bigger role with Cowboys

Juanyeh Thomas has special qualities as a zone defender that could get him a spot in the Cowboys safety rotation in 2024. | From @ReidDHanson

When the Cowboys added Juanyeh Thomas as an undrafted free agent (UDFA) in 2022, it wasn’t met with much fanfare throughout the base. Flashy, new draft picks and more notable UDFA’s, like Markquese Bell, carried most of the media attention. Aiding in Thomas’ invisibility was the logjam at the safety position ahead of him.  In addition to Bell, the Cowboys had Jayron Kearse, Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson all clearly positioned ahead of him on the depth chart. There wasn’t much reason for the general public to know who the former Georgia Tech safety was at that point in time.

In summer of 2023 that all changed. With the logjam at safety still firmly in place, Thomas forced onlookers to acknowledge his presence. A strong training camp coupled with a handful of highlight plays in the preseason ensured Thomas a spot on the final roster and a place in the hearts and minds of Cowboys Nation thereafter.

Now entering his third professional season, Thomas still has a significant hill to climb. Kearse may be gone but Wilson, Hooker and Bell are more entrenched than ever before. Carving out a bigger role on defense isn’t going to be easy. The Cowboys aren’t expected to run as many nickel and dime looks in 2024 so the overall snaps at the safety position are likely to drop. Thomas will need to show special qualities if he hopes to build on his 190 defensive snaps from a season ago.

Thomas, 6-foot-1, 212-pounds, isn’t a physically imposing presence. He’s highly athletic and fluid in his movements but he’s not explosive or burner fast. He’s struggled with man coverage assignments dating back to college and isn’t an optimal fit to cover receivers or tight ends out of the slot as many safeties often do.

But it’s what he does do well that could carve him out a niche on the Dallas defense. And the regime change at defensive coordinator could help make that possible.

Mike Zimmer is the new head honcho on defense in 2024. The former Vikings coach brings with him more split safety looks and greater demand on his secondary.

In Geoff Collins’ scheme at Georgia Tech, Thomas was often asked to play various coverage safety roles. From single high to different split looks, Thomas was well versed in a number of roles. These where roles he executed well, and these are the roles that could see him get more opportunities for the Cowboys.

Taking a quick inventory of Dallas’ safety room, it appears there will be opportunities in the back half for a safety that can play in a 2-high role. Since Wilson and Bell are both at their best closer to the line of scrimmage, Thomas could find himself competing for snaps as 2-high safety alongside Hooker. It’s that role where his intelligence and consistency can win Zimmer over and it’s there where he could carve out a greater role in passing situations.

Thomas is unlikely to leap the other three safeties entirely but his ability to play zone coverage well and his proficiency in open field tackling should get him in a rotation.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

‘It’s going to get pretty dark’: Cowboys safety Juanyeh Thomas has advice for this year’s UDFAs

From @ToddBrock24f7: Thomas struggled on the practice squad for a full year before getting his big moment. He shares his journey and what to expect in 2024.

The NFL journey begins soon for a whole slew of Cowboys rookies, as minicamp will welcome in the eight players drafted by the club. But along with them will be those who didn’t have their name turned in on an index card. This year’s undrafted free agents may not have gotten the draft-day moment, but they’ll have the same opportunity to put a star on their helmet.

Juanyeh Thomas knows that route very well, and he has some words of wisdom for this year’s UDFA class.

“Stay committed to the grind,” Thomas said during an appearance on teammate Brock Hoffman’s The 8th Round podcast, so named because he similarly didn’t get the call during the seven rounds of the 2022 draft.

After going undrafted, Thomas recalled feeling extra pressure during camp. He knows this year’s crop of UDFAs will likely experience it, too.

“It’s going to get pretty dark, and you’re going to think that you aren’t useful to the team, but I’m telling you, a lot of things happen, man, and when your number’s called you’ve got to go take that [expletive], for real,” he offered. “Stay focused and stay locked in the whole time.”

Hoffman agreed. Originally signed by Cleveland, the Virginia Tech offensive lineman likened being an undrafted free agent to being a college walk-on.

“Nothing’s going to be given to you,” Hoffman explained. “You’re not going to have four or five chances to make the same mistake over and over again.”

Hoffman was cut by the Browns midseason in 2022 and joined the practice squad in Dallas. Thomas was already there, much to the safety’s surprise.

“I thought I was doing pretty solid,” the former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket said of his rookie preseason. Despite notching an interception during the team’s final preseason contest, he failed to make the Cowboys 53-man roster.

“It was kind of like a punch to the gut,” he remembered. “I feel like that was really humbling. Then throughout the whole year, I was just- I’m not going to lie- I was in a dark place.”

Thomas thought his chance to finally step into the light was coming on Christmas Eve, in a home game versus Philadelphia. He was expecting to be elevated for the first time, but a knee injury suffered in midweek practice canceled those plans.

“They’re fixing to cut me,” he feared. “They’re going to bring in other people. I’ve done nothing to help the team as far as practice.”

Hoffman knows that feeling, too.

“When you’re on practice squad, it’s in the title: you’re there to practice,” he said. “And when you can’t practice, it’s kind of scary. Like, okay, if I get back healthy, are they going to cut me?”

Thomas’s fears, though, proved to be unfounded.

When his coaches told him he’d done “too many good things to be cut,” Thomas used that as motivation to start learning different positions on the defense, all part of an effort to make himself indispensable for 2023.

“No way I’m not making the 53-man roster,” he vowed.

The work paid off. Late last summer, head coach Mike McCarthy singled out Thomas as the player who had made the biggest leap from the previous year.

“That made me feel good but I couldn’t even look at it and relax, because we had a loaded safety room,” Thomas said. “I just had to keep making plays to separate myself.”

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

He didn’t have to wait long. A surprise start in the 2023 opener against the Giants, Thomas made his presence felt early when he stuffed New York running back Saquon Barkley for no gain on a 1st-down run during the Giants’ first possession.

Three plays later, he kickstarted the Cowboys’ 40-point avalanche by blocking a field goal that was returned for a touchdown.

“Something- I don’t know if it was an angel that had jumped on my back, but I kid you not- I felt something different,” Thomas said of that play. “I jumped through the line untouched, and I said, ‘Oh, snap, I gotta block this.'”

After he did, everything changed.

“I feel like my whole life slowed down,” he recalled. “Everything was slo-mo.”

Since then, though, things have been a bit of a blur. Thomas went on to appear in all 17 games for the 2023 Cowboys. And though he didn’t log another start and sometimes played on special teams only, he showed more than enough to remain in the gameday lineup.

But now there’s a new defensive coordinator. And it’s time for the 23-year-old to prove himself all over again. Mike Zimmer comes back to Dallas with a long and storied defensive body of work, but he also comes with a reputation.

Thomas has already seen glimpses of it.

“That man likes what he likes and he likes it his way,” he told Hoffman.

But he’s also seen enough of the Cowboys’ new-look defense to make a promise for the coming season.

“If there’s one thing I’m going to tell the fans,” Thomas said with a smile, “it’s that we are going to stop the [expletive-expletive] run. That’s all I’ve got to say.”

For the undrafted free agent who waited a whole year on the practice squad and then used a backfield tackle on one of the league’s premier backs as his 2023 entrance, it’ll be just the next challenge to overcome.

“This season is do-or-die for everybody.”

For the Cowboys. For the coaches. For many of the team’s top players. For the new draft picks. For the undrafted free agents.

Maybe even for Thomas, too.

But it’s far from his first time facing those odds.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01hwr38v8mhwdkzqgheh playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01hwr38v8mhwdkzqgheh/01hwr38v8mhwdkzqgheh-576154f3d22d3895e8a13207c78c3d44.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Cowboys’ blocked FG ‘shut the lights out on’ Giants; Juanyeh Thomas knew it was coming

From @ToddBrock24f7: The 2022 UDFA said CJ Goodwin told him he’d have a chance at a block; Thomas was one of several young Cowboys players who stepped up big.

Noah Igbinoghene scored the Cowboys’ first points of the season. Markquese Bell led the team in tackles on opening night in primetime. KaVontae Turpin rolled the scoreboard over to a fortyburger.

Not exactly household names to the casual Sunday Night Football viewer who tuned in hoping to see fantasy-type numbers from the likes of Prescott, Pollard, and Lamb. But the contribution of the team’s lesser-known players may turn out to be the key to getting the whole squad- superstars and all- over the hump in 2023.

They sure were in Week 1.

“We had a number of young guys who played big,” McCarthy told reporters in his postgame press conference. “I’m just really thrilled to see our young guys. They’re ready, and you can see it here, just in our first game. I thought we had a lot of production from our young players.”

None made a bigger splash than safety Juanyeh Thomas, whose blocked field goal not only ended the Giants’ opening possession but put the live ball on the turf, where the aforementioned Igbinoghene scooped it up and raced toward the end zone, 58 yards away.

Thomas also provided a key block on New York kicker Graham Gano, sending him under the wheels of holder Jamie Gillan and ultimately freeing Igbinoghene to score.

Incredibly, the undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech who spent the 2022 season on the Dallas practice squad said he had a feeling he’d have the chance to do something special in front of a nationwide audience.

“[Special teams ace] CJ Goodwin told me before the game that it was going to be open,” Thomas explained to reporters when asked about his first batted kick since high school. “So as soon as I saw it, I jumped right through and just blocked it.”

It was a massive play to start the game, triggering a Dallas avalanche that quickly turned into a blowout and ended with the biggest shutout win in Cowboys franchise history.

“It was definitely huge for us,” DeMarcus Lawrence agreed following the 40-0 victory. “I feel like their offense came out strong, they were driving the ball real well. Once we got that turnover, it feels like we shut the lights out on them.”

The big moment- and a strong performance the rest of the night- may have shined a new light on Thomas, a 23-year-old Florida native who is looking to make an impact among a talented group of Cowboys defensive backs.

“Juanyeh came in this camp, really balled out during camp, all preseason. And now he’s coming in and making big plays for this team,” linebacker Micah Parsons said at his locker. “The more he keeps growing, the more he’s going to keep making a name for himself.”

Thomas got the start Sunday due to the absence of Donovan Wilson, who is nursing a calf injury. But Parsons says Thomas and the rest of the Cowboys’ newer players have readily adopted the next-man-up mentality that they know could put any of them on the field at any moment, where they’ll be expected to show out just like a starter.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

“That’s the standard,” Parsons explained, “I think since I came in, there was no dropoff. We were like, ‘We need guys to come in and compete.’ And we all share our wisdom, push each other to get better. We stay on each other, whether you’re a first-year guy, a 10-year guy, a fifth-year guy; it doesn’t matter. I think everyone has the same standard and the same commitment.”

And the veterans definitely notice when the pups show they have the bite to match their bark.

“That’s a bunch of dogs,” safety Jayron Kearse said. “There’s really not much to say about it. It’s just a bunch of dogs. You see it on film. When you turn the tape on, from the top to the bottom, we’ve got guys that are going to get after it. I’m proud of my young guys.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01h923tr1qgjt0rsrc4k playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01h923tr1qgjt0rsrc4k/01h923tr1qgjt0rsrc4k-406c6e9410b56678f55e3a11d6b4110c.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]

LOOK: Cowboys open season with blocked field goal TD

The Cowboys’ special teams opens up the scoring on the season with a special play in Gotham.

Mike McCarthy made it a point early in the offseason to mention the second-year jump UDFA safety Juanyeh Thomas had made. Therefore it was no surprise for those paying attention when the Georgia Tech product made the 53-man roster.

Active for the first time in his career, it took exactly one drive for Thomas to make an impact. After the Giants drove into the red zone, Thomas came up and stopped Saquon Barkley for a no-gain rush. A few plays later the Giants were kicking a field goal when Thomas came through with the block. Noah Igbinoghene, traded for right before the season began, scooped the ball and raced 58 yards for the season’s opening score.

Dallas missed the extra point when rookie Brandon Aubrey pushed it wide left and Dallas has an early 6-0 lead.

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.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

3 things to watch for in Cowboys preseason finale vs Raiders

Preseason games are meaningless in the record books, but not to the coaches, front office, and many Dallas Cowboys players. | From @cdpiglet

By this time in the preseason, NFL teams have most things figured out and are simply preparing for the start of the regular season. The Dallas Cowboys have likely already answered most of their own questions regarding the 53-man roster.

They know which veterans they can cut now to bring back later so they can protect and stash a young prospect like pass rusher Isaiah Land or offensive guard T.J. Bass. The coaches understand who not to play to protect them for the games that matter. Seeing them a few extra snaps would not be worth the risk of injury in the coaches’ minds.

Even though 90% of the questions might be answered, the last preseason game still has the ability to answer a few outstanding ones. A handful of roster spots are still in question, and the team could want to see someone in a different role. Here are some of things fans should watch for when the Cowboys take on the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday.

Doug Pederson on Trevor Lawrence interception: ‘You can’t have that’

The Jaguars want to start games cleaner in 2023, so Doug Pederson wasn’t happy to see Trevor Lawrence’s early interception Saturday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars had a tendency during the 2022 season to fall behind early in games and climb back into contention late. While it served the team well at times, starting games on the right foot in 2023 has been a goal for coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

So an interception on Lawrence’s second throw of preseason didn’t sit well with anyone on the Jaguars sideline.

“The other night is not starting fast. You don’t throw an interception on the second play of the game,” Pederson told reporters Monday morning. “For us, it’s just a matter of continuing to work at it.

“We’re just continuing to work on it, we weren’t very good a year ago with some of our opening possessions, whether they ended up in a punt or turnover, you just can’t have that.”

Lawrence, 23, completed every other pass he threw on the night, finishing Saturday with five completions on six attempts for 36 yards and a touchdown.

“I’m still a little frustrated from having a turnover early,” Lawrence told reporters Saturday evening after the game. “We’ve got to start faster. We can’t turn the ball over and put our defense it that situation. It was just a bad throw by me.”

Lawrence was rolling to his left when he attempted to throw deep to tight end Evan Engram. Instead, he left the ball a little short and it ended up in the arms of the Dallas Cowboys’ Juanyeh Thomas.

“It had nothing to do with the routes,” Pederson explained Monday. “It’s just the fact that the ball slipped out of his hand, if you look at it closely, I think it’s wobbling down the field. It just slipped out of Trevor’s hand, he didn’t get enough on it. If he wanted to throw it the way he hoped he did, it would’ve been a little deeper to Evan going in behind the secondary.”

Lawrence finished the 2022 season with 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Just eight of his touchdown passes came when the Jaguars were leading or tied, and 17 happened while Jacksonville was trailing.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

WATCH: Pair of Dallas takeaways close the door on the 2022 preseason

The Cowboys defended their one-point lead late with a pair of takeaways to end the preseason with a victory. | From @CDBurnett7

With just over two minutes left, Seattle forced a three-and-out from the Dallas offense to give themselves a chance to retake the lead in a one-point game. After a first down incompletion, it was a disaster on second down with a fumble that bounced forward and linebacker Storey Jackson quickly recovered it to retake possession for the Cowboys.

With the preseason coming to a close, Dallas has plenty of roster decisions to make and strong showings from undrafted rookies will force them into some tough choices but they may have a strong group of practice squad players when it’s all said and done.

Storey’s takeaway secured the Cowboys’ lead but a quick three-and-out earned the Seahawks another chance to erase the 1-point Dallas lead. The following Seattle possession lasted one played, with a tipped ball that dropped into the hands of safety Juanyeh Thomas.

The Cowboys’ five takeaways secured a victory to end the preseason and the next time they take the field will be against the Buccaneers to start the regular season.